The net worth of the UK has more than tripled since 1995. But I’m betting you don’t feel three times richer than you were 20 years ago, or that the country as a whole is rolling in cash. So where’s it all gone? New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that most of it has gone to one place: land.
This new data shows just how stark the problem is:
land values rose by £280 billion in… Read more
It’s hard to believe that Kirstie and Phil started presenting Channel 4’s Location, Location, Location way back in May 2000.
The first episode is well-worth a watch. Watch it to chuckle at the dated fashions and dodgy camerawork, if you must. But the main attraction is, of course, how unbelievably cheap all the properties are.
So as an experiment we tracked them all down to find out how much they are worth now.
The results are mind-boggling.
Inflation, inflation, … Read moreYesterday the Prime Minister went to Poole to launch a new starter homes scheme that will deliver 100,000 homes for purchase by first time buyers at 20% below the market value. Beneath this simple consumer-friendly message there is a complex scheme involving several different interventions and changes. In short, it’s half right – and half wrong.
On the positive side, the scheme is a very welcome sign that the government recognises the urgent need to build more homes, and to … Read more
Renters are understandably angry about the unaffordable cost of renting. In the capital, average rent for a two bedroom flat is now a whopping £1,495 a month. Other parts of the country are also experiencing record highs.
Shelter is deeply concerned by how unstable and unaffordable private renting has become. The record high costs of private renting have led to renewed calls for some form of rent control. But we’re not convinced that comprehensive rent caps are the best … Read more
The politics of housing is a delicate thing. The public have little understanding of how it works. The problem is difficult to grasp. And the solutions are even harder to formulate. Consensus, when achieved, can be easily rocked.
All in all, this means Professor Danny Dorling’s new book, ‘All that is solid’ is kicking up a bit of a storm at the moment, asking fundamental questions around the solutions to our housing problems as a country.
He’s not … Read more
Inflation is a funny thing. Imagine headlines “Families cheer as bread prices soar” or “Holidaymakers high-five as deck-chair costs double”. Not really plausible, is it? Yet that is standard fare on the front pages of many newspapers and news websites whenever we have a story about rising house prices.
As ever in some corners of the press, rising housing prices are seen as the sign of a healthy housing market or a wider recovery.
I beg to differ. Homes are … Read more