But it's the local people often who sell the houses at the inflated prices.
When we bought our house from a Cornish couple, they didn't offer me a discount because I'm from Cornwall originally.
As the seller your primary concern is to get the best price. However "London" money has meant prices have risen way beyond what the local population can afford. That is true in most of the West Country today.
That's a good point. People sometime blame 'incomers' for pushing up house prices, but it's the people who sell them who push up the price according to demand.
But it is "incomers" money that causes the inflation. Locals can't meet those "inflated" prices, so without the incomers money prices would fall to a more realistic level.
As the seller your primary concern is to get the best price. However "London" money has meant prices have risen way beyond what the local population can afford. That is true in most of the West Country today.
It's not as simple as that, IMO, although there is some truth in it.
Not all people who buy in the West Country are from London by any means (and we didn't have a big house to sell in London, just a small 1 1/2 bedroom flat), local people don't sell at a cheaper price to local people etc. Some people who live in the W Country earn pretty good wages themselves. It's a bit of blame culture, IMO, rather than people in London moving to the West Country wholesale and demanding to pay more for houses.
The people with worse house price issues are those in London because, even with better wages, the house prices are astronomical, even if they are Londoners (so locals themselves).
I think there should be a wider availability of flats down here for people. The best properties that rich Londoners or rich locals are likely to buy would be out of reach of low wage locals in any event and at any time.
But that's how the housing market works. Incomers would be happy to pay lower prices (obviously) but because they can out bid locals the prices of houses go up. The only way to stop that would be for sellers to take a realistic price to prevent house prices from rising (which is not really going to happen).
But it's not the 'fault' of incomers. They just want to move to a rural area and have to outbid the other vendors if they're going to get the house.They're just as much the victims of the housing market as the local people.
These are probably the two main reasons why "incomers" aren't always welcomed.
Rural wages are lower than the national average but here in Gloucestershire, along with many other rural counties we have had a large influx of those who have "been blinded by the insane amount of money they've got for their London gaffs", and have pushed house prices above the national average, meaning local people can no longer afford to buy a house where they live.
There are many stories of people who move from London and refuse to get involved in local activities and spend their time complaining about the smells and the fact the cockerel wakes them up at 6am on a Sunday and the fact the church clock strikes every hour, even at night. Some people seem to go out of their way to get the locals' backs up and wonder why they are not made to feel welcome!
The shame of it is though, the family I referred to are lovely people - but in another sense, they are stupid and rather selfish people who never gave adequate consideration to what it meant to move to such a small community, isolated location, relatively deprived economic area, and even a building so different to what they knew. And such people make it even harder for other incomers to be accepted.
They have unrealistic expectations - about the local shop for example, getting uppity and talking about 'poor business plans' when the shop shuts half earlier than stated to go give a hand on the family farm if the shop is dead. Getting offended when the local postmistress asks what's in the parcel. Taking exception to a bit of mould in the stone cottage they chose to live in and not manage properly by opening windows, and giving the landlord stress about it.
Wanting *more* street lighting, extra long and 100% accurate opening hours, and a level of anonymity etc when other incomers and locals alike are very content with the status quo and in the case of the former have actively sought out places with less light pollution, less commercialism, and a tighter community, old buildings faults and all etc....
That's what I meant to the OP about being sure about what they want. Though it's worked out perfectly for us, I've seen others make a clearly ill-considered move - a little research, prep and readiness to adapt or at least accept makes all the difference. If not for them, at least for the rest of us
It's not as simple as that, IMO, although there is some truth in it.
Not all people who buy in the West Country are from London by any means (and we didn't have a big house to sell in London, just a small 1 1/2 bedroom flat), local people don't sell at a cheaper price to local people etc. Some people who live in the W Country earn pretty good wages themselves. It's a bit of blame culture, IMO, rather than people in London moving to the West Country wholesale and demanding to pay more for houses.
The people with worse house price issues are those in London because, even with better wages, the house prices are astronomical, even if they are Londoners (so locals themselves).
I think there should be a wider availability of flats down here for people. The best properties that rich Londoners or rich locals are likely to buy would be out of reach of low wage locals in any event and at any time.
Surely you don't mean by the BIB that they should build more?! :eek:
Bottom line for me is a simple ban on second homes in protected areas. First step at least. I've no issue with incomers being one myself, but incomers should be part of and contribute to the area they live, and stopping the whole crappy second homing phenomenon would take the edge off house prices in such areas.
It's not as simple as that, IMO, although there is some truth in it.
Not all people who buy in the West Country are from London by any means (and we didn't have a big house to sell in London, just a small 1 1/2 bedroom flat), local people don't sell at a cheaper price to local people etc. Some people who live in the W Country earn pretty good wages themselves. It's a bit of blame culture, IMO, rather than people in London moving to the West Country wholesale and demanding to pay more for houses.
The people with worse house price issues are those in London because, even with better wages, the house prices are astronomical, even if they are Londoners (so locals themselves).
I think there should be a wider availability of flats down here for people. The best properties that rich Londoners or rich locals are likely to buy would be out of reach of low wage locals in any event and at any time.
It isn't a "blame culture" at all, it is fact.
If you live in an area where the average wage is below the national average, it isn't the locals that push house prices to above the national average as has happened here in Gloucestershire.
The shame of it is though, the family I referred to are lovely people - but in another sense, they are stupid and rather selfish people who never gave adequate consideration to what it meant to move to such a small community, isolated location, relatively deprived economic area, and even a building so different to what they knew. And such people make it even harder for other incomers to be accepted.
They have unrealistic expectations - about the local shop for example, getting uppity and talking about 'poor business plans' when the shop shuts half earlier than stated to go give a hand on the family farm if the shop is dead. Getting offended when the local postmistress asks what's in the parcel. Taking exception to a bit of mould in the stone cottage they chose to live in and not manage properly by opening windows, and giving the landlord stress about it.
Wanting *more* street lighting, extra long and 100% accurate opening hours, and a level of anonymity etc when other incomers and locals alike are very content with the status quo and in the case of the former have actively sought out places with less light pollution, less commercialism, and a tighter community, old buildings faults and all etc....
That's what I meant to the OP about being sure about what they want. Though it's worked out perfectly for us, I've seen others make a clearly ill-considered move - a little research, prep and readiness to adapt or at least accept makes all the difference. If not for them, at least for the rest of us
BiB is the problem.
Here is a perfect example of what I was referring to: Wrington All Saints Church clock silenced in noise row, and then they wonder why the locals aren't "welcoming" and they are ostracised in the community. I have friends who live near to the village concerned and I believe the couple moved out in the end and the clock chimes were restored.
I think city folk massively under-estimate how different it is living in the country. Buses are rare, roads will not get cleared of snow or be gritted, there are no street lights, etc. However the upside is we know all of our neighbours and talk to them, if there was an emergency we could ask any of them for help and I think it is a much better way of life but then again I've always lived in the countryside.
But church leaders said they had to silence it completely because the bell's computer software cannot be programmed locally to stop it chiming at night.
And I thought I was being cryptic :eek:
What a crazy situation. Nobody can be arsed to go ring the bells every 15 minutes, so the church pumps out a digital version 96 times a day?
The shame of it is though, the family I referred to are lovely people - but in another sense, they are stupid and rather selfish people who never gave adequate consideration to what it meant to move to such a small community, isolated location, relatively deprived economic area, and even a building so different to what they knew. And such people make it even harder for other incomers to be accepted.
They have unrealistic expectations - about the local shop for example, getting uppity and talking about 'poor business plans' when the shop shuts half earlier than stated to go give a hand on the family farm if the shop is dead. Getting offended when the local postmistress asks what's in the parcel. Taking exception to a bit of mould in the stone cottage they chose to live in and not manage properly by opening windows, and giving the landlord stress about it.
Wanting *more* street lighting, extra long and 100% accurate opening hours, and a level of anonymity etc when other incomers and locals alike are very content with the status quo and in the case of the former have actively sought out places with less light pollution, less commercialism, and a tighter community, old buildings faults and all etc....
That's what I meant to the OP about being sure about what they want. Though it's worked out perfectly for us, I've seen others make a clearly ill-considered move - a little research, prep and readiness to adapt or at least accept makes all the difference. If not for them, at least for the rest of us
BIB sounds like a nightmare to me! I'm certainly not cut out for country life.
BIB sounds like a nightmare to me! I'm certainly not cut out for country life.
Me too. I can just imagine going to the sorting office in Leytonstone to pick up a parcel and the sour faced, slothful individual the other side of the glass suddenly beaming and asking "what's in there then?""
I'd have a heart attack. Besides, what's it to do with anyone else what's in my parcel?
Me too. I can just imagine going to the sorting office in Leytonstone to pick up a parcel and the sour faced, slothful individual the other side of the glass suddenly beaming and asking "what's in there then?""
I'd have a heart attack. Besides, what's it to do with anyone else what's in my parcel?
Exactly!
I don't see what's wrong in wanting accurate opening hours either. What's the point in advertising them or even having them, if you're not going to stick to them?
Here is a perfect example of what I was referring to: Wrington All Saints Church clock silenced in noise row, and then they wonder why the locals aren't "welcoming" and they are ostracised in the community. I have friends who live near to the village concerned and I believe the couple moved out in the end and the clock chimes were restored.
I think city folk massively under-estimate how different it is living in the country. Buses are rare, roads will not get cleared of snow or be gritted, there are no street lights, etc. However the upside is we know all of our neighbours and talk to them, if there was an emergency we could ask any of them for help and I think it is a much better way of life but then again I've always lived in the countryside.
That's exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about. Even if they viewed the house when the bells weren't in action, surely anyone with half a brain would investigate that kind of thing! And even if one gets caught out through their own lack or thoroughness, well, buy some bloody ear plugs!
Though to be fair, I also have to point out your BIB - which is half the fault of silly incomers causing such bother, and half the kind of stereotyping that goes on about 'city folk' We aren't all the same - many of us move to such areas because we utterly adore them, and want to preserve that way of life. To be honest, I've come across enough locals prepared to make appalling changes to the locality to cash in (currently fighting a development proposal in fact! ) to know that incomers can be even more vital to protecting the well-being of rural life than some of the locals!
i have well im kind of in the country now. i moved from Wolverhampton , i had lived in the city centre for 6 months with my partner. now we live in great wyrley , a village in between walsall and cannock. we are more in the country now , there's farms and lovely nature spots nearby. that's nice , though its quieter there is still chavs about. with our neighbours above it seemed like we had less trouble living in the city centre. where we were we experienced no trouble really funnily enough.
both have its strong points but i do like living here except the buses. our bus round here is one an hour if i visit my family , recently i had to spend a night there because it was too late for my bus. plus a day saver in the city is £3.90 , round here its the overpriced £6.
Me too. I can just imagine going to the sorting office in Leytonstone to pick up a parcel and the sour faced, slothful individual the other side of the glass suddenly beaming and asking "what's in there then?""
I'd have a heart attack. Besides, what's it to do with anyone else what's in my parcel?
That's the point - it's just a conversational style. I have lived in one village that wasn't at all 'close-knit' (commuter belt ), but in the main there's a distinctly more familiar behaviour IME. I do think many 'city people' are unprepared for the level of familiarity and what some might call 'nosiness' in smaller communities - but if you don't like it, no worries. Live somewhere that you are anonymous and nobody asks you how you are or stops for a chat. Just please don't move here and demand it changes!
I don't see what's wrong in wanting accurate opening hours either. What's the point in advertising them or even having them, if you're not going to stick to them?
Do you ever want/need to knock off work 15/30 miniutes early? Ever get sick of a verbal warning for being 7 minutes late? Ever get sick of being asked to work set hours/fixed shifts etc?
We as consumers drive those kind of things. I'll happily forsake sunday opening hours if it means I get sundays off. I'll happlily accept that something closed 15 minutes early if it means my working life is flexible. People are their own worst enemy IMO
Besides which, if you choose to move to a community where that kind of thing happens for valid reasons, and by people who aren't anonymous beings there to serve you but who become friends trying to make the best of their businesses, why would you moan about it?
If you want to be expected to be spoken to like a machine, work to seconds with no flexibility, please stay in places where that's the norm and don't go inflicting those demands and expectations elsewhere! It's tres simple
I'd like to move from the city to the countryside.
It depends on just how rural it is really.
Being in the back end of nowhere miles and miles away from civilization could get inconvenient but there are plenty of villages that are only a few miles from bigger places but still perfectly pleasant.
One of my friends lives in a large village in Northants near Silverstone which is very nice, although it's on an A road so there is a steady stream of traffic running through it.
On the other hand my other half lives in a small hamlet with only about 30 houses and less than 80 population. The road running through it is a small minor road and it's a few miles away from the nearest A road and 5-6 miles outside Milton Keynes. Only a 10 minute drive to get into MK or a small market town like Towcester or Olney.
I like the idea of living somewhere fairly quiet that you can retreat to when you want to relax but still only a short distance drive from a bigger town / city.
Comments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOtpgz4L5d8
As the seller your primary concern is to get the best price. However "London" money has meant prices have risen way beyond what the local population can afford. That is true in most of the West Country today.
But it is "incomers" money that causes the inflation. Locals can't meet those "inflated" prices, so without the incomers money prices would fall to a more realistic level.
Not all people who buy in the West Country are from London by any means (and we didn't have a big house to sell in London, just a small 1 1/2 bedroom flat), local people don't sell at a cheaper price to local people etc. Some people who live in the W Country earn pretty good wages themselves. It's a bit of blame culture, IMO, rather than people in London moving to the West Country wholesale and demanding to pay more for houses.
The people with worse house price issues are those in London because, even with better wages, the house prices are astronomical, even if they are Londoners (so locals themselves).
I think there should be a wider availability of flats down here for people. The best properties that rich Londoners or rich locals are likely to buy would be out of reach of low wage locals in any event and at any time.
But it's not the 'fault' of incomers. They just want to move to a rural area and have to outbid the other vendors if they're going to get the house.They're just as much the victims of the housing market as the local people.
The shame of it is though, the family I referred to are lovely people - but in another sense, they are stupid and rather selfish people who never gave adequate consideration to what it meant to move to such a small community, isolated location, relatively deprived economic area, and even a building so different to what they knew. And such people make it even harder for other incomers to be accepted.
They have unrealistic expectations - about the local shop for example, getting uppity and talking about 'poor business plans' when the shop shuts half earlier than stated to go give a hand on the family farm if the shop is dead. Getting offended when the local postmistress asks what's in the parcel. Taking exception to a bit of mould in the stone cottage they chose to live in and not manage properly by opening windows, and giving the landlord stress about it.
Wanting *more* street lighting, extra long and 100% accurate opening hours, and a level of anonymity etc when other incomers and locals alike are very content with the status quo and in the case of the former have actively sought out places with less light pollution, less commercialism, and a tighter community, old buildings faults and all etc....
That's what I meant to the OP about being sure about what they want. Though it's worked out perfectly for us, I've seen others make a clearly ill-considered move - a little research, prep and readiness to adapt or at least accept makes all the difference. If not for them, at least for the rest of us
Surely you don't mean by the BIB that they should build more?! :eek:
Bottom line for me is a simple ban on second homes in protected areas. First step at least. I've no issue with incomers being one myself, but incomers should be part of and contribute to the area they live, and stopping the whole crappy second homing phenomenon would take the edge off house prices in such areas.
Bloody capitalism (mutter mutter grr etc)
It isn't a "blame culture" at all, it is fact.
If you live in an area where the average wage is below the national average, it isn't the locals that push house prices to above the national average as has happened here in Gloucestershire.
I'm still not sure which I enjoy more. it all depends what sort of a mood I'm in. I guess I like both.
BiB is the problem.
Here is a perfect example of what I was referring to: Wrington All Saints Church clock silenced in noise row, and then they wonder why the locals aren't "welcoming" and they are ostracised in the community. I have friends who live near to the village concerned and I believe the couple moved out in the end and the clock chimes were restored.
I think city folk massively under-estimate how different it is living in the country. Buses are rare, roads will not get cleared of snow or be gritted, there are no street lights, etc. However the upside is we know all of our neighbours and talk to them, if there was an emergency we could ask any of them for help and I think it is a much better way of life but then again I've always lived in the countryside.
And I thought I was being cryptic :eek:
What a crazy situation. Nobody can be arsed to go ring the bells every 15 minutes, so the church pumps out a digital version 96 times a day?
Very authentic :rolleyes:
BIB sounds like a nightmare to me! I'm certainly not cut out for country life.
Me too. I can just imagine going to the sorting office in Leytonstone to pick up a parcel and the sour faced, slothful individual the other side of the glass suddenly beaming and asking "what's in there then?""
I'd have a heart attack. Besides, what's it to do with anyone else what's in my parcel?
Exactly!
I don't see what's wrong in wanting accurate opening hours either. What's the point in advertising them or even having them, if you're not going to stick to them?
Though to be fair, I also have to point out your BIB - which is half the fault of silly incomers causing such bother, and half the kind of stereotyping that goes on about 'city folk'
both have its strong points but i do like living here except the buses. our bus round here is one an hour if i visit my family , recently i had to spend a night there because it was too late for my bus. plus a day saver in the city is £3.90 , round here its the overpriced £6.
We as consumers drive those kind of things. I'll happily forsake sunday opening hours if it means I get sundays off. I'll happlily accept that something closed 15 minutes early if it means my working life is flexible. People are their own worst enemy IMO
Besides which, if you choose to move to a community where that kind of thing happens for valid reasons, and by people who aren't anonymous beings there to serve you but who become friends trying to make the best of their businesses, why would you moan about it?
If you want to be expected to be spoken to like a machine, work to seconds with no flexibility, please stay in places where that's the norm and don't go inflicting those demands and expectations elsewhere!
It depends on just how rural it is really.
Being in the back end of nowhere miles and miles away from civilization could get inconvenient but there are plenty of villages that are only a few miles from bigger places but still perfectly pleasant.
One of my friends lives in a large village in Northants near Silverstone which is very nice, although it's on an A road so there is a steady stream of traffic running through it.
On the other hand my other half lives in a small hamlet with only about 30 houses and less than 80 population. The road running through it is a small minor road and it's a few miles away from the nearest A road and 5-6 miles outside Milton Keynes. Only a 10 minute drive to get into MK or a small market town like Towcester or Olney.
I like the idea of living somewhere fairly quiet that you can retreat to when you want to relax but still only a short distance drive from a bigger town / city.