If you want it . . . earn it
Monday 8th October 2007, 6:46PM BST.
Mine wasn’t the only dad who trotted out “I want never gets” as soon as the demands for new this and new that left my angelic lips, writes Rural Affairs Editor Nathan Rous.
Trouble was, even on the occasions when I proffered a whole host of “pretty pleases” the outcome was often the same. Money was tight and no amount of tactical begging would see me furnished with the latest football strip at the expense of shoes and a hot meal.
I grew up knowing that if I wanted to give myself a life to which I was unaccustomed, I would have to do it myself. The result was that I bought my first car with no help from anyone, I took out a monster loan to pay for my journalism training and I slaved like a dog for the deposit on my first house.
Now, of course I would like a Ferrari and a yacht and perhaps a light aircraft in a neat hangar at the rear of my imaginary country pile, but at the moment that looks as likely as Ming Campbell surviving until the next General Election, let alone winning it.
But if I can’t have a Ferrari because I can’t afford it then why should the whingeing, wannabe first-time buyers demand the right to buy a house if they can’t afford it either? Why should police officers and nurses be given special treatment if they have knowingly pursued a low-paid career?
I am in no way undermining their value to society, but they have made a choice which also precludes them from the fast-car, fancy-holiday set.
As a society we are consumed by the property market to such an extent that we mistakenly believe that everyone should have the same opportunity to get their hands on their own set of keys.
Why? Why should the housing market be any different to any other consumer ‘want’? Just because some of my friends have holiday homes, does that mean I’m entitled to one? No of course it doesn’t. It just underlines that a career in high finance was a better bet than one in newspapers!
Like stocks and shares, another treat to which I’m not financially privy, the housing market rises and falls. Some win, some lose. There is no such risk with the rental market. Yes, it’s not yours to keep but if a survey this week holds any water then you are better off renting than buying anyhow.
There still is the possibility for people to own their own home but they have to get a decent job to do it (note how I didn’t say decent education, because if Sir Alan Sugar can make a fortune with no qualifications and a disastrous background then so can anyone). Where is the problem in that?
Have we set our sights so low that everyone should be given a house just because they think they deserve one? The opportunity is there, if they work hard. I am totally committed to the creation of affordable housing (congratulations Ikea on the £100,000 flat-pack home) but in many sectors even this does not go far enough.
We have created a generation where consumerism rules the world. We have allowed the “I wants” to become the “I haves” for fear of creating another bracket of social exclusion.
Let’s say we did offer a home to everyone. Would Shropshire be the charming county it is now? Would your precious view, the one this Government is going to tax because it’s so nice, be worth it if the fields turn into a red-brick monolith? Would you like your children’s class sizes to double, or your local pub turned into handy maisonettes? Hmmm, thought not.
One last point. As the nation turns into a giant building site, the value of your own home, the one you’ve improved relentlessly and paid through the nose for, drops like a stone. Is the Government likely to help you out when that happens?
Answers on a postcard.
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i do not believe it, but i think i agree with all the above nathan. why do people just not buy what they can afford and be gratefull for that ?
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It goes without saying that people should work and earn money – I’ve certainly little time for those in our society who don’t want to work.
But the danger in leaving eeverything to the vagaries of ‘the market’ is that there will be many who despite working diligently will be unable to afford to put a roof of their own over their heads, whilst at the same time we see more and more people who genuinely fit into the category of ‘the idle rich’.
The obscene level of bonuses paid out in the City of London have had a profound effect upon property prices in the South-East and beyond. There are many very wealthy people in this country who find all sorts of ways of avoiding paying tax, and thus sacrifice a far smaller proportion of their income when compared to the working man in the street.
Many years ago, Edward Heath referred to ‘The unacceptable face of capitalism’ (in fact when referring to the Lohnro affair).
Unfortunately since the days of Margaret Thatcher, there seems to be no face of capitalism which gives rise to any sense of guilt or moral responsibility at all.
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Dear Mr Rous, I agrree with you who heartedly. I was once a farm worker, and know how life is on low pay.I could see that i was not going to get the kind of life that I would like in the futer, so I did something about it.Got a trade and moved on from there.I have never been in debt,have a nice home and good life style. but it took long hours and hard work to get it. Some thing that people will not do to day.
It was good to read your articall
William Hall
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What a narrow minded and ill informed view of todays housing crisis. I suggest you spend a little more time studying the economics of buy-to-let and the sell-off of social housing.
“There is no such risk with the rental market”; this makes for embarrasing reading, and I just hope you’re written this article to solely stir things up. Otherwise, you’re probably better off sticking to reporting on stolen straw bales in Craven Arms.
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the point is if you are a teacher /nurse/police/ fireman man, your wages unless you go up the ladder will be lowish. i worked in a low paid job for quite a few years and to be honest i was very happy, then we as a family wanted more so the only way to do this was to find something we could go selfemployed at or retrain for a higher paid job and hope for promotion i chose the first option and would say our incomes are not what would be classed as middle class incomes . it is all down to knuckling down and work for what you want , and i would say the system down south where teachers and police officers along with those on the houseing list are getting low cost houseing with the option to buy is not fair but most of the good old british public would take it if they could in order to get a jump up .
my view is make your life better do not rely on employers to do it for you they keep you at a level they want you at , do not think of retireing just lower your hours ,if you want a good nest egg save and do not waste on material rubbish ie flash cars etc, i do not think any one needs more than on holiday a year theres another saving . many people in low paid jobs allow people to brain wash them in to thinking they cant do any better ignore them . And yes we do need nurses/teachers etc but these people know what the wages are before traing and going for the jobs, and people will allways go for the jobs they just cant expect continual hand outs , but as ive said earlier if the are offered it take it you must look at it all as being given opportunties as you go through life.
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Mr Rous suggests that if more houses were built, precious views might be spoiled. Imagine people thinking that building homes for people who need them was more important than spoiling a pretty view for those who already have a home! Let’s just fill up every available space in our cities (where I live); when we live like sardines we’ll at least have the pleasure of knowing we’ve saved someone’s view! And isn’t it odd how people want house prices to go UP. Next time petrol or bread goes up, I suppose those same people will be sharing in the delight of BP and Tesco. As far as I can see, it would be wonderful if house prices plummeted. That way some people might actually be able to buy one! Come on, those of you who already own a house, think about other people, not just your bank account and your precious view.
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I agree with some of the points raised in this article however I disagree about the right to own a home theory.
There are many developers out there who are building god awful houses on the premise that they will be ‘affordable’ and then when it comes to the crunch, the ‘market’ is blamed for the upsurge in price.
Ive always worked for a living even when I was a student, to provide for myself with the intention of getting a good job (which depending on who you speak to would change in definition of a ‘good’ job). What irkes me is that there are many people in this country who are having to rent shoeboxes just to be able to have a roof over their head whilst we have millions of complete dole dossers pushing out baby after baby, yet their security is guaranteed by a nice council house with the option of buying it at a ridiculouslw low price after about 5 years!
So if you are a young, hardworking taxpaying person, you may struggle for years to get your foot on the property ladder, yet, if you are the complete opposite, chances are you will own your very own ex-council house within 5 years!
Its not about ‘want, want, want’ , its about needing a secure roof over your head that you can proudly call your own after working hard for it – not just lying around all day!
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i think blue eyes is a bit misguided most council houses have gone over to houseing association and new tenanats do not have the right to buy if there new tenants .and from my experiance as a low paid milk man granted only did it for 6 months, 20 years ago most council tenants were hard working honest individuals who paid there bills and there, way unlike some of the home owner customers. blue eyes has every right, as do we all of putting his name down for social houseing how ever my mortgage payments of £300 was less than most three bedroomed houseing association house so .
as for millions on the dole pushing out babies what rubbish is that? dear old blue eyes i suggest you get a grip and stop feeling sorry for yourself and i bet your a daily mai; reader too
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Andrew Finch
Firstly, Im not feeling sorry for myself – far from it – Im very happy with my life but just aware that despite having a well paid job I will find it difficult to get on the housing ladder. Good for you if your monthly mortgage payments are only £300 a month, nowadays for a house worth around £150k, you will be paying more than that I can assure you (if you were to buy a house now, in todays current climate)
There are lots of people in this country who are on the dole, having lots of children, that us as taxpayers fork out for each month, so its not rubbish, its a fact.
Finally, Im not a daily mail reader, not that its got anything to with this particular story so Mr Finch, wind your neck in, accept the fact that other people have different opinions from yourself.
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Don’t be so hard on wannabe first time buyers – there’s nothing wrong with aspiring to own your home and I dont hear anyone claiming its their right.I have been on the ladder for just over a year, my partner and I (who were both in above average paid jobs)have had to work extremely hard and have just about been able to stretch ourselves to buy a one bedroom flat. It’s all well and good preaching about how you earned your home but people’s wages have not increased at the same rate as housing recently which means it’s much harder than it was. I don’t mind if first time buyers get a little help when considering the amount of tax payers’ money that gets wasted elsewhere.
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