How can Gordon Brown help first-time buyers in the UK housing market?

Question

There's a growing groundswell of opposition to the substantial discounts given by builders to private investors who buy houses to let. Rightly or wrongly, first-time buyers blame them for pushing up house prices.

As in North America and Australia, most private buy-to-let investors are ordinary people who see their investment as an ideal way to create enough retirement pension to live on.

As Chancellor, Gordon Brown's record on 'improving pensions' was hardly a success, and the UK old-age pension (US: social security) is no longer enough to live on.

Can we believe that as Prime Minister he will actually help house buyers by bringing changes to the housing market? Or just stop those trying to help themselves in old age?

Answer 1

in the short term i don't think things will change - i justhope interest rates stop going up!

Answer 2

I think there is little he can do, which is not cosmetic. The problem is a market one of supply and demand. Supply is low against high demand and that has an effect of pushing up prices. But there is property available at low prices in certain areas. They may not be attractive but they are there for a start.
The governments of this country are concerned about the cost of pensions for the 'baby-boomer' generation and they know they cannot meet the demands over the next 20 years they have been reviewing and changing the rules to minimise cost.
With record debt levels too, I think this Government will do little to help anyone.

Answer 3

I agree with skydiver6000, he seems to have hit the nail on the head.

It's worth pointing out that only 10% of the UK is actually built on, however if we said lets start building new towns and villages then no one would want them on their doorsteps, nobody would want to lose the landscapes, nobody would want new islands being built, so where do we build?

In the end you have to just get on and realise that you can't please everyone, the thumbs system on here shows that only too well and only really indicates one persons point of view.

The answer really would be to ask questions and have debates as to where and where should not be built on, A lot has been learnt from building estates, so the answer seems to be mixing affordable housing in with new housing. Some areas are already doing this and maybe it is a matter of working out a fair ratio when planning permission is being considered.

However of course if you work out how long houses take too build, then consider that in that period of time people have entered the UK and also would like housing so the figures are always rising.

I am sure people could do their own questions and answers and actually come up with valuable input which has to be the way forward rather then going round in circles and living in the past, thank you ......

Answer 4

Increasing the threshold at which stamp duty has to be paid would be a start. Originally intended to cover only the very largest properties, it's now virtually impossible to find anything below the threshold. That extra money could really make a difference to many and can mean the difference between being able to afford to buy and not.

Maybe first time buyers could be exempt, or a higher rate could apply to buy-to-let investors....

Just a thought

Answer 5

Its all about supply and demand.

If you have less product then the price is higher, if you have more product then the price is lower.

Today we have more people in the UK and less houses being built as a percentage of those people. So every year we have a bigger and bigger backlog.

More People + Less Housing = Higher Prices

Its great if you have your home as you make money every year. BUT not great if you don't. If you can release more land for development then this would enable more buildings and so cheaper housing.

I always feel bad as this is the only solution but I love our countryside and think would should also preserve our natural beauty.

There is a video from the BBC which is a nice solution bit hi-tech but still could work.

Phillip

http://www.propertyproducts.co.uk/video/_video.html

Answer 6

There isn't much he can do, unless the British want to give up living in nice houses with gardens and start living in the monstrous 30+ floor tower blocks that blight the rest of Europe. (Yes, I know there are some in Britain already, but nowhere near as many as in other places.)
You can't have the government getting involved in the housing market...by definition, it is a "market", you can only regulate around the edges, not force people to sell to a certain person or at a certain price.
And where could you build new housing in areas where it is needed most (eg, within 2hrs of London)? There simply isn't any space left, unless you want to take away even more of the countryside (which is about the only thing that makes living that near to London even vaguely bearable).

Answer 7

Gordon Brwon can help first-time buyers by reducing the deposit which has to be put down when buying a property. Reducing it from 10% to 5%. It would help buyer's get on the property ladder quicker.

Answer 8

You can't have it both ways people. If you want to live in a capitalist society then expect the markets, including the housing market, it be influenced by supply and demand. If you want the prices of things regulated by the government then perhaps it's time for the revolution.

Answer 9

By giving back some of the outrageous TAXES, new build land tax to name but one of industrial use per acre £7,000 for house building £950,000 if the same to the lower figure, house prices would drop by some 20%, prime example of stealth tax

Answer 10

I don't know anything about this market, but I found some info on Yahoo! : gordon brown uk housing market