The Homes crisis article prompts a few questions and a need for a radical, perhaps even ruthless approach.
The problem has not arisen overnight but is a direct result of ‘zero policy’ by decades of hopelessly incompetent Governments.
Every new buyer should be legally entitled to a post breakdown from the builder to include plot land cost, labour cost, legal and administration costs and percentage profit. Only with such information can we know whether current prices are realistic.
It used to be carved in stone that 3 times a man’s salary was the maximum mortgage and one had to save with one’s Building Society for a number of years and put a worthwhile amount down. A working wife simply enabled the mortgage to be paid off faster. We seriously need to return to these “control” methods.
We also need high quality prefabs for downsizing I‘d be interested in one myself. The books simply don’t balance with present prices hence I am basically trapped in a place far too big for my needs, as are vast numbers of other Silver Surfers. Long term house requirement must be social housing, not poor quality Rachman private rent.
G.B. Butler, Stockton
