Twirly

Exactly. Spot on.

I dont know which is worse the 2.4 kids or the swinging

Yeah, the bike trail is a plus in Killay, I've been to one of those real ale pubs on the cycle route, cracking pint. But, I dont think Killay is for me, thought it was sort of bland, boring and uninspiring. I dont know what I would do there

What is Cockett like? Too far out? I see lots of houses marketed as being in Sketty, when I actually look at a map they are in Cockett not Sketty :angry:

I started to consider narrowboat living again. I got excited about it and started researching. I thought about spending 70k and getting a wide beam one all kitted out. But I am now haunted by thoughts of depreciation and rust. I had not previously considered the issue of depreciation. Its the thought of depreciation that bothers me the most. I can maintain the boat to take care of the rust. But what if in 10 years time I change my mind and want to sell the boat, the boat could be worth half of what I paid for it??? What then? By then I may have no options. Sometimes there seems to be no alternative to this housing farce. :angry:

Yep me too.I dont want to live somewhere where I have to get in the car to go anywhere. Faceless houses in a heartless maze of concrete. It is important for me to live somewhere where I can easily walk/cycle to shops, beach etc.

There seem to be loads of houses for sale in the west cross area. Im not keen on WC myself.

Exactly what I thought I would do, downshift and get some p/t job in swansea. The trouble is that there is a high demand for unskilled minimum wage jobs, even part time jobs are like gold dust. I suspect that the tax credit system has a lot to do with the demand for p/t unskilled jobs :angry: Employers dont want to employ ex lawyers/accountants/engineers to work on their checkouts/drive the home delivery vans etc. Make sure you are independantly wealthy if you want to downsize in swansea.

Fair enough. But outside of the public sector where are the jobs in swansea?

Thanks, I've requested an upgrade.

Hi TMT, I've just had a good look and I cant see a way to access messenger in the settings?

Yep. IMHO prices need to fall 30 - 40% to make me buy. House prices are seriously out of touch with wages. I remember growing up in Bishopston, a lot of our neighbours were teachers, this was circa 30 years ago. Do you think teachers could afford to live there nowadays, unlikely.

I have much the same thought process. Large sum of cash in the bank. Around here you could buy a couple of terraces for 70k , rent on those could be circa £800 pm. Trouble is it doesnt solve my housing dilema! Also these houses are not in places that I personally would want to live.

I hear you! Houseprices make no sense in relation to the local economy. But Im not sure a 20% drop would be enough to convince me to part with swansea west type money. Even with a 20% drop I still dont see where the jobs are in swansea to make a house purchase palatable. Im coming to the conclusion (again) that there is no future for me in the UK.

It makes you wonder whether they are just being greedy or whether they actually need the money, ie large mortgages to discharge etc I have stopped viewing. How they think they are going to sell for more than 07 prices is beyond me. Looking at some houses for sale in Sketty they appear to be asking for more than top of the market prices??? Is Sketty classed as Swansea west or north?

Thats the difficult part though, finding somewhere that I am happy with. I've lived all over the UK. All the affordable places in the UK seem to be a bit grim. All the cute pretty places are not affordable or there is no work near by. Im coming to the conclusion that I just dont want to live in the UK, but where else do you go?

I am wondering whether it is worth it anymore to buy a house. I am not advocating paying rent in perpetuity. But given the lack of job security in these times I have to wonder is it worth committing oneself to homeownership? The days of working for the same employer for 20 plus years are long gone. It seems to me that a house is a tie and it is difficult to be mobile to be able to move where the work is. Are we looking at a new way of living? Are we no longer able to choose to live near family, to put down roots. Are we to live in places where we really would rather not so we can earn money? Do we embark on a mobile lifestyle instead? Is it ever possible to attain emotional and financial stability with such a mobile life? Just some random thoughts I am having today. Anyone else having similar thoughts?

I am also watching and waiting with cash. I am interested in UK blue chips dividents, but have no clue to go about this, how do you go about purchasing them? Are they safe? I mean, is there a risk on capital?

I dunno I just dont see it guys. There is even less appetite now for increasing interest rates. I think an interest rate increase maybe the only thing to produce the big price drops. Well that and massive public sector job losses, even with PS job losses im not sure there is going to be a big cull all at once. MT why didnt you buy in 08/09 when the prices plunged to an all time low?

Yep thats the impression I get from a lot of ex boaters. Sometimes I think narrowboating would just be a stop gap.

Agreed. I dont think interest rates will rise for several years, I hope Im wrong. How long do you wait? How much rent do you pay in the meantime? The other thing is what happens when the public sector jobs go and say the steelworks closes ala Newport and Ebbw Vale, is your investment going to be safe. Im not even thinking about capital appreciation on a property I'd just be grateful not to lose anymoney over the next decade or so. I think those 150k houses in Baglan are going to be the first drop. Thats one of the reasons Im looking towards the bottom end of the market, an ex local authority house in a decent area. Im not interested in keeping up appearances.

Sarah why did you leave the narrowboat, just curious?

Im not really looking at swansea itself, im looking in the Port Talbot area, I like mountains! But even in PT some crazy prices, Im thinking where do these people earn their money. Half decent area in PT you are looking at circa £150k. It must be public sector jobs and the steelworks.

Oooh Timm tell me more, how long did you live on it? Didnt you like it? Why not? I wouldnt go without residential mooring anyway, the fees look quite reasonable.