Hi
Been visiting this site for several years and stumbled across it when I first started looking at houses and researching; at the time some of my friends were buying (27 - 33 age group). The process seemed to be save up then when there is enough for a 10 to 15% deposit start looking and buy as soon as you can. It always seemed to me wrong, but here I am still saving (and actually moving out of rented back to parents end of this month to reduce my outgoings even more) whilst my friends have paper gains (between £30-60k).
I really value the views and analysis here, I now have constant battles with my mum: "can't lose with property", "never comes down" etc. For my gf its about having a place for us to live, which can't be rented. Luckily (in this respect) we are long-distance so buying is not on the cards right now. Although with a combined deposit of £80k and us both early 30s I am aware we can't put our lives on hold forever to start a family. Strange to think that if I was born at a different time I would have got a house with no deposit and experienced 'mad gainz' and not had to deal with this (as a colleague at work did).
I remember when I first found this site I convinced myself a crash is just around the corner. Well, with the changes to LLs coming through we must be getting closer, but I no longer make such predictions.
Happy new to you all!