Housing vs Prison

[anonguest]

I've griped many times here about the increasingly ludicrous state of housing standards here in the UK, compared with other developed countries.

Top of the list of gripes being ever decreasing room sizes - almost to the point where it's getting ever harder to see the difference between bedrooms (and sometimes living rooms!) and prison cells.

Just now got this photo in my email inbox from a friend.  As if this bedroom in (I am told) a 1-bedroom flat wasn't small enough... it's topped off with a nice claustrophobic feel courtesy of a prison cell style window!

At least there was some honesty in the EA ad, apparently, in not describing the bedroom as a 'double bedroom'.

Imagine taking out a mortgage of anything approaching historically normal duration (i.e. 25 years) and living in that sort of rabbit hutch for even a fraction of that time? Utterly depressing!

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by anonguest

[shlomo]

1 hour ago, anonguest said:

I've griped many times here about the increasingly ludicrous state of housing standards here in the UK, compared with other developed countries.

Top of the list of gripes being ever decreasing room sizes - almost to the point where it's getting ever harder to see the difference between bedrooms (and sometimes living rooms!) and prison cells.

Just now got this photo in my email inbox from a friend.  As if this bedroom in (I am told) a 1-bedroom flat wasn't small enough... it's topped off with a nice claustrophobic feel courtesy of a prison cell style window!

At least there was some honesty in the EA ad, apparently, in not describing the bedroom as a 'double bedroom'.

Imagine taking out a mortgage of anything approaching historically normal duration (i.e. 25 years) and living in that sort of rabbit hutch for even a fraction of that time? Utterly depressing!

 

You are paying for location and historically over the past 20 years prices have gone up so people are willing to overlook everything on the possibility of making a king’s ransom 

[Frugal Git]

The Curled Sleep Initiative:

Drawing inspiration from the animal kingdom, the Housing Minister has proposed that Britons consider "learning to sleep curled up." The benefits? A significant reduction in bed and room size, allowing for more compact living quarters. "If cats and dogs can do it, so can we. It's a natural way to rest and can lead to space savings of up to 40%," the Minister elaborated.

[NoHPCinTheUK]

The recent trend seems to be living room and kitchens put in a hallway. 
 

[anonguest]

It's just been pointed out to me that these ridiculously small windows are possibly also a suicide prevention strategy - for when desperation at being stuck in such small quarters makes someone 'snap'.

Who here could fit through that window without doing themself an injury? 😉

Edited August 14, 2023 by anonguest

[iamnumerate]

I really hope that is in central London if not it is too depressing.

[Stewy]

1 hour ago, anonguest said:

It's just been pointed out to me that these ridiculously small windows are possibly also a suicide prevention strategy - for when desperation at being stuck in such small quarters makes someone 'snap'.

Who here could fit through that window without doing themself an injury? 😉

Windows actually now have to be wide enough to allow exit in a fire. 🙄

[anonguest]

2 minutes ago, Stewy said:

Windows actually now have to be wide enough to allow exit in a fire. 🙄

Really?  Interesting. If true then at least it's one reasonable building regulation still remaining.

Then again... maybe they should have kept all the other regulations that ensured buildings are fire resistant in the first place!

You'll have to excuse me now, while I go off and check all the windows in our home to see IF I could squeeze out of them should there be a fire.  😉

[captainb]

10 minutes ago, Stewy said:

Windows actually now have to be wide enough to allow exit in a fire. 🙄

For what size of person?...

[canbuywontbuy]

EAs obsessed with room count. I've seen rooms not much bigger than this in a "4 bed" property. 3 box rooms, one master bedroom. 

[anonguest]

5 minutes ago, captainb said:

For what size of person?...

The imaginary midgets that the developers, and planners, build their homes for.  🙂  LOL

[Sackboii]

2 minutes ago, anonguest said:

The imaginary midgets that the developers, and planners, build their homes for.  🙂  LOL

There's a British Standard person I think. Along with a British Standard arm, and a British Standard finger..

[captainb]

2 minutes ago, Sackboii said:

There's a British Standard person I think. Along with a British Standard arm, and a British Standard finger..

 

[anonguest]

1 hour ago, iamnumerate said:

I really hope that is in central London if not it is too depressing.

Apparently it's not. Far from it.  I replied back to the email I got, asking for more details.

It's in Norwich. £120,000 1-bed purpose built flat. Not a new build though (which, from the room size, surprises me a little). 

Edited August 14, 2023 by anonguest

[Sackboii]

47 minutes ago, captainb said:

 

I suspect the standards do need updating (although they are now harmonized with EN/ISO anyway..) as there are probably a wider 'spread' of people sizes these days.. 🙄

[Sackboii]

10 minutes ago, anonguest said:

1-bed purpose built flat

So someone has actually built it on purpose - they need shooting..

[Sour Mash]

6 hours ago, anonguest said:

I've griped many times here about the increasingly ludicrous state of housing standards here in the UK, compared with other developed countries.

Top of the list of gripes being ever decreasing room sizes - almost to the point where it's getting ever harder to see the difference between bedrooms (and sometimes living rooms!) and prison cells.

Just now got this photo in my email inbox from a friend.  As if this bedroom in (I am told) a 1-bedroom flat wasn't small enough... it's topped off with a nice claustrophobic feel courtesy of a prison cell style window!

At least there was some honesty in the EA ad, apparently, in not describing the bedroom as a 'double bedroom'.

Imagine taking out a mortgage of anything approaching historically normal duration (i.e. 25 years) and living in that sort of rabbit hutch for even a fraction of that time? Utterly depressing!

 

 

Just add house arrest covid/climate lockdown for that authentic penitentiary experience!

[canbuywontbuy]

People getting bigger, rooms getting smaller.

SUVs all the rage, so apparently is (action on) climate change.

Uncontrolled immigration to the big-carbon-footprint first world OK, climate change caused by the first world not OK.

And so it goes.

 

[Armus]

Looks cosy.

[Sackboii]

1 minute ago, Armus said:

Looks cosy.

Very. Notice how one side of the bed is butting right up to the socket plates and the other side has had to have the skirting board chased out for the bed to fit!

Not to mention that the bed covers won't even be able to drape over the edges in any direction bar one.

 

[The Angry Capitalist]

10 hours ago, anonguest said:

I've griped many times here about the increasingly ludicrous state of housing standards here in the UK, compared with other developed countries.

Top of the list of gripes being ever decreasing room sizes - almost to the point where it's getting ever harder to see the difference between bedrooms (and sometimes living rooms!) and prison cells.

Just now got this photo in my email inbox from a friend.  As if this bedroom in (I am told) a 1-bedroom flat wasn't small enough... it's topped off with a nice claustrophobic feel courtesy of a prison cell style window!

At least there was some honesty in the EA ad, apparently, in not describing the bedroom as a 'double bedroom'.

Imagine taking out a mortgage of anything approaching historically normal duration (i.e. 25 years) and living in that sort of rabbit hutch for even a fraction of that time? Utterly depressing!

 

It's getting this way because there are too many stupid people in society willing to pay for it.

If we carry on we will all soon be living in pods and paying all our wages just to stay in it.

The market needs to stop and just say: "No. not paying that. Go F*** yourself I will live somewhere else where prices are cheaper".

As always the market has the power. People should not be paying £300,000 + for any cheap, hideous new build with a postage stamp garden situated next to a motorway with vista views of of a large cemetery close by.

But they are and that's the problem.

Just stop paying and say no.

Then all this madness ends.

[reddog]

There should be a law that floor space needs to be shown in each advert not number of bedrooms.

 

That would then show how ridiculous British houses/flats are.

 

Forget about US/Canada, compared to other European countries our accommodation is embarrassing.

 

I have lived in Switzerland and when I had visitors from the UK they were surprised out how spacious my 1 bedroom 45sqm flat was (in the UK with that footprint they would have made a 2 bedroom), also in Switzerland 45sqm is considered very small for a couple of single person.

Edited August 14, 2023 by reddog

[bomberbrown]

Those plug sockets right up to mattress are a disaster/fire risk waiting to happen!  

[anonguest]

58 minutes ago, The Angry Capitalist said:

People should not be paying £300,000 + for any cheap, hideous new build with a postage stamp garden situated next to a motorway with vista views of of a large cemetery close by.

But they are and that's the problem.

Just stop paying and say no.

Then all this madness ends.

I certainly do my bit to open (mostly) young people's eyes to just how crap modern/new builds are - and challenge them to think really hard if they can see themselves cramped up in such tiny housing with p*ss poor build quality for X years and pay an amount equal to close to what they could likely expect to earn over the majority of their working lives.

It's amazing how many young(er) buyers don't even stop to think and address, say, the general lack of storage space provided these days.

I commented once to young couple of first time buyers, looking at a floor plan, "where will you store the vaccum cleaner? or such like". The answer was, "Oh. We wont have carpets. We'll have laminate flooring throughout". I replied "OK. What about your suitcases? At least one for each of you when you go away/on holiday, etc". The reply was then "Ermmmm....".  "Where will you sit and each your evening meal? OR even be able to sit a couple of guests you might want to invite round for a meal. Will you be able to fit a decent sized dining table for that task AND still have room for a sofa?". Again the reply was "Uhmmm.....".

So I'm not just preaching to the converted here. I guess, like yourself, everyone else here needs to do their bit to help open would be buyers eyes.

P.S 'vista' views over a cemetery would likely qualify as a 'luxury' development. 😉

More run of the mill might be having your bedroom/living room face on to a supermarket carpark  or busy train line at a station (with constant tannoy announcements, etc)

Edited August 14, 2023 by anonguest

[Sackboii]

26 minutes ago, anonguest said:

P.S 'vista' views over a cemetery would likely qualify as a 'luxury' development.

Certainly in the eyes of the marketing EA. They’d describe the property as being ‘dead centre of town’. 😆