Off-Topic Second homes in Wales crisis

[Arfur Ap Llewellyn Europe]

This has bugged me for many a year, especially having extensively travelled all over the Welsh coast and speaking to the locals, the story is always the same.

They are constantly being priced out of the areas where they were born and it's heartbreaking. The Welsh language is being dissected, fanikies being separated, historic place and house names are being lost and these areas are becoming ghost towns for 46 weeks of the year.

Now before some Tory bummers jump on an anti English ticket, I know loads of Welsh people who own properties out there, which is all part of the same problem. We even looked at one in the past but decided against it. That's not to mention UK estate agents with offices in the Middle East / Russia etc and obviously online is availae to anyone.

But what do the mostly honourable people of the good shipp OOCC suggest might be the answer?

The current restrictions have been very easy to circumnavigate, and in any case, council tax rises and other payments are easily paid by the cash rich.

I think a Tourism Tax like you see all over the world, paid directly into a pot for building actually affordable homes in said areas would help massively. These would have to be priced at say 3 times the average local income.

BBC News - Second homes in Wales: Pilot scheme planned to tackle 'crisis'

Second homes in Wales: Pilot scheme planned to tackle 'crisis'

Changes to taxes, house purchase schemes and planning laws are being considered.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[ViewFromAfar]

My first thought Arf is people can only buy if people are prepared to sell...unless you mean new builds too.
Its a minefield of a question/situation but if the locals are prepared to sell then maybe they are part of the problem too.
If its an inherited property then it would be down to the vendor(s) to make some sort of indication that they will only sell to locals...but how they would do that I'm not sure.

I see your point re a Tourist Tax..In Spain property owners are taxed on any income from letting their property. The Tax Authorities work with the Energy Companies re consumption of power when properties are allegedly left empty and therefore not attracting any Tax.

 

[Jimmytaff]

It is a problem but there's no easy answer. House prices are too high generally. Most homes in Cardiff nowadays are unaffordable without substantial help from a rich family. What's being done about that?

 

[ViewFromAfar]

It is a problem but there's no easy answer. House prices are too high generally. Most homes in Cardiff nowadays are unaffordable without substantial help from a rich family. What's being done about that?

As mad as the prices are it doesnt seem to stop them building and expanding Cardiff. I drove down the Llantrisant Rd from Groes Faen to Radyr a couple of weekends ago for the first time in about 20 years and was shocked to see the housing development that's gone on....and the associated poxy speed restrictions!

 

[JAMIECCFC]

As mad as the prices are it doesnt seem to stop them building and expanding Cardiff. I drove down the Llantrisant Rd from Groes Faen to Radyr a couple of weekends ago for the first time in about 20 years and was shocked to see the housing development that's gone on....and the associated poxy speed restrictions!

Was the same for me, hadn’t drove down there for a good while, what I can’t understand who are the people who can afford them I drove through llanharan earlier by that dragons studios and there’s also loads of new houses there average price 300k minimum wage with 2 people with absolutely no financial commitments could get you 150k mortgage, so who the bloody hell are we building all these houses for

 

[ViewFromAfar]

Was the same for me, hadn’t drove down there for a good while, what I can’t understand who are the people who can afford them I drove through llanharan earlier by that dragons studios and there’s also loads of new houses there average price 300k minimum wage with 2 people with absolutely no financial commitments could get you 150k mortgage, so who the bloody hell are we building all these houses for

I wondered the same mate. Did you notice the motors outside quite a number of those houses as well by Dragon Studios? Finance and Mortgage is fine but it all has to be paid for somehow and where the feck do they work?

 

[Joecity]

It is a problem but there's no easy answer. House prices are too high generally. Most homes in Cardiff nowadays are unaffordable without substantial help from a rich family. What's being done about that?

Fuck all.

 

[Joecity]

Housing in Britain is a joke and everyone who thought it was dead good seeing their home stupidly increase in value will be gutted if they have more than one kid to help get on the ladder.Won't be funny then.

 

[stantys tattoos]

I wondered the same mate. Did you notice the motors outside quite a number of those houses as well by Dragon Studios? Finance and Mortgage is fine but it all has to be paid for somehow and where the feck do they work?

i'm sure my mate from bargoed (ex landlord) owns or part owns dragon studios tbh

 

[JAMIECCFC]

I wondered the same mate. Did you notice the motors outside quite a number of those houses as well by Dragon Studios? Finance and Mortgage is fine but it all has to be paid for somehow and where the feck do they work?

Absolutely mental, in the 90s they sent all the heroin addicts from the valleys down there you couldn’t pay people to live there now charging more that a QTR of a million, same as church village then they started with all those red row houses

 

[Arfur Ap Llewellyn Europe]

Absolutely mental, in the 90s they sent all the heroin addicts from the valleys down there you couldn’t pay people to live there now charging more that a QTR of a million, same as church village then they started with all those red row houses

So who the fuck is buying up all these houses at those prices...

 

[ViewFromAfar]

Absolutely mental, in the 90s they sent all the heroin addicts from the valleys down there you couldn’t pay people to live there now charging more that a QTR of a million, same as church village then they started with all those red row houses

Some of them are still walking the streets!

 

[stantys tattoos]

So who the fuck is buying up all these houses at those prices...

cardiff people

 

[ViewFromAfar]

So who the fuck is buying up all these houses at those prices...

Thats what we're wondering Arf....and where tf are they working to earn the dosh needed? Not exactly a lot going on in the area now. That said its only 5 mins from the M4.

 

[The Colonel]

 

[ViewFromAfar]

cardiff people

Think you have a valid answer there Stanty.

 

[stantys tattoos]

Think you have a valid answer there Stanty.

my cousin lived in penarth then nelson now moving further up the valleys. new builds are a rip off why not buy a nice valley terraced house with a nice garden for a third/quarter of the price

 

[TDA]

There was exactly the same argument in 1963 when my parents bought a holiday cottage in West Wales. Lovely little detached house and garden cost £1,300 with a 30 year 95% mortgage from Llandyssul Council, who were desperate to attract buyers to the area. It had been empty for two years as young locals were more interested in either getting a council house or moving to Swansea.

These situations are still driven by the desire to attract new money into an area. If you are now looking at £300,000 second homes, then I should think the local councils concerned are very happy.

 

[Arfur Ap Llewellyn Europe]

cardiff people

Cardiff people are struggling to buy Newport houses ffs!

Is this the influx we were warned about after the bridge tolls were abolished I wonder

 

[Arfur Ap Llewellyn Europe]

Abersoch is so full of these twats it's got its own parody Twitter alias.

Funny stuff on it if you follow it.