Anybody returning who cant afford to buy a house?
Nov 29th 2014, 2:18 am
#136
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,007
Re: Anybody returning who cant afford to buy a house?
I am having serious wobbles worrying about this whole situation as we will be forced to rent. We live in a paid off house right now - but it is in Florida where real estate is relatively cheap. We would need all the proceeds to see us through retirement. And it wouldn't buy much more than a garden shed in the UK in any case. Sometimes it seems insane to start all over again as if we were 20 year olds. On the other hand...the tug to go home is still strong. Luckily, (or not) I have another couple of years to worry myself sick about it before we have to make a decision to actually move 
Other expats have ended up in the opposite situation - able to buy outright on returning to the UK because their house in, say, Australia rocketed while they were living outside of the UK. It's the luck of the draw, as hard as it is to accept sometimes. It's not worth beating yourself up or second guessing yourself as to whether you should return, just do what your heart tells you.
Nov 29th 2014, 6:52 am
#137
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Anybody returning who cant afford to buy a house?
Still glad we did it, but not easy.
Nov 29th 2014, 6:58 am
#138
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Anybody returning who cant afford to buy a house?
That is quite similar to the situation I was in when I returned to the UK in 2006. Now, 8 years later I am in a position to pay off my new mortgage but it's been a hard slog and I bang my head against the wall at times at the timing of house price movement in the UK compared to other countries (in my case, the southeast US where house prices were essentially stagnant 1996 to 2006).
Other expats have ended up in the opposite situation - able to buy outright on returning to the UK because their house in, say, Australia rocketed while they were living outside of the UK. It's the luck of the draw, as hard as it is to accept sometimes. It's not worth beating yourself up or second guessing yourself as to whether you should return, just do what your heart tells you.
Other expats have ended up in the opposite situation - able to buy outright on returning to the UK because their house in, say, Australia rocketed while they were living outside of the UK. It's the luck of the draw, as hard as it is to accept sometimes. It's not worth beating yourself up or second guessing yourself as to whether you should return, just do what your heart tells you.
Nov 29th 2014, 8:10 am
#139
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Cape Town
Posts: 65
Re: Anybody returning who cant afford to buy a house?
I am having serious wobbles worrying about this whole situation as we will be forced to rent. We live in a paid off house right now - but it is in Florida where real estate is relatively cheap. We would need all the proceeds to see us through retirement. And it wouldn't buy much more than a garden shed in the UK in any case. Sometimes it seems insane to start all over again as if we were 20 year olds. On the other hand...the tug to go home is still strong. Luckily, (or not) I have another couple of years to worry myself sick about it before we have to make a decision to actually move
If only the Pound would drop to a reasonable exchange rate,
Nov 29th 2014, 1:43 pm
#140
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,007
Re: Anybody returning who cant afford to buy a house?
Divide those ££ numbers by about 50%, and change the start date to 1990 (when I sold the house I renovated to put myself through grad school) and I have exactly the same scenario.
Hard to buy into the "spilt milk" platitudes but without a time travelling machine, there's not much choice.
Nov 29th 2014, 4:30 pm
#141
Was in Canada, now home.
Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Devon
Posts: 3,388
Re: Anybody returning who cant afford to buy a house?
Divide those ££ numbers by about 50%, and change the start date to 1990 (when I sold the house I renovated to put myself through grad school) and I have exactly the same scenario.
Hard to buy into the "spilt milk" platitudes but without a time travelling machine, there's not much choice.
Nov 29th 2014, 4:34 pm
#142
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Anybody returning who cant afford to buy a house?
Sorry folks
My example just made me think about that advice we sometimes give to people who come on BE: maybe investigate simple solutions first? Like we could have extended into the loft
My example just made me think about that advice we sometimes give to people who come on BE: maybe investigate simple solutions first? Like we could have extended into the loft
