That's it, Sally! It's about having a place we can afford and enjoy, preferably not more expensive than renting the same. It's not an investment, especially one expected to make a grand profit.

Bev

Perhaps because it's become so ingrained in British culture to "get on the housing ladder" as a way to wealth?

Perhaps so, people are very easily led.

Well, the reality post WWII is that owning a home has been the route to financial security in the UK. And at the same time, until relatively recently renting was something very much looked down on. So it kind of feeds on itself:- children often come under pressure from their parents to buy, for example.

Well I was responding to the question of "Is it really that bad?"

The question was not about housing and so there was no need to extensively expand upon the theme.

A request for clarification would have been generously replied to.

What I state is my opinion. Take it or leave it.

I see houses around me being bought in reasonable time for fair market prices.

Woohoo, looks who's back

Agreed, with prices low it is a good time to buy a house as a home to have a life in.
I don't get the greed reasoning of elevating prices often by build-on extensions in order to become ££ rich, it just means their next house, and that of their children will be that much more expensive. The bubble eventually bursts, as it has done to the misfortune of many.

Same here, we don't know anyone out of work, everyone still goes on holiday and are happy.
If you read what some say on here you would think the whole population is depressed and on the verge of ending it all.
Its funny that where we were living In Australia the unemployment rate was 9% whereas where we are now it is 4.6%. I also saw a recent poll in Australia that said over 50% of people were worried about job security, the future and rapidly rising prices.
In answer to the original question, I will reiterate, No it is not as bad as some would like you to believe.

Probably not as good as some would have you believe either.

I think when you're trying to determine fact from fiction, you can only listen to the people who actually live here. I don't think anyone is painting a fake rosy picture - what would be the motivation? each of us is just describing the situation of our friends and family. The OP will have to put that data into the pot and determine his/her own perspective. All we can each do is tell the truth and I for one won't make up bleak stories just for the sake of it. It's 8% unemployment, so let's not act like its 80%.

I can tell you from my perspective, having just come back from a country drive stopping for dinner in a Yorkshire Dales pub, that from my perspective it really is that good. I don't remember the last time I was this content with my life

Absolutely. Should I say we are finding it expensive or our friends are all miserable and unemployed or the people we meet are rude ?
We had to wait 3 weeks to get broadband which wasnt good.
We got home today after a spot of shopping, walked the 3 minutes down to the pub and had a steak and ale pie for lunch, pure bliss.
You summed it up Sally, contentment is what it is all about and we are in a good place at the moment.

All you can do is tell the truth from your own prespective. No more no less. I don't think anyone is painting a fake bleak picture either, what would be their motivation? Always best to take on as many views and opinions as posssible to try and obtain a balance of information.

Individual circumstances is what affects your life.

My life in the UK, husband has job in industary not affected by recession, no need to sell house, mortgage goes down because of low interest rates, live in small town with fantastic schools, very clean, safe with friendly people, friends in similar position as us.

How my life could be in the UK, husbands job badly affected by recession, loses job, struggle to pay mortgage, need to sell in negative equity, live in not so nice area of large city, hard to get into good schools, isolated from people, many friends in similar position.

I could easliy change the country to the US or AU or every other country, or have I got it wrong, this isn't a world recession.

I live in a very good area of Las Vegas, everyone I know has jobs, nice houses and the local schools are really good. It is very very clean, people smile and its generally a nice place, is every going to tell me the US is fantastic and isn't suffering from the recession and its all rosy and fab.

You only have to look at the different experiences people who have returned are having. Some say its fantastic and dream. Others say its been to hard to get a job, the are struggling and they wish they had never returned.

I would advise doing as much research as possible into where you would want to return to and how you will support yourself, that would give you a better idea of how life would be for you back in the UK.

I agree with this. We are in the position where there are very very few positions in the UK for my hubby. Where as in Silicon Valley you fall over companies who would like to hire him. We will never be able to go back through choice, simply because of this fact.

Amen. We all have different circumstances and needs and we all need to take an honest look at our individual situations to determine what's best for us.

But what I would say is that if a person is truly unhappy living away from the UK, they shouldn't let 'practicality' deter them from coming home. We're a long time dead.