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Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Old Dec 6th 2013, 6:35 pm
  #1546  
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Originally Posted by chris955
Something that occured to me this afternoon and I find interesting is that at the moment the automotive manufacturing 'business' in the UK is going from strength to strength and setting sales records etc at a time that in Australia it is well and truly on its last legs. I do wonder what the reasons are for this? Wages in that sector are apparently pretty similar so it is down to efficiency and peripheral costs perhaps?
It could be. The UK also has a higher population, concentrated in a much smaller area with easy access to the continent. There's a relatively good road and rail network.

Apart from the home market in Australia, every where else would add shipping to the overall cost of a car exported - and there's plenty of competition in the area that likely have cheaper labour costs.
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Old Dec 6th 2013, 6:59 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Originally Posted by old.sparkles
It could be. The UK also has a higher population, concentrated in a much smaller area with easy access to the continent. There's a relatively good road and rail network.

Apart from the home market in Australia, every where else would add shipping to the overall cost of a car exported - and there's plenty of competition in the area that likely have cheaper labour costs.
Im not sure that many of those factors are that important. Cars made in the UK are exported all over the world so proximity to the continent isnt that important. Australia has Asia on its doorstep.
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Old Dec 6th 2013, 7:21 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Originally Posted by old.sparkles
It could be. The UK also has a higher population, concentrated in a much smaller area with easy access to the continent. There's a relatively good road and rail network.

Apart from the home market in Australia, every where else would add shipping to the overall cost of a car exported - and there's plenty of competition in the area that likely have cheaper labour costs.
Originally Posted by chris955
Im not sure that many of those factors are that important. Cars made in the UK are exported all over the world so proximity to the continent isn't that important. Australia has Asia on its doorstep.
For exporting to, it seems the nearest is about 4000km away & likely the extra shipping cost could be a factor as could the Australia wage compared to whats made in Asia?

The overall Australian cost per vehicle may be higher than a UK or Asian made vehicle & certainly with Korea, Japan & China lower cost vehicles I wounder if Australia can be a competitive exporter?

Or, maybe its the foreign companies (Japan & US) that manufacture in OZ for the domestic market as a direct competitor of all that is/was Australian, then profits sent back to the foreign own company homeland.

Last edited by not2old; Dec 6th 2013 at 7:33 pm.
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 12:31 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

This should be of concern for those thinking of returning, especially those who are returning and need to find work, and those who have children.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...e-8994229.html

The housing situation in the UK is truly in crisis. Affordable housing, if there is such a thing, tends mainly to be in areas of low employment, adding to the burden of those seeking to return and find work. As for the children, their best chance seems to be, if their parents own their property outright and then downsize, freeing equity, or via inheritance.

I wonder how long it will be before there is a rise in equity loans and the debt fuelled boom and bust cycle starts all over again...........or has it started already.
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 12:48 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Same as Australia then.
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 2:36 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Originally Posted by chris955
Same as Australia then.
Are you thinking of returning to Australia? If you are then, indeed, if it is the same, you are right to be concerned.
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 2:41 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Originally Posted by Bud the Wiser
Are you thinking of returning to Australia? If you are then, indeed, if it is the same, you are right to be concerned.
No, not concerned at all.
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 2:47 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

The cost of housing and negative attitudes to immigration strike me as the two biggest negatives about returning to the UK. Otoh, this comment in the posted link stood out to me:

“an entire generation will be locked out of home ownership and forced to rent for life”.
That really sums up one of the problems imo. Home ownership is seen as some kind of holy grail whereas renting is looked down on (to put it mildly). Notice the use of the emotive words "locked out" and "forced to" in that sentence.
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 3:05 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Originally Posted by Giantaxe
The cost of housing and negative attitudes to immigration strike me as the two biggest negatives about returning to the UK. Otoh, this comment in the posted link stood out to me:



That really sums up one of the problems imo. Home ownership is seen as some kind of holy grail whereas renting is looked down on (to put it mildly). Notice the use of the emotive words "locked out" and "forced to" in that sentence.
The apparent negative attitude to immigrants is very much a gutter press beat up, I wouldnt worry yourself too much about that
What you need to remember is housing costs vary enormously in different areas. Where we are housing is very affordable and it is a wonderful part of the country. I have seen many of these housing doom stories over the years and home ownership rates remain roughly the same.
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 3:25 pm
  #1555  
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Originally Posted by Giantaxe
The cost of housing and negative attitudes to immigration strike me as the two biggest negatives about returning to the UK. Otoh, this comment in the posted link stood out to me:



That really sums up one of the problems imo. Home ownership is seen as some kind of holy grail whereas renting is looked down on (to put it mildly). Notice the use of the emotive words "locked out" and "forced to" in that sentence.
Yes, in other countries renting is the norm. I wonder whether rent control is more stringent in such countries, though? Rental costs seem to be going up here quite rapidly. Cheaper housing seems to be either in really horrible areas or out in the stix where there is little work.

I visited Korea last year and was absolutely shocked at how expensive housing is there! There seemed to be a lot of family sharing - parents, adult siblings and grandparents all living in the same house.
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 3:43 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

The last decade however has seen the first rise in the percentage of households renting, since 1918.

In the same period homeownership fell from 69% to 64%

Source ONS.

Last edited by Bud the Wiser; Dec 10th 2013 at 3:46 pm.
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 4:05 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Originally Posted by dunroving
Yes, in other countries renting is the norm. I wonder whether rent control is more stringent in such countries, though? Rental costs seem to be going up here quite rapidly. Cheaper housing seems to be either in really horrible areas or out in the stix where there is little work.

I visited Korea last year and was absolutely shocked at how expensive housing is there! There seemed to be a lot of family sharing - parents, adult siblings and grandparents all living in the same house.
In Germany, it used to be very much harder to get a mortgage (don't know if that's still the case).
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 4:21 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Originally Posted by Sally Redux
In Germany, it used to be very much harder to get a mortgage (don't know if that's still the case).
I had a friend that used to live in Germany and renting is the norm, housing is expensive to buy.
Home ownership in the UK and Australia is around 70% which is very high compared to many other countries although I believe it has dropped inboth in recent years.
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 4:31 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Originally Posted by Bud the Wiser
The last decade however has seen the first rise in the percentage of households renting, since 1918.

In the same period homeownership fell from 69% to 64%
A good thing, imo. At least rents are largely bounded by income (i.e. you can't get a mortgage to pay the rent). House prices are largely bounded by how much you can borrow, and as we've seen in the last decade, that doesn't always work out too well. Throw in the government's scheme to loan people a down payment, and all we're doing is fueling the ponzi scheme again.
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Old Dec 10th 2013, 4:50 pm
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Default Re: Is the situation in the UK really that bad?

Originally Posted by Giantaxe
A good thing, imo. At least rents are largely bounded by income (i.e. you can't get a mortgage to pay the rent). House prices are largely bounded by how much you can borrow, and as we've seen in the last decade, that doesn't always work out too well. Throw in the government's scheme to loan people a down payment, and all we're doing is fueling the ponzi scheme again.
Renting would certainly aid those who need to have some sort of mobility, especially to find work, but I think it will be hard to turn the mindset from buying to renting. A psychological barrier that some would find difficult to overturn.

Agree about the Ponzi scheme. A 'create a fell good factor' to buy votes.

To add: If rents keep going up folks will be hard pressed to rent or buy.
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