dunroving

Hmmm, not so sure about the latter.

Except for regional variations, typical rent for a 3-BR house is similar (because rents tend to increase with time).

However, typical mortgage payments for people who bought a 3-BR semi 5, 10 and 15 years ago are pretty different by a multiple of about 3-5 times, I'd guesstimate. As mortgage payments are the biggest single expense for many people, I think that's a big difference.

For me, it's mortgage and pension that make my "income" negligible, because they currently take up about 80% of my salary, but then I'm an exceptional case. If I plug my effective gross income into that tool (after subtracting the amount I am deducting for pension), I'm at about the 15th percentile. My effective net salary is currently less than my monthly mortgage (I'm living off savings). As I say, I'm an unusual case because I am paying so much into pension, but I don't see how anyone at the 15th percentile of household income can afford to live (with help from benefits and credits, I suppose).

I wouldn't say it makes the UK crap (and definitely not "completely" crap) but the whole house boom and bust cycle of the past 20 years has made for some pretty gross wealth inequalities.

Harvester523

High taxes? Maybe for the well off, but certainly not for me. I'm sure it is possible to keep goats in Northern Ireland, but not everyone wants to live there.

Oh please stop spouting such rubbish. I didn't say no one can afford land to keep goats and horses, I said the wealthy can, I couldn't, and other people like me can't. Yes, on the whole, people do have more land in France in rural areas - I better add that or I'll be generalising too much again. To imagine they don't is just that - your imagination. Our neighbours have several hectares each, not an acre, even in the village people have land outside of the village. Rural new builds (the equivalent of an estate) have much, much bigger gardens than equivalent new builds in England. You can get a half acre building plot here for £15,000 or 27 acres of farmland for £22,000. There were no bizarre and inaccurate generalisations. Land is expensive in the UK - even in remote Scotland or NI, there's no getting away from it, and just because you live there and can afford to live there, doesn't make it any different.

roaringmouse

He can only do that because he won the Australian property lottery, and was able to buy property in rural England without a mortgage. It helps to make those glasses he wears to be rose coloured.

Stormer999

I think there is a big difference between glasses and blinkers

dunroving

You can't drink out of blinkers?

Grayling

What are you on about....I owned a property in rural England long before I came to Australia and will own one when I return.

I also know lots of people who own similar properties and they have never been to Australia in their lives.

roaringmouse

The post you're referring to has nothing to do with you or your situation, past or present.

Grayling

It has....not everybody who lives in rural areas has " won the Australian property
Lottery" and neither are they all wealthy.....Many work hard to pay their mortgage the same as everyone else.

.....and I have certainly found that property is cheaper in English rural areas than it is in Australian cities.....and that applies to many cities around the world

roaringmouse

No, it really hasn't. It was in regards to one person, and one person only.

Grayling

So were you making a point about living in rural Britain or simply stalking Chris?

Bud the Wiser

Crazy isn't it.

Cultivating a country of debt slaves.

Grayling

Just like many other countries then?

old.sparkles

And could be what other's think is crap about them.

The title isn't 'what makes Britain crapper than other countries' or 'what makes Britain crap that absolutely no other country in the world has', it's just 'what makes Britain completely crap' and the fact that the same problems can be seen in other countries doesn't make an issue irrelevant.

Grayling

So do you not want any debate at all?......the forum would be very quiet.

.....and on an expat forum it is not unexpected that posters will compare countries is it?

old.sparkles

No I get that some comparison will take place - as you say it's only natural for an expat site. But to just say 'just like many other countries' isn't really debating - sounds more like a fob off.