Well in theory right now, if you were to make contributions of £200 a month into a stocks and shares Isa, (i.e. put aside earnings of £2,400 p.a.) and you aimed for a realistic yearly return of 4pc after fees, you’d reach your goal of £40,000 in nine years.
If your partner did the same, this could be £80,000.
In addition, if house prices were to fall over the same period, you could suddenly find yourself just about poised and ready to buy a place to start owner occupation in.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few ‘ifs’ in this scenario aren’t there.
The main obstacle to achieving such a dream for an increasing number of aspiring buyers is house prices themselves which, even at the lower end of the house-ownership spectrum, are out of reach for many would-be owner occupiers. This obstacle could however be removed using relatively straightforward improvements in the way that residential properties are marketed.
The present ‘government’ idea of trying to get prices to start reducing is to build many more housing units.
Unfortunately, this idea is fundamentally flawed. The reason is the effect of doing this would be marginal on price. Why?
Because unless upwards of 10% of the total number of existing houses in the system were to be constructed, little or no effect on house-prices themselves would actually be felt.
If you do the maths it becomes clear that it would be impossible to build enough new houses, even over a full ten-year stretch. The calculation tells you it would take building in excess of ten times the number of new units currently able to be built each and every year for at least the next ten years!
By deduction therefore, instead of attempting to do the impossible it would be better to look at the current methods of marketing all residential properties and change that. The sales and marketing of residential property the one thing that is highly inefficient, old fashioned and in need of significant improvement. This is the key to achieving the desired result – greater owner-occupation.
Reform the way privately owned residential properties or houses are bought and sold and you will make the process open, fair, and efficient.
Doing this would bring the prices of starter homes back within the reach of first-time buyers and they would no longer have to borrow the increasingly ridiculous amounts which are currently stopping the majority of those wishing to become owner-occupiers to do so.
What do you think about this idea for drastically improving the operation of all housing markets potentially across the whole of Britain?
Constructive comments are very much welcomed.