Small new houses and large expensive cars
Discussion
Here's one that I can't fully explain.
I went viewing houses for sale with a first time buyer, looking at the usual small three bed semi's on relatively new housing estates in o.k. areas. The houses were nothing to write home about, no garages, tiny front driveway and little or no grass area, which is probably the norm for what maybe considered starter homes. What really surprised me was the expensive cars in the driveway, a lot costing 25% or more of the house value. It doesn't compute from my perspective, £75k and 100k cars parked outside c.£300k houses. How does that work?
I went viewing houses for sale with a first time buyer, looking at the usual small three bed semi's on relatively new housing estates in o.k. areas. The houses were nothing to write home about, no garages, tiny front driveway and little or no grass area, which is probably the norm for what maybe considered starter homes. What really surprised me was the expensive cars in the driveway, a lot costing 25% or more of the house value. It doesn't compute from my perspective, £75k and 100k cars parked outside c.£300k houses. How does that work?
Conspicuous consumption, innit. Only I, my family, my neighbours and my friends have the faintest idea what my house looks like and how many mouldering books and parochial nick-nacks lie within. If I could take it to Costa Coffee car park and show it off, there's a vague possibility some members of the public might be impressed.
A Range Rover full of Balenciaga shopping bags and Ed Sheeran CDs allows one to do just that...
A Range Rover full of Balenciaga shopping bags and Ed Sheeran CDs allows one to do just that...
A lot of the cars might be company vehicles?
On another note - new builds are utter w
k.
Even these so called 'prestige' developments are just the usual ste but with a charging point, solar panels and wood effect rendering over various sections.
Virtually zero land other than a brazillian strip of grass and a tarmac 'driveway'.
On another note - new builds are utter w
k. Even these so called 'prestige' developments are just the usual s
te but with a charging point, solar panels and wood effect rendering over various sections. Virtually zero land other than a brazillian strip of grass and a tarmac 'driveway'.
limpsfield said:
Unless you're posting from North Korea OP, I think people can spend their money how they like. I wouldn't overthink it.
You being unfair. One, I wasn't buying a small house, two, I didn't initially make the observation and three, being only one generation older than the prospective buyer, simple back of the fag packet maths it simply didn't compute to me. You are of course correct, what people do with their money is totally up to them. Yep, we're all different, still I was surprised. I have a MINI Cooper D and a Clio 200 on my drive, the house is worth 80 times their combined value.
Is that how you are supposed to do it OP?
I really like my house, and my cars, I just choose to spend more in one area than the other.
Seems bizarre that it doesn't compute with you OP.
(Hindsight, I think a lesser house and different more expensive cars would be pleasing, but I bloody love this house!)
Is that how you are supposed to do it OP?
I really like my house, and my cars, I just choose to spend more in one area than the other.
Seems bizarre that it doesn't compute with you OP.
(Hindsight, I think a lesser house and different more expensive cars would be pleasing, but I bloody love this house!)
To respond to the OP's query, the easy access to cars on finance (purchase/hire) is certainly one reason why there is such a prevalence of flashy new cars around.
People's priorities and mindsets, I suppose.
There's an old BBC automotive mockumentary series from 1993 called 'From A to B' that has been uploaded on YouTube. I'd recommend watching it.
It's a favourite of mine - very 'Office'-esque - but two episodes that stand out are about company car drivers and youngsters' cars being bought or given to them by their parents.
What is notable from the people's commentary in the series is how, in contrast with today, buying a (new) car or being allocated a company car back then and up until the late 2000s really was a very big occasion, what with all the limited trim levels, optional extras and the excitement over having the latest registration letter/number.
People's priorities and mindsets, I suppose.
There's an old BBC automotive mockumentary series from 1993 called 'From A to B' that has been uploaded on YouTube. I'd recommend watching it.
It's a favourite of mine - very 'Office'-esque - but two episodes that stand out are about company car drivers and youngsters' cars being bought or given to them by their parents.
What is notable from the people's commentary in the series is how, in contrast with today, buying a (new) car or being allocated a company car back then and up until the late 2000s really was a very big occasion, what with all the limited trim levels, optional extras and the excitement over having the latest registration letter/number.
Checkmate said:
I have a MINI Cooper D and a Clio 200 on my drive, the house is worth 80 times their combined value.
Is that how you are supposed to do it OP?
I really like my house, and my cars, I just choose to spend more in one area than the other.
Seems bizarre that it doesn't compute with you OP.
(Hindsight, I think a lesser house and different more expensive cars would be pleasing, but I bloody love this house!)
How much of the house do you own in comparison to the cars ?Is that how you are supposed to do it OP?
I really like my house, and my cars, I just choose to spend more in one area than the other.
Seems bizarre that it doesn't compute with you OP.
(Hindsight, I think a lesser house and different more expensive cars would be pleasing, but I bloody love this house!)
Most things are optics when it comes to cars and houses.
Dog Biscuit said:
A lot of the cars might be company vehicles?
On another note - new builds are utter wk.
Even these so called 'prestige' developments are just the usual ste but with a charging point, solar panels and wood effect rendering over various sections.
Virtually zero land other than a brazillian strip of grass and a tarmac 'driveway'.
Well that depends on what people prioritise doesn’t it?On another note - new builds are utter w
k. Even these so called 'prestige' developments are just the usual s
te but with a charging point, solar panels and wood effect rendering over various sections. Virtually zero land other than a brazillian strip of grass and a tarmac 'driveway'.
I think old houses with no insulation, surface clipped cabling and on street parking are s
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