Older generation trapped

A report out today in one of the main stream newspapers highlights the difficulty being experience by the over 55’s to find an appropriate property to downsize to due to limited availability.

In fact millions of older people are actually trapped in properties too large for their needs due to a shortgae of suitable sized housing a study has revealed. As in most families the children reach an age where they want to “fly the nest” this leaves their parents or parent living in a home too big for their needs, research suggests that almost a third of over 55’s have considered downsizing in the last 5 years.

It was reported that The Financial services company Legal & General carried out the new research with the Centre for Economic and Business Research, they confirmed there were 3.3 million older people in oversized properties worth £820 billion overall.

The housing shortage appears to affect the complete spectrum of homeowners, from those looking to upsize to those looking to downsize, there is no doubt there is a crisis that needs addressing immediately, projected figures estimate that around 210,000 need to be built in Britain a year over the next 20 years to meet present demand.

 

 

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Can you legally BAN Halloween Trick or Treaters?

People who dread the annual knock of trick-or-treaters may have more power to keep Halloween callers away than they realise. As millions of children prepare to take to the streets on October 31, a property law expert has explained what homeowners can do if they do not want strangers walking up their path or knocking…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

What the sector need to do differently to give first time buyers a chance

By Peter Hawley, Director, SOWN (part of LRG) The mortgage and property sector needs to stop assuming that younger buyers are either ready to buy outright or not ready at all. For many, the reality is somewhere in between. They may have stable employment, a deposit and a strong desire to own, but still find…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

The 50-property tipping point: when landlords need a different approach

By Adam Hills, Client Services Director, LRG Living Markets A sizeable residential property portfolio can create significant opportunities for long-term income and capital growth. But as it expands, so does the complexity of managing it effectively. For landlords with 50 or more properties, the challenge extends well beyond finding tenants or collecting rent to communication,…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Home is where the stress is

Couples find first-time buying more anxiety-inducing than buying solo First-time buying: Anxiety doubles when finding a home with your partner! Stress and anxiety significantly increase when buying a first home with your partner compared to flying solo The likes of searching for a property, applying for mortgages and progressing through the legalities are all significantly…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 28/10/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   If Zoopla is for sale, then so are you Thought leadership by Olivier Jauniaux Founder of NestLink On 14 August, Providence Equity Partners announced it had agreed to acquire Hometrack from ZPG. Bloomberg confirmed the seller the same day. Terms were not disclosed, though Real Deals, citing…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 27/10/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.     Who controls the infrastructure, data and intelligence that runs inside commercial buildings? By Author Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR Commercial real estate owners have invested heavily in technology to improve building operations, connect tenants and monitor performance. Yet behind the growing number of systems…
Read More →