General Discussion

I wonder if Mr Younger- Ross lives in Teignbridge and for how many weeks of the year, and if he goes to a supermarket.
Would he hold a public meeting on the issue of second and holiday homes. There a many houses and flats in Dawlish and Teignmouth that are only used in the summer months i.e.Barton Terrace has a host of holiday flats, yet there are people struggling to find somewhere to live.Do people really earn more by just holiday lets. Often the people who own them dont even live in the area.
My friends lives in Daimonds Lane Teignmouth and most of the houses there are empty all year and the owners come down at weekends in the summer

People living here sold them in the first place and left, so sell to who wants them. No problem. Its all envy at the end of the day.

There is most certainly an issue about second homes in the south-west and although it is part of the problem in Teignbridge I believe a bigger issue is the huge differential between incomes (low)and house prices (too high for those incomes).

As Dawlish may well be on its way to having quite a few new houses built in the not too distant future why don't you contact MP and ask if he will hold a public meeting about the housing problem?

OK I am thinking of selling. Do I sell to someone at the going rate, remember prices have gone down a little but thats relative to where you move to, or do I sell for the highest price I can achieve, what would you do?

Wondering, its not envy its realism, its not right that potential homes stand empty for most of the year, or are winter lets.
Homeless I will go to see our mp about the new houses. In a large part of the country they now have to build a large percentage of affordable housing on new projects and the amount of holiday homes reduced.

I hear what you are saying. Back in the 1980s when property was not selling, rather than have a property sit empty I offered it to DHSS for soemone. The property was rented and at the same time was still for sale, the people made a right mess of it and the kids ruined the wallpaper and drew all over it. I constantly moaned at the agent for not finding me a buyer, needless to say with the property in a mess and I gather toys all over the garden, it was not until I had them removed and I redecorted the house I sold it. So at times it is better they sit empty unless you really know personally who is going to live there. Situation in Dawlish happens too abroad where people have second homes. Seems it is what people do when they win the Lottery or have big money. I prefer to stay in the UK.

Some facts and figures on Housing and Teignbridge. (Source the National Housing Federation South West).

Average House Price in 2006 = £216,578
Average Lower Quartile House Price in 2006 = £145,250

Average Income 2006 = £16,026
Income needed for a mortgage = £58,785*

% of Housing Stock as second homes in 2006 = 2.15%

*presumes a 95% mortgage at 3.5 x salary

So, if second homes are only just over 2% that isn't the problem then?

Not in Teignbridge no.
More like the differential between income and cost of housing.

Why do we need affordable homes?
Who will pay for those affordable homes?
Will it be those that can't afford a home???????
Or will it be those that pay their taxes in many disguises????
Who will occupy affordable homes?
It is suggested that there is a demand in Dawlish for affordable homes, where are those people living now?
Those that think affordability will help those that cannot afford to buy on the open market, had better take a closer look at the figures.
Affordability does not mean a free bus ride, or does it?
And developers would not get sucked into building affordable homes unless there was something in it for them.
Think about it???????

blimy 23 question marks ???????????????????????

I will sell my house in the same way as you sell anything. At a price someone somewehere is prepared to pay. I need to buy another.
I assume people want to buy houses at 1970s prices like £10,000... people just dont do their maths, oh I forgot they cant add up 2008.

nobody suggests that anyone sells their house less than market prices. Affordable housing is a different issue it could be shared ownership pay rent and part of that rent goes towards a deposit,there are many schemes.
Why is anyone anti affordible homes it helps people get on the housing ladder rather than pay rent or stay at home. First time buyers cannot afford the average price round here.
Majority of people who rent leave the place as good as they find it. Someone can be working on a low wage and entitled to housing benifit whats the problem.
If over 2% of housing is second housing thats a heck of a lot of homes that are empty the majority of the year.over 20 in every 100
I cannot understand why anyone would rather let their house/flat to holidaymakers and not long term tennants

They Let because then they can stay in the house at weekends or when they do noy have bookings. Quite reasonable.
I am afraid tenants / holidaymakers do not value a property when its not their own and do levae it in a mess as I said above. Talk to people who do own holiday homes, people are there a week and leave the house, oven and microwave is a right mess, nobody seems to leave as they expect to find the house clean in the first place.
The answer to this and what your goal is. If someone did have a long term tenancy, I would now make them pay say £500 (that may not be enough) for any wilful damage, this of course would be refunded if no problems when they vacate.

What about owners who live in Devon and own Holiday homes and there are many of them.
When you rent you have to pay a deposit its usually a months rent or more, if the place is left in a state the landlord keeps the money.
have you looked how much the rent is for a 3 bed house in Dawlish about £600 a month, who can afford that on Devon wages

I let 2 flats to people on housing benifit they are long term tennants never been behind with there rent on the odd occasion Ive been round to them there homes are immaculate.its a misconception that someone on benifits or low wag are somehow the dregs of society

Are you sure 2% = 20 out of 100?

It didn't mean that when I went to school!

meant 2

cynical wrote,"have you looked how much the rent is for a 3 bed house in Dawlish about £600 a month,"
Gotta be joking, I know of a one bed flat at £560 per month and a 3 bed house at £825.
Go to the council offices at the Manor and see for your self.

Viaduct the rents are a lot higher than I realised how on earth do people afford them. I have 2 children at home 24 and 25 they are moving out of the area because they want to get on the housing ladder and also get paid more

Homeless According to local goverment figures the % of second homes you have stated does not take into account houses/flats let to holidaymakers then empty rest of year, it is very difficult to get the true amount of these

So, are you suggesting that there should be no accommodation specifically designed as holiday lets?

Remember we need such accommodation here - tourism is a lot of people's bread & butter.

Or a you suggesting that out of season the holiday lets could be used as accommodation for the homeless? And if so, then what happens when the holiday season starts again? Where would the 'out of season' occupants go?

I think letting a house or flat out for maybe 8 weeks of the year is morally wrong and driven by greed.Its cheaper to go to Spain in the summer than rent a holiday house in Dawlish.
From what i can make out from goverment and other agency web sites Devon has the most unaffordible housing plus 3 times the national average second/holiday lets.If this situation continues where will young families live.
Its the elite few who profit from tourism and a passing workforce usually students.Most of us have to have a 52 week job.

You can buy a cheap home in the Black country and West Yorkshire where they hang washing over the street and you may get mugged. Prices in Devon reflect the sought after area that it is, which would you prefer?
People who go to Spain to live soon run back to good old UK for the NHS.

This reply is to wondering 18/02/08. You really have no idea what you are talking about you stupid idiot. You say because I am a tenant I don't respect my landlords property, I must say that I pay over £600 per month in rent and I've had to pay a months rent as deposit for any damage which may be caused. I respect my landlords property which I call my home. The problem in Dawlish is London house prices and Devon wages! Myself and my wife work bloody hard for what we have, we are not living off the state. I work in housing association properties for a living and find that the people that complain the most are those that do not work! Are you one of this type????????

To wondering how dare you slate people that rent properties long or short term.I am a tenant who rents a property in the town and I am fed up with comments like yours.If I did not look after my home I would be evicted.Please be more diplomatic with your comments in the future.

People never like true facts.

Pocklington is in East Yorkshire where there is little crime and it is very beautifull. The whole of East Yorkshire is the same.
I wouldnt want to live in Plymouth for the same reasons you wouldnt live in parts of Yorkshire

Our M.P would most probably have to ask the member of his staff who does his shopping where it comes from.
The South West has the most unaffordible housing in the country prices do not reflect income. The tourist trade is notorious for low wages as is work in care.
It is as someone said morally wrong for potential homes to be empty most of the year.
There are hotels bed and breakfast and Dawlish Warren for the tourists to stay in.

Younger Ross does not give a stuff about Teignbridge, nor does any other MP. Did you know, that MP's only have to go to the house of commons and sign in and they get £100.00 a day for just doing that, they don't have to stay, just sign in. And that an MP's lunch hour is an official secret i.e. they can take as long for lunch as they like and no one can ever ask them. Crazy stuff eh!

Put yourself up for MP then .. face the abuse .. but will you get the vote?

Agree with annon you cant pick up a news paper without reading about an Mp on the fiddle. They get their mortgage paid for their London homes, if they abroad on so called "official" buisness their partners go all paid for the list is endless, and there they are telling us what and what not todo. Power breed corruption

For a Grauniad reader you're not very literate are you?

.. and its a shame you are unable to make a sensible contribution.

and it should be it's not its as you have written