The housing market

For those of you reading on the wrong side of the pond that's "Real estate".

The UK may or may not be about to go through a house price problem where the prices may stay level or may drop by up to 35% over the next 5 years. Be that as it may, I still need me a house.

Purchase cost + purchasing costs + renovation costs + selling costs = Total expenditure

Profit = Sale price - total expenditure

Even predicting no change in overall house prices in the next 12 months, I cannot seem to find me a house that I can get without making a loss. If I'm going to make a loss on it, I may as well minimise the loss and the figures show I'm best off staying in rented accommodation. This is NOT what I want to do but it minimises the amount of work I need to do, maximises my free time, leaves my deposit account as it stands and minimises my exposure to the housing markets ups and downs.

The trouble is I really wanted one of the houses, I'd paid a reasonable amount of money out towards getting it and it would have been ideal as a base for the next 12 months. Who knows, maybe this time next year I'll be retired and living in the lap of luxury on board a yacht in the Maldives and will have no need for a house in draughty old England.

Alternatively, I could be living with you...whoever you are... :-)