 |
| Teepol - cleaning up at the British Family Fayre |
A lot of attention is being given to affordable housing, social housing, and the need for more housing. Indeed, the latest development is the Conservative party's proposal for discounted housing for first-time buyers under forty years old, as reported here by the BBC. Most of these schemes simply reflect the fact that demand for housing and home ownership continues to outstrip supply, which has a lot to do with ongoing, and in some cases, record-breaking rises in house prices.
As responsible estate agents, we at Edward Ashdale certainly hope that the initiatives under way do help people find homes at an affordable cost, though it is certainly true that in both the owned and rental sectors the cost of a home does not compare well to the income of many people.
One consideration, then, is people's income. Having more income is one way to afford a better home. That is one reason why we have been happy to help the Tulse Hill Community Market to take off. It is an outlet for local people to trade goods and services and, in many cases, the goods such as jewellery and art are ones that the traders have created themselves. This is the kind of place where may people have started selling and begun businesses that grow and grow. It is easy to forget that even massive businesses start somewhere, just as Marks & Spencer did, with £5 and a Penny Bazaar. Even car boot sales, where again people sometimes sell the things they have started to make (or bake), can be an important step for some people. So we welcome these too, and note that a new one in Brixton has been set up, named BrixtonBooty, and we wish that well - see @BrixtonBooty on Twitter.
So, we also view efforts elsewhere to boost the economy, large and small, with approval. There are many artisan markets around, one instance being the Gingham Goose Craft Market in Hayes - Twitter @GinghamGoose. There are also British manufacturers who have, despite the demise of many proud names, clung on and prospered down the years. One example is Teepol, a cleaning products manufacturer in Orpington, which has been in business since the 1960's. They recently appeared at the British Family Fayre. The British Family are an interesting phenomenon in themselves, having chosen to buy only British goods for a year, which gave them a unique twelve months and a lot of publicity for British producers. On Twitter, @BritishFamily.
So, in short, good luck to the government with what it is doing for the housing sector, and even better luck to the people making this country prosperous.
You can browse our other blog topics in the Index here.
