House Prices are increasing!

[C.A.R.]

Obviously if you're looking to buy your first house, then increasing prices are bad news indeed given that they're massively outstripping wage inflation, effectively reducing your affordability on a month by month basis.

Renting is useful if you're moving around a lot for work etc and don't want to be tied down, but to a point it's a trap as you end up getting caught in a spiral where you can't save a sensible deposit to buy because you're paying rent each month (typically more than a mortgage on the same property would be) and because you can't save a deposit, you're having to keep renting.

I think you posted as I posted so I've only just read this.

Totally agree with the last statement, I'm stuck in this 'loop' with no realistic way out - coming into money isn't something you can bank on doing!

If I could go back I would have saved all my hard-earned and got on the property ladder as soon as possible - but life doesn't work like that. My Mrs wasn't around when I was earning a disposable income (wait a minute, there's a connection there...) so it all went on cars and gadgets and toys basically.

I can't move back with my parents in order to save, which is something a close mate of mine has recently done after finding that his and his partners wages were just getting eaten up by rent and bills. It puts pressure on the relationship not having your own 'space' too, but with our little girl it's also unfair on my parents to move back home!

It's a shitty cycle to get tangled up in.