Government to begin paying older people to downsize

I would harbour a guess that the vast majority of the older population would want to stay in their own homes. Given the lack of suitable alternative accommodation like retirement villages etc it's a non runner for years to come. Some housing associations like Cluid offer sheltered or assisted-living type accommodation to the elderly who are without homes of their own and to those with long term disabilities etc. For the rest of us who do own our own homes and may want to downsize at some time, unfortunately we are a long way off the Californian type independent living model of elder care.
 

But isn't that the point - that we should be moving towards developing suitable alternative accomodation? Suitable, including retirement villages but not limited to that. People can't downsize if there are not suitable (and desirabe) alternatives. There may need to be some incentives to get this going. How are our aging population to be supported in years to come ? Is the only real alternative to be the nursing home - and stick it out somehow until you get that dependent to need it?

Noone wants to make anyone downsize (well maybe there is someone) but I believe there are plenty who would like to if they could see an attractive/suitable option. They benefit - and people who need family homes closer to their work also benefit.
 
Just shows you if the topic gets traction it will have the direct opposite effect to the one intended once again,

The people who come up with ideas like this finish up blaming left-wing politics,when it was right-wing action that caused it in the first case,
 
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I think we need to spend money building new units and keep away from wasting/squandering money on incentives to people who own existing buildings,
 
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As someone said why dosen't he do it privately himself with loads of incentives. Rent, property tax and maybe ultities. I'm guessing to him its a house to fit his needs and her a home. I'd be interested if the suggestion was made to her what the outcome would be.
I had a two bed duplex very near my family home that got too small when kids came along. We moved out to rent a bigger place and save for a place of our own. Once my mother did joke that her and my dad would move into my place and we would move into her three bed. For a split second we had a serious conversation about it but it didn't feel right. My parents would of only be doing it to help us out, not out of want. It was a struggle but we bought our family home last year near my parents.
 
Just to clarify, under no circumstances am I suggesting my mother in law be obliged to move out or sell her property to me. Nor do I think I have any entitlement to her property.
Im simply suggesting that in the context of housing requirements the incentive should be for occupiers of properties too big (as a consequence of family flying the nest) to sell up and downsize.
Instead it is generally accepted that homes are vacated by children as they set out in life to start a family.
Btw, I mentioned this to my wife and she was appalled that I could even consider asking someone to move out of their home that they have built over the years and with her ties to local community, her friends and neighbors.
I had to stress that I wasn't asking anybody to do anything they didn't want to do. I certainly wouldn't consider moving people out of their homes and communities against their will. I was merely suggesting that conditions to incentive down-sizing be introduced, such as the state forgoing property tax and other incentives that can be thought of.
I hope this clarifies my point somewhat?
 
I haven't enjoyed a thread this much in a long time. There's some priceless material in here.
Thread of the year so far
 
Folsom said ,I mentioned this to my wife and she was appalled that I could even consider asking


someone to move out of their home that they have built over the years and with her ties to local community, her friends and neighbors.
I had to stress that I wasn't asking anybody to do anything they didn't want to do. I certainly wouldn't consider moving people out of their homes and communities against their will.

There are people who have no problem moving people if they had the power to do so,
 
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RETIRED2017 said:
There are people who have no problem moving people if they had the power to do so,
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Don't tell me - the left wing, the right wing, the left of the right wing, the right of the left wing, the right wing who think they are left wing and the left wing who think they are right wing ?
By the way, which wing of which wing do you reckon you are ?
 
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Early Riser said:
Noone wants to make anyone downsize (well maybe there is someone)
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Au contraire, the premise of your comments is in fact to develop the conditions that would induce the 'middle-aged-house-too-big-for-two' to want to downsize.
 
Folsom said:
Au contraire, the premise of your comments is in fact to develop the conditions that would induce the 'middle-aged-house-too-big-for-two' to want to downsize.
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Au contraire, the premise is to create more age-attractive options for the aging house for one/two who wants to downsize in principle but for whom the options are currently poor and/or inappropriate!

Anyway, lets see what the report proposes.
 
Yes, exactly my point. You want to create conditions and options for aging households should they want to downsize too.
That is my point. In my personal circumstances, the ideal situation would be that my mother in law would want to downsize, facilitating a family with two kids to occupy the three-bed.
But the options are not there in any real meaningful form.
 
Early Riser said:
Noone wants to make anyone downsize (well maybe there is someone) but I believe there are plenty who would like to if they could see an attractive/suitable option.
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So all this goes ahead. Indirect pressure is put on people by others to downsize. They downsize because they feel obliged to.
Ten years later, lots of houses being built, no longer any need to downsize, incentives withdrawn. The person who downsized ten years ago and let a large family in to their loved home is walking past their old home. The children of the large family have moved on and the buyers of 10 years ago are living there as a couple. The house is worth a small fortune now. No pressure being put on the new owners to downsize...

The person who downsized feels shafted.
 
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Thats all a bit doom and gloom. The purpose for downsizing should not be on the basis of facilitating younger couples with families - that would be the consequence of downsizing.
The purpose for downsizing should be to save money on energy bills, less work in house maintenance, convenience to local facilitates, less or zero property tax, and anything else you can think of.
Downsizing should be financially, economically, environmentally, physiologically and psychologically beneficial to the person or couple downsizing. Tick these boxes and chances of resentment later down the road would be a minimum.
 

There are a lack of options for older people who want to downsize in some way that is future-proofed and suitable for what they see as there needs. I happen to think that increasing such options is a good idea. If it helps them live longer in their own homes in the community with perhaps some supports, that is good in my opinion.

If someone wants to stay in their 4 bed and look after their big garden then fine - its their choice. Do you think there are good options available at the moment for the aging person who may wish to downsize?

You seem threatened by the idea of future options. Going down your reasoning above, someone might say that the availability of nursing homes pressurises people to become dependent and get admitted, while the availability of undertakers and graveyards pressurises them to die. Are inappropriate pressures sometimes put on older people by family members? Yes, always has been and will be again unfortunately, no matter what options are there or are not. We see it in the courts re wills. Should we do away with wills so ? Inappropriate pressure is an issue that needs to be tackled seperately.
 
Laramie said:
If the sun stays I will crack open a bottle of wine that I bought before Christmas for a few Euro when the supermarkets were killing each other to offer me discounts
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These discounts need to be abolished. They are pressurising older people to ruin their livers and die! I hope none of your visitors comes bearing such gifts - you do know what they are after?
 
Early Riser said:
Do you think there are good options available at the moment for the aging person who may wish to downsize?
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Other than not being able to get a bridging loan. If they don't need a bridging loan they can put their house on the open market like everybody else, then look around for whatever suits them.
 
Early Riser said:
If she owns her own house , you or no one else has the right (or should I say "entitlement") to expect her to move out to accommodate you and your wife (or anyone else).
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Exactly. The day we start infringing on private property rights will be a dangerous day indeed!

Early Riser said:
However, if she thought her house no longer suited her it would be good if something more age appropriate were available and/or she had an incentive to move. As it is her house she could sell it to whoever she likes.
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Most elderly people in large houses are mortgage-free. The 0% capital gains on principal private residences is a fantastic benefit for those wishing to downsize. Often you'll find smaller, doer-uppers near these larger homes that could easily be bought, done up and a few bob left over for a nest-egg. It will probably be our plan to be honest
 
Firefly said:
Often you'll find smaller, doer-uppers near these larger homes that could easily be bought, done up and a few bob left over for a nest-egg. It will probably be our plan to be honest
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In my experience, seniors rarely have any interest in taking on a "doer-upper" - too much hassle, stress. What I think they most often want is an easily maintained property, in walk in condition, with a high energy rating and no big garden to maintain. Proximity to family and friends is usually very important.
 
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