6 ms·

I can't fathom the logic behind the idea that we'll get people to build brand new housing to a high spec and sell it for less than existing, very expensive hous

I can't fathom the logic behind the idea that we'll get people to build brand new housing to a high spec and sell it for less than existing, very expensive housing. Every time anyone builds stuff near me there's cries of "BUT IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE!!!" and I just think... duh? New cars are expensive too, which is why you buy a used one....

acover 4y ago
Toyota makes a new camry as well as a new lexus.
- indymike 4y ago
  The point he's trying to make is that a new house often costs less than a used house, which is the opposite in the car market.
  - dragonwriter 4y ago
    No, the point he is making is not that they are actually less expensive than existing comparable homes, but that people complain that they do not meet affordability standards that would require them to be less expensive.
- trivialsoup 4y ago
  Sure but the new economy sedan is more expensive than the used economy sedan. According to this interpretation therefore, if you build a new house, and it is broadly similar to houses in the neighborhood in which you build it… it’s going to be expensive relative to its neighbors. It will perhaps be perceived as “luxury” despite just being new.
  - acover 4y ago
    > If the land is valuable, and all you can build on it is a single-family home, why not build a very expensive single-family home? The article suggests changing zoning so triplex/fourplexes can be built. Even if they have marble countertops, they'd still be more affordable than a house. Currently, I can't build the housing version of a Camry.
    - tfigment 4y ago
      I live in a townhouse. Its land efficient, i have a garage w/ storage its relatively affordable to houses. What i dont like are HOA fees and useless common expenses (the pool) and forced rules (only white curtains). The space 3 units take up is about one house in same neighborhood.
- CalRobert 4y ago
  Right... and new camrys are more expensive than used Camrys...
chrisseaton 4y ago
But older houses are better (nicer architecture, better materials, more space, more mature trees) than newer houses.
- scarface74 4y ago
  With asbestos, lead, I couldn’t just pick a piece of land and go to a showroom and get exactly what we wanted. Choose to get cat 6 prewired throughout the house. Some really old ones don’t have central air (even my parents house they had built in 1978 did). I’ve bought five properties over the years. The two I bought to live in I had built and never had the maintenance costs people complain about (2002-2012 and 2016 - present).
  - chrisseaton 4y ago
    At least in the UK I don't think most people care about the tech of their house (air conditioning, certainly not network cabling) like this.
    - lozenge 4y ago
      Air conditioning is going to hugely increase in popularity here in the UK. I think people like the tech, including better heating and sound and heat insulation and FTTP, but it's balanced out by the poor reputation of new builds in terms of quality issues.
      - ghaff 4y ago
        Expectations have also just shifted with respect to things like air conditioning. I live in a very old house and, while I do put a window unit in my office, my brother could never understand me not having central air in Massachusetts. He did just rebuild a house after a fire and put all the latest gadgetry and controls in. The heat pump seems nice but mostly I find there's a lot of complexity and not a lot that offers significant advantages relative to my house.
      - CalRobert 4y ago

acover 4y ago

Toyota makes a new camry as well as a new lexus.

indymike 4y ago
The point he's trying to make is that a new house often costs less than a used house, which is the opposite in the car market.
- dragonwriter 4y ago
  No, the point he is making is not that they are actually less expensive than existing comparable homes, but that people complain that they do not meet affordability standards that would require them to be less expensive.
trivialsoup 4y ago
Sure but the new economy sedan is more expensive than the used economy sedan. According to this interpretation therefore, if you build a new house, and it is broadly similar to houses in the neighborhood in which you build it… it’s going to be expensive relative to its neighbors. It will perhaps be perceived as “luxury” despite just being new.
- acover 4y ago
  > If the land is valuable, and all you can build on it is a single-family home, why not build a very expensive single-family home? The article suggests changing zoning so triplex/fourplexes can be built. Even if they have marble countertops, they'd still be more affordable than a house. Currently, I can't build the housing version of a Camry.
  - tfigment 4y ago
    I live in a townhouse. Its land efficient, i have a garage w/ storage its relatively affordable to houses. What i dont like are HOA fees and useless common expenses (the pool) and forced rules (only white curtains). The space 3 units take up is about one house in same neighborhood.
CalRobert 4y ago
Right... and new camrys are more expensive than used Camrys...

chrisseaton 4y ago

But older houses are better (nicer architecture, better materials, more space, more mature trees) than newer houses.

scarface74 4y ago
With asbestos, lead, I couldn’t just pick a piece of land and go to a showroom and get exactly what we wanted. Choose to get cat 6 prewired throughout the house. Some really old ones don’t have central air (even my parents house they had built in 1978 did). I’ve bought five properties over the years. The two I bought to live in I had built and never had the maintenance costs people complain about (2002-2012 and 2016 - present).
- chrisseaton 4y ago
  At least in the UK I don't think most people care about the tech of their house (air conditioning, certainly not network cabling) like this.
  - lozenge 4y ago
    Air conditioning is going to hugely increase in popularity here in the UK. I think people like the tech, including better heating and sound and heat insulation and FTTP, but it's balanced out by the poor reputation of new builds in terms of quality issues.
    - ghaff 4y ago
      Expectations have also just shifted with respect to things like air conditioning. I live in a very old house and, while I do put a window unit in my office, my brother could never understand me not having central air in Massachusetts. He did just rebuild a house after a fire and put all the latest gadgetry and controls in. The heat pump seems nice but mostly I find there's a lot of complexity and not a lot that offers significant advantages relative to my house.
    - CalRobert 4y ago