Report says 40% of UK homes are not up to scratch

A leading UK charity has found that almost half of all properties across the country fail to provide an acceptable standard of living for its inhabitants – which is surely a situation that needs to change.
The housing charity Shelter has found that 43% of all dwellings in the UK fail to meet the criteria used to judge whether a house can secure an occupant’s wellbeing. The criteria for the study included 39 tenets across five areas: space, stability, affordability, decent conditions and neighbourhood.

Research was conducted using a representative sample of 2000 people from across the country; and property selling experts have found themselves shocked at the state of homes originally declared ‘habitable’.

The epicentre of the problem is within London, where 73% of those questioned found that their homes were not up to the necessary standard, with Wales and the East Midlands in joint second place with 49%. While it is worth bearing in mind that a vast majority of London-based properties will fail on affordability (due to the ever increasing prices across the city), it nonetheless paints a harsh picture for those living within touching distance of the poverty line.

With affordability and stability being two prominent issues to arise from the survey – mainly due to future uncertainties regarding whether mortgages or rental prices would rise – there are many across the nation living in properties with insufficient heating and underwhelming insulation, as well as dampness and mould.

“When Shelter was founded 50 years ago, it was with the hope that one day everyone in the country would have access to a place they can truly call home,” said Campbell Robb, Shelter’s chief executive.

“But the sad truth is that far too many people in Britain right now are living in homes that just aren’t up to scratch – from the thousands of families forced to cope with poor conditions, to a generation of renters forking out most of their income on housing each month and unable to save for the future.”

Whether owned by a landlord or its resident, homes in a deteriorated condition are often extremely hard to sell. For those who own a home in an undesirable state that wish to sell fast, there are property buying companies who will buy any house for cash regardless of condition.

Worried the condition of your house will prevent a sale? Why not ask National Homebuyers for advice, as we buy any house. Call 08000 443 911 or request a call back to find out how much you could get for your property.