Whats The Point In Buying And Owning A Property?

[renegadefm]

Just recently lost My dad. He worked hard all his life and passed away at 91.

But worked hard to buy the family home. Poor Mum is faced with having to leave the family home as she needs someone with her 24/7 something we are too stretched to provide, as we all got jobs etc ourselves.

So this will mean the family home will have to be sold to pay the care home for my Mum to move into. 

The issue from my point of view, is what was the point of owning a home, for it all to be gone towards a care home?

I'm pretty sure when Dad was younger he would have wanted to pass it onto me or sister to keep it in the family, but sadly now that won't happen. 

The way the system is set up is all wrong because if we knew then what we know now I would have had a mortgage and bought my home, and I'm pretty sure Dad wouldn't have either. 

If you rent a property theres less stress because if something needs fixing you contact the landlord. But I realise there are risks from renting too, for example the landlord might sell, and we could be terfed out. 

But what really is the point of owning a property, something that took a lifetime to purchase, only for it to be taken off you in a situation like we are faced with now? 

[youngmafbog]

I am going to have to disagree with you here NJ.

We should encourage people to be self sufficient and provide for themselves seeing someone live a life (often on benefits) and then see the State take hard earned away is unacceptable.

//our mother will have a greater choice of care home as a self-funder,//

That simply is not true for the vast majority, fees are such that only the real wealthy can afford to do that not your average joe who will end up in  a room same as the benefits recipient.  To make matters worse they are ubdoubtedly supporting the benefits person as councils often cap too low.

[ToraToraTora]

OG: "If your 75 yo chap rented he hasn't paid for any of it. He paid for use of it." - FGS don't turn into the NCA, I meant he's paid enough to buy it 10 times over.

[barry1010]

If the councils paid for everyone in care the country would be in a far worse state than it is already.

Many care homes only accept a small percentage of funded residents, a lot won't accept any. I know of long married couples being separated in care homes many miles apart because that what the council will pay for.

Others being moved many miles from friends and family, their church and social hub.

Your mother could choose to stay in her home with adaptions and carers. That can be the best option for many in her circumstances 

 

[barry1010]

young, a paying resident will have a much greater choice re location than a funded resident. Not necessarily a better room, but closer to where they need to be

[Deskdiary]

It seems to me there's something fundamentally unjust in somebody being prudent, needing care and ultimately having to sell their house, a house they hoped to have passed-on, sitting in a chair next to Betty, receiving the same care as Betty, when Betty's care is being funded having, possibly, never contributed a brass-farthing to the coffers.

 

I get the argument that those that can should (even if it requires the sale of a house), but it just doesn't seem 'right'.

[Untitled]

there are too many old people for social care to be paid for publicly

[Canary42]

Fair enough, if you don't see the point, don't do it. It's your choice.

[renegadefm]

I'm not interested in the inheritance. 

For me its more to do with keeping the house in our family. Personally I would never sell it anyway so I would never reap the money from it. 

My original question was where is the encouragement to work all your life to own a home, for it to be snatched off the family in the end. 

 

I understand it might mean a more quality care home, but who knows for sure, as there have been some horror stories at care homes, not just be staff, but other in mates that don't know what their doing or saying, I didn't really want that for Mum. 

I don't know what the ideal thing to do at this stage, its all still a bit raw. 

 

I'm just disillusioned by the system. Ownership seems pointless if there's nothing left to hand down. By hand down I dont mean hand down money, I mean hand down the property that Dad worked hard to get. 

[barry1010]

If you wouldn't sell the house what would you do with it?  What would your sister want to do, would you be able to buy out her share? 

Had your parents not bought the house you wouldn't be in this situation - the house would be gone as soon as your mother moved out, assuming your parents had been able to stay in their rented home all these years since you lived there.  Your parents would be paying rent all their lives.

[barry1010]

Your dad would have worked hard to pay the rent, too, possibly past retirement age

[Canary42]

Have you considered that millions of folk die without ever reaching the care home requirement stage.

[DDIL]

Why don't you move in with your mother and care for her?

ifcthere are 2 siblings who gets the house or do you have a spare 150 grand to buy your sister out?

[ToraToraTora]

16:50 it's not pointless, it costs a lot less to buy than to rent and you have control of it. That's worth a lot.

[Untitled]

"My original question was where is the encouragement to work all your life to own a home"

the encouragement to own your own home is not having to pay rent which is exorbitant in this country. millions of people work very hard every year only to have huge swathes of their paycheck gobbled up by parasitic landlords who jack it up every year. in many parts of the country rent is so high that it is extremely difficult or impossible to save for a house. 

[bednobs]

Your mum needs somewhere to live. It can't be her home so instead she is using that home to swap for a care home. You say your dad would have wanted to leave the home to you but it seems odd he wouldn't have wanted your mum to have a good standard of living that meets her needs, but would rather give you the money.

[Barmaid]

Dad could have dealt with this as I have already explained insofar as at least half of the property is concerned.

[Rosetta]

Not everyone knows about tenants in common BM, I didnt know much about until we made our wills. 

Renegadefm, make sure your mum gets Attendance Allowance, preferably at the higher rate if she is entitled. As a self funder she can use this benefit towards her care costs. 

At one time I would have suggested that renting her property could be an option but I am not so sure it is now a good choice due to changes in legislation . Citizens Advice would be a good place to start, but basically her property will be taken into account, even if it does seem unfair

[renegadefm]

DDIL, 

Moving in with Mum wouldn't solve anything as I work shifts and do 12 hour day shifts and 12 hour night shifts.  So apart from my days off I would never be with her. 

My sister also works full time, but works and lives an hours drive from where Mum lives, so that wouldn't work either. 

My partner can't live with mum as we have a 9 year old daughter, and works as a carer. 

 

I can't begin to tell you how much of a strain its been the past 4 weeks, but we simply can't keep this up. 

 

[barry1010]

You have ignored my post re your mother staying in her home and having carers, maybe live in carers. Adaptions can be made to the house if necessary.

[douglas9401]

If you accept that the state now wants everything that a given person ever earned in their life one way or another you have less chance of suffering stress and ulcers.

Money and comfort are for the few, especially in later life.

We're making provision along the lines of what Barmaid posted so at least the surviving spouse can be at home a while longer and the kids may get something for putting up with us all these years. 🙂