“Not in my back yard” property investing

There comes a time when people need to stand and be counted, yet often a lot of what seems to come across from the media is talk about how the vunerable in society are being used and that we should all stand against the vultures of capitalism.

A case in point merits further explanation on a place dear to many seasides visitors, Southend.

Apparently developers are moving in on large victorian houses which front the sea, trying to buy them and then converting them into flats or worse still – multiple-occupancy homes. (I clearly say that tongue in cheek as this blog is all about HMO’s and more!).

An MP bemoans a company that leaflet drops targetting these areas (one elderly gentleman threw his in the bin), a local says – why don’t they refurbish the high street and the office blocks that have been left standing – lets have a moratorium on new-buildings.

Alas, I fear that none of these folks in their misguided attempts to do “the right thing” fully understands the meaning of “not in my back yard” and here is where it shall be explained.

Not in my back yard actually stands for:

• No progress
• Idiotic decisions based on emotion or money; not fact nor reason
• Many cooks poking their noses in, getting paid and moving on
• Bureacratic planning laws impeding progress
• Yesterday’s property left to rot whilst tomorrow’s property is yet to be dreamt up – at the expense of today’s property being under lock and key.

Everywhere you see it – whether it be a new block of flats, a neighbours garage, a schook, a runway or even a wind-farm.  The people that extoll the “not in my back yard” mantra are the people that are impacting the rest of society – not the other way around.

Harsh words perhaps but lets face the facts.

• councils approve planning applications based on their own “local” plan.  This is often put together by “professionals” and “amateurs” who have no overall strategic overview over what they are agreeing too.
• the grants offered to turn empty derelict buildings into modern tenanted buildings are infrequent and often poor.  And even if you do get them, they often come with many onerous terms and conditions which hampers, rather than helps.
• the focus on a quick buck is always the media angle on this but why would a development company enter into a development that lost them money?  That just wouldn’t be good business sense.
• the British-way seems to be more and more to be jealous, suspicious or plan envious at anybody who is running a successful business.  Why is that?  If somebody has taken massive action, then all credit to them.

So, lets all look to the future and work together to figure out what needs to be done at a local and national level to turn this once great country of ours, back into the bastion of civilization and respect that it used to be. 

Rather than “opposition” groups, lets have “co-operation” groups; rather than “not in my back yard” groups, lets have “change for the better” groups.