GUYS. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT ALL WRONG. If we want to save up £20,000 for a house deposit (give or take, don't come at me) all we have to do is cancel our Netflix subscriptions, stop going to the gym and dodge Starbucks. Well, according to Kirstie Allsopp anyway.
How did we never know it was that easy? I can almost feel my bank account getting heavier.
As well as suggesting that we miss out on the likes of Squid Game, and avoid taking care of our mental and physical health with a gym session (a run/walk sometimes just doesn't cut it), Kirstie also said that people could 'find homes up north' where they're cheaper.
Advert
Ok, so people taking this advice would probably end up getting low salaries than if they were in the capital as well as having to fork out for rent until you buy somewhere at least.
In another one of her genius suggestions, Kirstie said that young people should move in with their parents... what about if your mum downsized to a one-bedroom flat after you moved out (tight cow) and you don't speak to your old man, Kirst?
Luckily, for the 50-year-old, she bought her house aged 21 when the average house price was £51,000 ($69,000) oh and not forgetting, she had some help from family.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Allsopp expressed that she feels 'enraged' when young people complain about their struggles at affording a house because they're not disciplined enough.
Advert
Bet they didn't have Ryanair sales every other week when she was 21 though.
She told the publication: "When I bought my first property, going abroad, the EasyJet, coffee, gym, Netflix lifestyle didn't exist."
She went on to add: "I used to walk to work with a sandwich. And on payday I'd go for a pizza, and to a movie, and buy a lipstick."
Kirstie then said: "I don't want to belittle those people who can't do it. But there are loads of people who can do it and don't. It is hard.
Advert
"We've fallen into the trap of saying it's impossible for everybody. It's about where you can buy, not if you can buy. There is an issue around the desire to make those sacrifices.
"I’m up in Nottingham right now and there’s a nice three-bedroom home with a long garden on for £320,000. I get enraged when people say they can’t afford to buy. They can.
"But they have to move, which is hard if you don’t have roots there. I know there are many who can’t afford to buy, but others are not willing to make the sacrifices."
Taking to Twitter, one person said: "Kirstie Allsopp is living proof that any privately-educated daughter of a baron can buy their first home at 21 so don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Advert
Another added: "To be fair to Kirstie Allsopp, if you cancelled your Netflix and PureGym subscription and instead saved that £40 a month, as long as the housing market doesn’t go up at all then in just 54 years you’ll have enough for a deposit on an average house." Take a bow, sir.
Rebecca Shepherd