An additional 6,261 spare bedrooms have been locked out of the Southwark housing market since 2011 as Britain’s ageing population means the country’s stock of homes is being used more unproductively. The number of spare bedrooms in Southwark between 2011 and 2021 increased from 63,273 to 69,534. The number of Southwark households living in properties with […]

SE16 Baby Boomers and their 1,703 Spare ‘Spare’ Bedrooms

“Whilst it is not a good distribution of housing if you have some people in overcrowded households and others with spare bedrooms, everyone should be able to choose how to live.
Many (SE16) homeowners delay downsizing because they prefer to grow old in their family home rather than downsize. However, I often see mature homeowners downsizing too late when say, they have had a fall, are unable to manage the basics of gardening or cleaning, or the home becomes a physical hazard.
This downsizing phase will continue to grow, peaking in the mid-2030s.”