GORDON LIGHTFOOT | National
OH K THAT MAKES SENSE
Wellington retail assistant Chloe Warburton has shown us that it is possible for a 21 year old to buy their own home if you get your head down, work hard, be frugal with your money and.. oh hang on no, wait her dad bought it for her.
Warburton has actually proven that if you’re on $24.80 per hour, living off rice and nothing else, and paying New Zealand’s astronomical costs of living, then no you can’t buy a house on your own. You’ll need to get your dad to buy you one.
“I kept reading all these inspirational stories on news websites about how with a little bit of hard work and discipline, young people can get on the property ladder without any help from their parents. I was determined to be another success story,” said Warburton with genuine sincerity.
“So I gave up the bought coffees, the avocado on toast and the social nights out. Started saving my money and being frugal.
“And then after a year of saving and being so determined to reach my goal of saving enough for a deposit to buy a house, my dad bought me one,” she said with a false display of happiness that covered the deep knowledge that her spirit had been defeated.
“I mean, I would have been really happy if I could have achieved this on my own but… the median house price in Wellington is a mil.
“Like, how?”, she asked with a desperation that wafted around the room like a cold fog.
Whakataki media commentator Johan van Dyke had an interesting insight about how the house price explosion of the last two and a half years has directly impacted the amount of painful-to-read Stuff articles about young adults that scrimp and save for a first home and then get it with the help of their rich parents.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw one of those stories. It seems that even the rich parents aren’t willing to bankrupt themselves so that their kids can have enough for a horrendous house deposit,” said van Dyke, shaking his head with his eyes pointing skyward.
“Now that the pandemic’s wrapping up I’d say a few people will be trying to get out of this ridiculous country”.
Although Ms Warburton was lucky enough to have a home gifted to her, the Whakataki Times can confirm that the house is falling apart and she’ll be lucky if she can get it up to a liveable standard within the next five years.
More to come.
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