🏡 A HOME IS MEANT TO BE LIVED IN. NOT JUST INVESTED IN
An interesting article published recently by The Guardian highlights a growing paradox in London's property market: luxury apartments worth millions of pounds are standing empty, while thousands of people struggle to find somewhere affordable to call home.
The figures make for sobering reading.
According to the London Assembly, the capital had more than 105,000 empty homes in 2025 – an increase of 81% since 2016.
At the same time, developers are finding it increasingly difficult to sell high-end properties, with completed apartments remaining unsold and construction projects being delayed or abandoned.
It raises a much bigger question about the purpose of property.
Of course, property is an investment. It represents security, financial planning and, for many, a lifetime of hard work. But surely its real value goes beyond its market price?
A home should be somewhere people build their lives, families create memories and communities grow.
Empty buildings do not contribute in the same way to neighbourhoods, local businesses or the wider community.
We believe that responsible property ownership is about more than bricks, mortar and financial returns. It is also about maintaining properties, making the best use of available housing and recognising the role homes play in creating vibrant communities.
Perhaps it is time to put the 'home' back into the housing market.
What do you think? Should more be done to encourage properties to be occupied rather than simply held as investments?
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