On Buying A House and Academia

Yesterday, I watched a Facebook Live with Karen and Kellee from The Professor is In. You can watch it here. In it, they spoke about how to know when it's time to leave academia (don't worry, I'm not adding to the pile of quit lit just yet). Something they discussed at several points was setting and sticking to your own limits. And peoples limits are different. This really struck a chord with me, because recently Andrew and I have set a very hard limit on what we'll do to keep my academic career afloat. And perhaps this thing will be the death of my life as an academic.

We bought a house. We have discussed leaving London several times, and each time we come back to the feeling that we just don't want to leave London. We love London, and we want our daughter to grow up in a stable environment, where she can make friends and not have to move half way though primary school. And we were in a very specific place where (with lots of help, specifically with a government Help to Buy scheme) we were able to purchase a house. So we did.

It's terrifying. And wonderful.

I also made a commute limit, and won't apply for jobs outside that line on the map. I don't want to keep spending nights away from my family just to keep my career as an academic alive. I've spoken recently (predominantly on Twitter) about the pull I feel between loving being a researcher and a teacher and an ancient historian but hating academia. Between the strike and the emails my VC sends about cost cutting and what's happening in other classics and archaeology departments, and recently taking a 10 month contract, and basically all the permanent jobs going to Oxbridge or internal candidates (yes, that's a slight exaggeration, but it's not far off the mark), and everything else. I just... don't want to keep moving around (both figuratively and literally) in order to keep doing the things that I love, while I have no power to change the things I don't. Precarity is that double edged sword.

So, this is what I have. I said I would keep going until I didn't have a job and I might do that. Or I might not. For now, I am writing my book (and actually enjoying it!) and I will settle down into life in my new house, watch my Kiddo settle into her life, make friends, grow up, be a force for change in the world. And hopefully I can also be a force for change - in some way or another.

Update: A Twitter thread I made about buying a house in London

I've said this before, but we bought a house. But, today - our house is actually finished. It's built. It's fitted out. We can legally complete the purchase. So I wanted to say a few things about buying a house in London.

— Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts: Modest; I earned it. (@EllieMackin) 15 June 2018

First: I have briefly talked about wanting to put down roots, have a stable base, here: https://t.co/NH6TiNcl68

I won't go over any of that.

— Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts: Modest; I earned it. (@EllieMackin) 15 June 2018

What I want to talk about is how difficult it is. We bought out house though the Government's Help to Buy scheme with a 40% equity loan. (more details here: https://t.co/mVlYPDcGyp)

For these loans you need a minimum of 5% deposit.

— Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts: Modest; I earned it. (@EllieMackin) 15 June 2018

We had *significantly* more than 5% deposit - due to very generous wedding gifts from our parents, not because we could ever have saved a deposit while paying rent in London!

To qualify for Help to Buy loans you need to have a debt-to-income ratio of no more than 45%.

— Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts: Modest; I earned it. (@EllieMackin) 15 June 2018

This includes everything you pay out, including things like pension contributions, and everything you'll pay for the new house, with mortgage repayments calculated at 4.8% no matter what your actual mortgage rate is.

— Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts: Modest; I earned it. (@EllieMackin) 15 June 2018

So, to vaguely wrap up.
We bought a new house (for Help to Buy the property *must* be brand new). We both make above the national average wage, but around the London average. We had well above the 5% required deposit.

WE JUST MADE THE 45% CUT OFF.

— Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts: Modest; I earned it. (@EllieMackin) 15 June 2018

IN SHORT: These government schemes are great. But they aren't doing ANYTHING to fix the housing crisis in London. If we - average, middle-class, professionals with a kid - can *just qualify* for the programme then the programme is broken.

— Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts: Modest; I earned it. (@EllieMackin) 15 June 2018

So yes - we bought a brand new house (actually a duplex flat, but we can all dream, right). But we are the embodiment of middle-class gentrification in inner London suburbs and that fact is not lost on me and I'm mad about it (but also, I want to own a home).

— Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts: Modest; I earned it. (@EllieMackin) 15 June 2018

OH YEAH, plus, you still have to qualify for a regular bank mortgage for whatever is left after Help to Buy loan and your deposit. AND THAT'S NOT EASY IF YOU ARE PRECARIOUSLY EMPLOYED!

— Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts: Modest; I earned it. (@EllieMackin) 15 June 2018