The timeless value of property ownership in England

For centuries, land and homeownership have been at the heart of English society, shaping wealth, stability, and status. From rolling countryside estates to the charming townhouses of London, property has always been considered the greatest asset one can own.

As Mark Twain famously put it, “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.” In a country like the UK, where land is both finite and highly sought after, this statement rings especially true.

Historically, owning property in England was the privilege of the aristocracy, but over time, it became a goal for the middle class as well. Today, despite the challenges of much higher house prices compared to incomes, the aspiration to own a home is as strong as ever. And in a world of economic uncertainty, bricks and mortar remains one of the safest and most tangible investments.

But homeownership is about much more than financial gain; it is about creating a personal sanctuary. A house filled with books, for instance, is a home that enriches the mind. One quote that particularly resonates with me was shared by a client last year. The American educational reformer and abolitionist Horace Mann, said, “A house without books is like a room without windows”.

It is striking to see so few books in homes today, compared to the personal libraries that were once a staple of English houses. In the 1990s, I would frequently visit homes with a library, and many rooms featured bookshelves displaying an impressive collection of both old and new books, but as the years have progressed, people seem to read less and book collections have fallen out of fashion.

Here is a selection of interesting quotes which might give you some food for thought about our relationship with our homes, and how they impact our lives. Some wise – and some simply amusing!

• Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt 

• The best time to buy a house is always five years ago” – Ray Brown

• I would give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground.” -Shakespeare

• Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.” – Mark Twain

• The wise young man or wage earner of today invests his money in real estate.” -Andrew Carnegie

• Landlords grow rich in their sleep without working…” -John Stuart Mill 

• Buying real estate is not only the best way, the quickest way, the safest way, but the only way to become wealthy.” – Marshall Field

• Land monopoly is not only monopoly, but it is by far the greatest of monopolies; it is a perpetual monopoly, and it is the mother of all other forms of monopoly.” –Winston Churchill
• Every person who invests in well-selected real estate in a growing section of a prosperous community adopts the surest and safest method of becoming independent, for real estate is the basis of wealth.” – Theodore Roosevelt