With down sizing to release capital for say the purchase of possibly an additional pension annuity therein lies another undesirable consequence of Q.E.
With Q.E buying government debts (gilts), the interest ratio has been depressed and annuities dived in yield or become far more expensive for the same yield.
I think that a much overlooked factor in these arguments is that when a home has been the "nest" which in my case is 30 years, there are costs involved in establishing a new home and moving out of the old that dwarf the proposed tax element into insignificance.
I think that a view that a home is simply viewed from the aspect of sleeping accommodation potentially somewhat misses the point of what I view a home as and may suit a semi nomadic lifestyle but certainly doesn't suit my view where putting down roots is all important.
The argument on heating costs for unused bedrooms is a little naive. Thermostats and closed doors are a rather cheap and simple option for managing the amount of heating applicable to the areas in use or not in use at any given time. Simple solutions rather spoil the thrust of an argument though
