Planing for getting older, what have you done?

Dunroamin

pollypenny wrote: »

Especially if we move to the US _ seriously thinking about it as I froze yesterday!

What about the healthcare costs - I post on a US healthcare forum and the sums are absolutely terrifying and seem to cover very little!

Savvy_Sue

There is a professional association of de-clutterers - one of my part-time colleagues runs a de-cluttering business (but I would be too embarrassed to let her see parts of our house!)

We've shared our house for years, but our co-owner is moving on. On Monday night there were 2 computers in the hall marked 'reclycling'. By Tuesday there were 8. But I can't see where they've come from! There is not much improvement...

seven-day-weekend

Dunroamin wrote: »

Books would be the exception to that for me. We have several thousand and some of them are double stacked on deeper bookshelves which means that we shift them round every couple of years and it's wonderful seeing old friends again.

Some lovely old books, yes I agree with you, but my collection of thrillers and my husband's sci-fi had to go when we left Spain, we had no room for them in the car. But we can always buy them again from charity shops

pollypenny

Dunroamin wrote: »

What about the healthcare costs - I post on a US healthcare forum and the sums are absolutely terrifying and seem to cover very little!

DIL has researched and found that we would be eligible for Medicare after 5 years.

However, we would buy a property for about half the price we would sell this one and use the surplus to fund insurance.

It is a worry though.

carefullycautious

We have also moved into a small one bed bungalow (Bliss) and decluttered (well gave away most of our home to the charity shops)
It is liberating getting rid of stuff that really did not see the light of day. Cant believe how we came to have so many things, my magpie husband did not help matters.

I doubt we will get bungalow knees as ours has some steps up to it and the area is quite hilly which is working muscles I did not know i had. This is the compromise as it is owned by Local Authority and no way were we going to turn it down.

The flip side is that we dont have gardening to do (well a small bed at front) but the grass to front and side is cut by council and the back is concrete patio to sit out with enough room for a washing line so ideal for us.

We love it and I would never go back into a house.

PennyForThem_2

Books - I too have several thousand. At the moment I am putting them into a database so that I can sort what may be valuable, what I want to keep and what my children may want.

Looking to downsize in about 4-5 years once I retire.

mumps

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I know plenty of people who do, they can't all be wrong. I have always lived in a terraced house. Never any problem with noise, although I suppose it would depend who your neighbours are, as it would in anything other than detached.

I think I am quite sensitive to noise, particularly as I am a poor sleeper. The fashion for wooden floors makes it worse, don't get me wrong I like wood floors but if I was in a flat I think I would like the people upstairs to have lovely deep carpet with thick underlay.:rotfl:

chesky369

mumps wrote: »

I think I am quite sensitive to noise, particularly as I am a poor sleeper. The fashion for wooden floors makes it worse, don't get me wrong I like wood floors but if I was in a flat I think I would like the people upstairs to have lovely deep carpet with thick underlay.:rotfl:

Many leases contain a clause which stipulates there has to be carpeting in flats.

mumps

chesky369 wrote: »

Many leases contain a clause which stipulates there has to be carpeting in flats.

Someone else told me that but when you see TV programmes about doing up property or selling property they always seem to be ripping out carpet, even in flats. I think if I downsize to a flat I will have to go for the top floor. No bungalow knees for me!

Dunroamin

mumps wrote: »

Someone else told me that but when you see TV programmes about doing up property or selling property they always seem to be ripping out carpet, even in flats. I think if I downsize to a flat I will have to go for the top floor. No bungalow knees for me!

Not good planning for retirement!