Downshifting to canal boat or park home maybe

pineapple

The one thing I want to avoid is sheltered housing. Imo the worst thing you can do if you want to stay young at heart is go and live in a segregated scheme with other old folks!
I used to be a sheltered housing warden and could tell some tales......

moneyistooshorttomention

Definitely on "avoid" list. We've both gone into the age group now where the question sometimes arises of being "shunted" into an over-50s age group for something. NO chance. I may be over-50, but I want to be amongst mixed ages for everything still thank you very much (as long as those who are still "child" age are either "well brought up" so don't go round screaming/yelling/etc on the one hand or not there if they haven't been well brought-up on the other hand).

All adult age people and well brought-up children is preferable and then you get a variety of viewpoints and no-one going on and on and on ad infinitum about various "aches and pains" because they've decided not to bother to actually Do Anything any more other than just Be Ill.

seven-day-weekend

cattie wrote: »

As you are over 55 couldn't you think about a flat? Flats that are exclusively for the over 55's are usually far cheaper than a comparable open to all development. Ok, you'd have to pay service charges, but whether a boat or a mobile home, you'd still have monthly service/site charges to pay.

I downsized into a 2 bed flat last summer after years of living in houses, but as the room sizes are very generous, I probably have roughly the same sqr footage as I had in my 3 bed house. Plus I have the bonus of a garage that I didn't have before & the best neighbours I have ever had in my life.

The development I live on is not age restricted & is a mix of young professionals, middle aged & retired people for the most part.

Of course, I have a good few thousand in the bank left over from the sale of the house & purchase of the flat, so that is a very comforting feeling. I love it here & don't intend to move ever again.

A lot of friends tried to dissuade me from my idea of buying a flat & none of them had ever owned a flat before, so had no knowledge or experience of how life in a flat could be. I'm so pleased I made up my own mind & took no notice of the opinions of my friends.

This is what we intend to do at some point. We could buy a good size two-bedroomed flat in the same development as our son's, plus a garage which we have never had before, do it all up exactly as we want it and still have money left over.

Our friends who are ten years older than us have done it already. Their son also lives in the development, in the flat below our son

BigAunty

Why not read some blogs/websites of people who live in caravans or mobile homes full time?

Some will travel around all the sunny beautiful spots in Europe. Some are retired, some work. Some live in stealth vehicles (van conversions that hide the fact that someone is living in them).

Example

http://motorhomevagabond.com/fulltiming/the-10-best-things-about-living-in-a-motorhome/


There are also forums that cover this way of living

http://www.livinginamotorhome.co.uk/

pineapple

Cheers I've thought about motorhomes. But I'm not so sure it's a good idea for a single female - especially a single female with no mechanical knowledge!

lincroft1710

BigAunty wrote: »

Why not read some blogs/websites of people who live in caravans or mobile homes full time?


Example

http://motorhomevagabond.com/fulltiming/the-10-best-things-about-living-in-a-motorhome/


There are also forums that cover this way of living

http://www.livinginamotorhome.co.uk/

Neither of the bloggers appear to be currently living in a motorhome

BigAunty

pineapple wrote: »

Cheers I've thought about motorhomes. But I'm not so sure it's a good idea for a single female - especially a single female with no mechanical knowledge!

So how is a motorhome going to be much different (maintenance/security wise) than a canalboat?

BigAunty

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Neither of the bloggers appear to be currently living in a motorhome

Here's a list of current tourers (largely of Europe) and those that have hung up their wheels .

http://ourtour.co.uk/home/fellow-travellers/

pineapple

BigAunty wrote: »

So how is a motorhome going to be much different (maintenance/security wise) than a canalboat?

Canalboat communities are known for their sense of, err, community. A lot of people have a fixed mooring in the company of other boats and aren't constantly on the move just because they live on a boat. :huh:
I really wouldn't fancy parking up in some layby or on a deserted campsite on my own.
As for maintenance and practical skills I think these would be useful in a boat too but there would be more chance of onsite help and advice.
As opposed to getting stuck in said layby....

wikthor

Living on a narrowboat is a small ambition of mine, surely with rising housing prices the perception must slowly be changing...maybe more residential moorings will equal less cost?