Oh come on! Stake through the heart. A little sunlight. It's like falling off a log"

Chocforever

Regarding the house, I think you need to protect your position. I'm a bit older than you and left it a little late to buy the house. I hadn't given my age much thought until I was sat with the mortgage adviser and he asked if I expected to be in my job (or something similar) when I am 65. Err, no. Wouldn't want to and probably couldn't anyway in my industry. Yet I was asking him to lend me a lot of money over a 25 year term which would take me to 66. I hope to pay off the mortgage in 12 years but it did worry me that if my circumstances changed, I was committed to paying a large mortgage when I might struggle to find any work in my 60s. Reducing the mortgage term to 20 years had a surprisingly large impact on the monthly repayment so I left it at 25 years with the option to overpay.


It may be that you can't or don't want to make any changes now but you are potentially making things more difficult for yourself in the future if you plan to buy a house with a mortgage.

StressedSteph

Hi Buffy,

Sorry to here you have put your back out moving hutches, hope its on the mend soon.

I know what you mean about KonMarie, I am losing faith in it to be honest. I totally agree on the decluttering and the obvious benefits of not having so much rubbish to clear away but the whole speaking to each item and asking it is sparks joy just annoys me. If I got rid of all the tired over washed clothes I have that don't spark joy I would be left with my pj's to wear. It seems to conflict a lot with my MSE mindset as it seems to make me want to buy new stuff if the old doesn't spark joy which is obviously bad news for someone in debt.

Make sure you get that solicitors appointment or maybe a meeting with a mortgage broker to see what you could get.

It doesn't mean you have to do anything with the information but its really nice to know your choices.

xxx

Sparkles87

Limited space...ikea storage! Buy through eBay, Gumtree etc. If needed. It's totally changed my spaces and made things a lot easier

in_need_of_direction

I'd say stick with whatever decluttering method works for you before buying storage. I started with kondoing but find it quite time intensive. Now I just swoop and dump, gift or donate as and when I happen across things. Take care Buffy.

Pooky

I like the idea of the KM philosophy - making sure each item actually brings me joy rather than "it'll do" - I've done 4 wardrobe culls now - each time I'm far more truthful with myself over what needs to go.

I do not thank anything, just shove it in a bin bag with a muttering of "for goodness sake woman sort yourself out". 2 more black sacks went to the charity shops this week, summer stuff I thought I needed but didn't, summer stuff I thought looked lovely but it doesn't and a few bits of "even if I do get down 2 sizes I'm not going to want it so why am I saving it".

I'm very aware that there's less and less coming in to the house now so it does work.

Regarding the house situation. My parents moved in with my grandparents when I was little, it was a win, win situation, my grandparents had a huge victorian house they couldn't afford to heat/live in and my parents had 2 growing girls - a few alterations and we had the top 2 floors of the house, my grandparents the rest. They paid a decent rent each month but it wasn't until my grandmother died that my aunts started to make comments about their inheritance - my grandad and parents drew up an agreement (witnessed but the neighbours) that stated that the house would be split 4 ways on his death - 1/4 to each of the 3 girls and the final 1/4 to my parents as a couple for the time they'd lived there, done improvements and paid rent - it meant that on his death my parents owned half the house outright and were able to afford to buy my aunts out. This was all agreed at a famiy meeting and it sounds very much like that's what you need to do. Both aunts loved the idea of the money but as soon as they realised that my parents would need to move out if this didn't happen in order to get themselves a home/mortgage and that the house would probably be lost to care home fees they thought again.

in_need_of_direction

If you moved out, would your sister be prepared to help your mum out financially?

Buffythedebtslayer

It is entirely possible, they would help her, but that would all be legally done and entitle them to a bigger share in the house I am sure. EVERYTHING is written down and paid back at the moment.


I appreciate that sounds paranoid but for example when they "do" the garden the BF does what he wants and won't speak directly to mum. also they did lend her money and she has paid it back but there were comments and some rudeness from the b/f.


I know I am burying my head in the sand regarding all this. I hoped Mum would retire to Florida and that would make her make a proper decision about everything. But it hasn't happened like that.


I think owning a house down here is out of the question really, I can go buy somewhere small and crap and be the only one in my generation not to be retire on the proceeds of my house!



Focus on saving and sorting the job out. I will have to think about doing something serious next year.

x

Buffythedebtslayer

Right - just a quick post.


1. there are flats near me that I could get a mortgage for. Not especially near me I have to say! but maybe as a rental....a Mortgage may be coverable by rent tho that would depend on the buy to let mortgage situation.


2. I need to save. This needs to be a real priority.

Buffythedebtslayer

The above would give me a foot on the elusive property ladder.


which would make me feel like less of a failure! I might not even rent it, depending on maybe paying less rent here if I took on a mortgage.


I have thought about buying up north a fair few times but could never see me driving all that way - even tho I love it up there. Plus the rental market is not very good in the area near my friend and her family - ie it would be too low.


I am going into to town today so shall book an appointment with the bank for later in the week.

beanielou

All I am going to say is that home ownership is not the be all & end all.
I often wish I rented so someone else had to maintain.