Thinking of downsizing.......

gilly41

Thanks for all the comments....and yes same here JMT we will be reducing our bills dramatically:) and hubby will be able to go part time at 55 which would mean we wouldn't have to cram everything in to weekends and be able to live a much simpler life!!
Thanks John....glad to hear it has all worked out for you:) Hubby has worked since he was 16 and very long hours so for him part "retiring" at the old age of 55 would be bliss lol xxx

kidmugsy

Could you and your son buy matching semis in the town you both want to live in?

gilly41

What has my son got to do with it?? Why would I want a matching semi with him lmao:)) ummmmm???

Newly_retired

We have downsized and moved nearer to family. We chose our house, especially its location, with a view to the future. It has only one step, a level drive and surrounding area, on two floors only. It us 10 mins walk to the shops, health centre, library, church, market, hairdressers etc. I usually walk in, but if I have bought heavy items, I catch the bus back, two stops, but free with my pass. I can also catch the bus to the nearest city. They go every 15 mins and the journey takes about 25 mins.
I love it.
The neighbours are quiet.
The only noise is from the nearby road, but it is not too busy. If it irritates me, I just think of all the advantages of being on a bus route, and being accessible, not stuck at the end of a cul-de-sac, with nothing to see.

A good move.
Hope yours works out for you.

PasturesNew

There is no noise factor answer that will be meaningful. Some semis are sound-tight, some are paper-thin..... some neighbours are as quiet as church mice, some are gobby/shouty/loud types.

I've chosen my (currently buying) house based on the fact that I can walk/cycle within a mile of all sorts of shops/services/events/leisure .... and there's a bus stop 100 yards away. You can't beat that feeling of "just popping out" without a car being essential.

gilly41

Thank you the above posters......xx

Anatidaephobia

gilly41 wrote: »

I was more concerned about the "noise" factor when we downsize and was looking for anyones comments and views on that....

Last year I moved from a detached house to a terraced house and I was also a little apprehensive about the noise and about neighbours being so close. It hasn't been a problem at all - partially due to the layout of the houses in our street and partially because our neighbours are mostly very quiet.

On one side, there's a close between our house and the next which means that, on that side of the house, the only room is that actually wall to wall against one of the neighbours rooms is an upstairs bedroom. On the other side, the hallway and staircase act as a buffer between us and the neighbours. The layout was definitely part of the reason the house appealed to us. Occasionally one of the neighbour's children seems to run up and down their stairs and we can hear the odd door slam but 99% of the time we hear zero noise from either neighbour.

When we viewed the house, we asked the owner if he knew the neighbours well and he didn't hesitate to tell us a little about them and assure us that the area was quiet. He had lived in the house happily for many years and had good relationships with the neighbours which gave us a good impression.

kidmugsy

gilly41 wrote: »

What has my son got to do with it??

You're the one who mentioned him: "also it makes more sense to move back with me not driving and my son and his wife live there". Or if his place is a small country estate maybe they could let you live in the lodge at the end of the drive?

kidmugsy

By the way: eight miles and can't drive; investigate electric-powered bikes.

rosyw

I've downsized from a lovely old farmhouse a few miles from shops etc. to a chalet bungalow on the edge of town. Best thing I ever did as I also don't drive, I have everything I need within 5 minutes walk, supermarkets, DIY store, doctors surgery, vet for the dog, all in very easy reach. I'm also not "old" , at least at 58 I don't consider myself to be, but do have an eye to the future so when I chose my place it was with the thought that if I ever got to the point of not being able to get upstairs I have a room downstairs that could be used as a bedroom, and with the ground floor bathroom I could quite happily & comfortably stay here well into my dotage

kidmugsy: I have an electric bike, they're great for getting about but not so good when you need to do a weekly shop :rotfl: