Quit everything , and start again over 50?

grunnie

anna_1977 If I was you and had a buyer I would be thinking of putting my stuff in storage and moving in with a friend or with family. You would then be in a better position to be a cash buyer able to move quickly which is what all sellers are looking for.

harz99

lessonlearned wrote: »

You asked if people in your position took financial hits in order to change their lives. YEs most of the ones I know did make financial sacrifices in order to make their dreams come true. Usually though they recouped any losses over time.

The point being is that when you opt for a simpler life you just don't need as much money. Your living costs reduce so although you might be earning less, you will also be spending less. So it's all relative.

A few more examples of friends who have "opted out" - first a couple of people who lived in London. Both were in their 40s and had careers in banking. Like you both were single males who had never married.

The first sold his London flat and went to Spain, bought a run down farmhouse with a bit of land, kept a few goats and chickens but essentially grew most of his food because he was a vegetarian. He worked when he felt like it as an odd job man.

The second one also sold his London flat and moved up to Derbyshire, bought a little house outright, lived off his assets, with a bit of day trading and indulged his passion for photography.

A female colleague of my husband's worked long hours at a senior level in IT management. When she got pregnant she decided she wanted to be a stay at home mum to enjoy her child. She downsized and started a couple of online businesses.

AC people downsize their lives all the time. They leave stressful jobs and city life behind and opt for a simpler life. Often they take pay cuts and a financial hit but they usually end up far happier and healthier as a result and although they may be earning less money than before they are often actually better off because they find their money goes further.

You just need to have the courage of your convictions. If you do reduce your price to ensure a sale and you take a hit of £20k now I very much doubt that it will seriously impact your future financial health over the long term. You will probably recoup most of that when you buy your next property.

When I sold my properties I could possibly have held out out for more but it would have taken me a lot longer to sell. I might have made another £10k to £20k However my debts would have increased and would have eaten into any profits.

Some of the capital I released was passed on to my boys who bought houses requiring renovation. Not only have they increased the value of their properties by around £25k to £30k each but they have also saved money by having mortgages instead of renting.

I estimate the value of those savings and equity increases to be at least around £50k to £55k in three years. So if I assume I made a loss of £20k that is still a net profit of around £30k.

And that is without my own capital which is steadily increasing (Living with my son and sharing costs I am currently saving between 50 to 60 per cent of my net monthly income). I have enough capital to enable me to buy me a property which will be mortgage free.

I tell you all this not to brag but to show you how you need to look at the bigger picture. If you want To realise your dreams of quitting a job you have come to hate and of living a more satisfying lifestyle then you need to take action. That means offloading your flat and clearing your debts.

Procrastinating and prevaricating is not going to get you where you want to be. Wasting time and energy getting cross at work and having petty battles with your boss and disputes with your colleagues isnt going to make your dreams a reality.

Completely agree. I hope you'll forgive me for highlighting what I think are the important messages from your post, if not feel free to chastise me!

lessonlearned

Of course I'm not going to chastise, just highlight whatever you think is most relevant.

A bit cooler here today so far so hopefully will be able to achieve more, gardening and a tip run, plus back to the Physio.

gallygirl

lessonlearned wrote: »

Procrastinating and prevaricating is not going to get you where you want to be. Wasting time and energy getting cross at work and having petty battles with your boss and disputes with your colleagues isnt going to make your dreams a reality.

Spot on as usual ll :T. AC you seem to be blaming the world and his partner for everything that is going wrong - instead of sitting waiting for life to happen you need to take some control. You've had lots of advice over how to dress your apartment for sale but won't take it. Similarly over dropping the price and I'm sure if we knew more about things at work we could offer some constructive advice. For example wearing a t-shirt when that's not allowed is passive-aggressive behaviour and more likely to antagonise bosses rather than get them on side.

I hope it's cooler for you today.

grunnie wrote: »

anna_1977 If I was you and had a buyer I would be thinking of putting my stuff in storage and moving in with a friend or with family. You would then be in a better position to be a cash buyer able to move quickly which is what all sellers are looking for.

Seconded, I would not want to lose a buyer at any time and certainly not at the moment.

another_casualty

Well, where do I start ?;)
Nothing from chase Buchanan this week( including the potential buyer from last Friday ).
I have listened to all of your advice , and , believe it or not , not totally ignored it . I'll explain :

Lots of viewings , despite poor photographs . There are still 2-3 people who could make a bid . I am still tied to the contract with chase Buchanan for about another 2-3 weeks .
This is with the £400k asking price .
I can't blame chase Buchanan totally ,apart from the panic after brexit when I was asked to go down to £365k.

I mentioned previously , Dexters are interested . I didn't like the wording on the letter ,so I cannot really go with them .
They have phoned a few times over the last 2 weeks and I have ignored the calls . Just received email . I will let them down gently , in a few days .

Just had a call from websters . Realistically , I will probably end up using them in a couple of weeks , switching from chase .

So , although broke , I have this idea that will probably go ahead in a couple of weeks :
Buy cheap carpet for stairs/ hallway. Buy wood chippings for garden.
Then reduce the price to £385 k. No less , as I really cannot afford to do so .Then I have to decide between chase Buchanan and websters .
The thing is , nothing might happen . I'm being hounded by estate agents who are finding the market quiet and are getting desperate IMHO . They promise , but if nobody buys , then nobody buys .

In my situation , apart from being an office junior / dogsbody, I have only ever done mailroom work .
That work doesn't pay much at the best of times, so if I do manage to get something ( probably large office in Bournemouth ) , it will really be minimum wage . On top of that , I only want 3 days a week .
Then of course , when I get to Poole. I need 6-12 weeks off to get fit and generally start over from scratch and get to k ow where I'm living .
Really appreciating the help and suggestions Keep it coming ..

another_casualty

One thing I just thought of also : new cheap Lino for kitchen .

lessonlearned

Good man, keep going.

Quick question......I know you have long days and your illness is an energy Sapper but why delay getting fit. Why not make a start today.

It doesn't have to entail gym membership, you can do a lot for free - just 20 to 30 mins a day at home. And of course you can start your weight loss by revamping your diet.

Re the market - it's now school holidays and it is likely to be a bit quiet for the next few weeks so try not to panic.

Took a car load to the recycling plant this morning - it's a bit hot now so will rest and potter during the heat of the day and then do some gardening this evening when it cools.

Have nearly finished painting the fence, grey for the panels and black for the posts - very urban chic.:rotfl: bought a white hibiscus and a variegated blue clematis yesterday. Should look nice against the grey, next to the white jasmine. Blue/heathery lilac chippings as a finishing touch.

Picked up a nice bright orange metal bistro set for a little neglected slabbed area next to the house. £40. Will clean up the slabs later and set it up. Perfect for early morning coffees al fresco. It's a bit shady there so will plant up a couple of pots with ferns and shade lloving plants to "soften" the slabs.

Its starting to come together now. It was a tatty yard when we bought the house, no plants, just one half dead rose bush. Now it is a lush urban oasis and the Rose bush is doing well.

lessonlearned

another_casualty wrote: »

One thing I just thought of also : new cheap Lino for kitchen .

Self stick Vinyl tiles are as cheap as chips and easier to fit. I used them in a bathroom once. Dead easy and they looked really good, as nice as ceramic but a fraction of the price (and warmer underfoot).

Next time I use ceramic I will insist on underfloor heating......they are very cold in winter.

lessonlearned

Got the tests and x Ray's back from Physio......not good. Been banned from gardening. . Will have to take a supervisory role.......:rotfl:

Perfect for a little Miss Bossy Boots like me.

moneyistooshorttomention

Hmmm.....LessonLearned - you never know re the gardening - don't know how bad/details of what is wrong with your back - but I bought a garden tool that helps a lot with weeding from a standing position.

That being a garden claw long handle garden cultivator claw weed remover. I checked out details of the one I bought from Amazon a couple of years back. It was £15. They havent got it on sale currently - but I know I've seen them in a local garden centre (though its only a small one).

Would that help? Or....errr...would you rather I hadnt said? In which case - oh well forget I was here...:)

Hope your health gets better soon.