THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

[Deleted User]

I wouldn't mind the pub, not so keen on the road because we like to run with windows open as much as we can and the noise would be noticeable it's when you've driven a couple of hundred miles to view what on paper seems to be an 'ideal' (at least on paper) property with all the things on your needs and find there's a Hungry Horse pub next door and the childrens play area is just behind your boundary fence! The photos on the brochure set to make it look like it stands on its own in the country don't help either!

jk0

Oh, well if you have a noisy road, front & back as I do, you certainly don't notice the pub, or neighbours' children.

I don't go to bed until after midnight usually, so even Fri & Sat nights are fine for me. I did have my bedroom window open until about a week ago. You just tune out the noise after a bit.

[Deleted User]

MrsLW, good luck to you and my EA niece says that a lot come on sale in september so keep a sharp look out. I like the RM link at the top of the page, which says how many houses have been sold per month in the past years in a certain postcode

Prepping continues apace but is now more MK so I`ll need to go over to that thread as I am prepping outwards, rather than inwards

mardatha

Watching Reuters and Fox News on Florida. Absolute chaos and I'm so glad I don't live there.

short_bird

You may find this interesting as there are comments on all the fires and flooding:
https://captainawkward.com/2017/09/08/open-thread-flood-fire/#comments
http://cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/interactive-map gives a view of the whole of the US and Canada.
I find this last story worrying in a nuclear winter scenario:
http://www.newsweek.com/wildfires-oregon-california-montana-smoke-jet-stream-660635
Off to Zero Hedge.

[Deleted User]

There is a 2 bed bungalow in the area I want, perfect condition having been completely refurbed but thanks to RM I see that there is no storage and the upstairs `room` picture has a bed in it but it is not called a bedroom and has no door, just stairs going straight down. Yet another one to bypass. I need the same size as now, I will not be giving up hobbies or home cooking or allotment or bikes. Interesting to look online though and that click to show the last selling price in 2015, 200k below now, the sellers, owned by an estate agent employee, must be having a laugh

moneyistooshorttomention

I think this can be a problem with some "easier to live in" (on the face of it) housing - space for storage of possessions.

I couldn't live in a typical (what is thought of as OAP) bungalow. It would be way too small for someone to actually "live a life". As you say, Kittie, space is needed for hobbies/interests/etc. If not living in one's "own" part of the country (or some of your friends/relatives have moved away) - space is needed to be able to have friends/relatives come and stay for a few days at a time.

Hobbies/interests are all the more important - and even more room is needed for them - once one no longer has to do a job/career and there is the question of what to do with all that extra time. Followed by "One answer is = focus more on hobbies/interests". Why on earth Society seems to think its acceptable to cram people of more advanced years and the elderly into what are little more than self-contained bedsits (hereinafter to be known as "bedsit bungalows") is beyond me.

A friend of mine has just downsized from a reasonable size house (3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms/large sitting room/large kitchen/conservatory/storage room) to a "OAP style" 2 bedroom bungalow and there are possessions piled high in and on everything - as there is just nowhere to put many of them. This has been followed by f*ckless kidult child that still lives in private rented accommodation and keeps adding to the number of children is going to be losing her latest private rental soon and I know that "child" well enough to know that Mum would probably try and cram f*ckless "child" and her children in as well for "however-long" and "child" would expect it....

So there's all sorts of factors to take into account when moving. I got a bigger bungalow - but have had to add storage space in every which way I can and have improved it a lot to what it was - but still had to get rid of a single bed I intended to keep prior to moving here. So - the huge sofa-bed I've had to buy for visitors (the "not living in home area - and so must be able to put up visitors - scenario") does take up quite a noticeable amount of space in my sitting room.

[Deleted User]

I am learning from you money. My present house is good in that I could take in a whole family if they were ever in dire straits but apart from that I do have 3 grandchildren stay and need two spare rooms for that, they are not ever going into my sewing room, too inquisitive. I have 4 single beds and three aerobeds, one is a high one and the other two are low but all three store under one bed, so any house I get has to accomodate all that plus my hobbies plus a facility to make my workshop. Its going to be tough finding this place

I did a drive around after coming home from the tip and another reality is that I do not want to be even half a mile from the bus stop. ok now but in my 80`s! so that narrows the search even more and maybe the area closest to the shop with bus stop would be the ideal one. Looks as though I am going to have to shell out far more than I thought, otherwise there will be no choice. Anyway I am ready to jump at the right property and being a cash buyer is going to be helpful

Now, as right now, I am washing loads of lock n lock boxes. I cannot see me giving up future prepping wrt dehydrating from the allotment, for new foods when I have moved. I will never become one of those mooching around waitrose in a tweed jacket, filling my trolley with ready meals

My neighbours have no idea and no-one will be finding out until I am close to selling this one, which will be after I have removed some `clutter` not really clutter but things such as electric heaters with thermostats, I bought them after hubbie died because I could not be bothered and was too stressed to look after the pellet stove. I could possible prep ahead by making a list of what I would move before EA photos and maybe getting temporary storage somewhere. Heated clothes airer, dehydrator,humidifier, de-humidifier, electric heaters, fan, all that stuff that makes my life comfortable plus quite a bit of stuff like storage boxes.

Puffinbertha

Another good reason for not moving into a "bedsit bungalow" -
half of new-build retirement homes sell at a loss.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41200686

moneyistooshorttomention

Puffinbertha wrote: »

Another good reason for not moving into a "bedsit bungalow" -
half of new-build retirement homes sell at a loss.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41200686

There is a difference between reasonable size bungalows - which are carrying on much as ever value-wise or becoming rather more desirable (seems to be dependant on what part of the country one is in) on the one hand v. McC*arthy & Stone and similar specifically-built-as-retirement-properties on the other hand. Personally - I wouldnt touch one of those with yer proverbial bargepole - as they certainly tend to come in "bedsit" territory imo and then there's those service charges to think of. I'm guessing it's a combination of the fact they are so small and, to a large extent, those service charges etc that are putting people off them. Though, mind you, there are some of us that quite specifically wouldnt want to move into anything labelled a "retirement community" as such - even if we were elderly ourselves. Personally - I like to see pretty much a mixture of ages around me and assessed where I am now as "Hmmm...darn it and it tends to be more elderly people in immediate vicinity - but as they all move on (one way or another) I think the average age will go down somewhat and I think that is happening from what I can see.

But - yes - I am surprised just how cheap (comparatively speaking) some of those specific "retirement communities" can be. Last I knew was in my expensive own area the starter (ie 2 bed terrace) houses are around £200,000 now, but the specifically-labelled retirement flats are probably still around £70,000. So I tend to the view that, financially speaking, if one has very little capital, but enough income to cover those service charges = they may be worth looking at. But I wouldnt want one myself.

Kittie - sounds like you need a 4 bedroom house from what you're saying. Garage could be converted to workshop perhaps? It's going to be a fair-size place by the sound of it. Perhaps 3 bedrooms and a converted loft?