Get a grip !

savingwannabe

One of my work colleagues wants to retire up north. What is your preference to stay in the south or to go up ? Have a good time with your DF. 

[Deleted User]

Skint_yet_Again said:

A nice looking property at a good price came on the market yesterday. DF is coming with me to view it later this week. On Monday I will ring my solicitor and get him to push for exchange and completion dates. 

Once I have dates I will consider whether to stay in this area or move back up north and retire 
early 

We started fixing up the old door which I picked up free locally a few months ago. It’s an old panelled door and we removed the old fashioned glass. A visit to the local glass place and it will take a week for new glass as it has to be toughened. I am considering just turning it into a panelled door the same as all the others upstairs. DS & his gf and the dog are away for the weekend so we should be able to get it painted & hung. 

DF treated us to Chinese when he arrived and we went to the pub for a meal last night 2 for £11.49 and 2 drinks came to less than £20.  I got a gammon joint and cauliflower in lidll so we will have gammon and cauliflower cheese tonight and any leftover gammon will be sliced up for sandwiches or frozen. The rest of the cauli cheese will be used on Sunday with a roast chicken. 

It’s a sunny morning. No dog walking but will get plenty of exercise walking around with DF. 

 I am not sure why, but I always assumed you were living more to the North than the South. I was probably influenced by the prices of the houses you have been looking at. Do you have family in the North? A move upwards is worth considering if you can buy a more suitable property and have some left over to allow for an earlier retirement. Best wishes.

[Deleted User]

I could never cope with the Northern climate. I feel the cold too easily. I find where I live now is very chilly in the winter and I am in the South Coast UK area! 

Skint_yet_Again

I have been to see my solicitor and signed the contract and land registry transfer documents. My solicitor has still heard nothing from the other solicitor. He has emailed them to confirm completion date next week. 

I have set up 4 viewings over next few days all no chain. 

All my family live up north apart from DS. I moved down south in my 20’s to find work in the 80’s and have been here ever since. I would still be able to come back and visit DS & my friends. 

Proceeds from house sale approx £250,000 plus savings from there now being no stamp duty. 2 bed bay & forecourt with upstairs bathroom £240,000+

Up north 3 bed semi with driveway & garden £150,000 leaving £100,000 to live off.  I would try and get a part time admin job in the nearby hospital. One pension due to start age 60. Other pension due to start at 67 plus state pension. 

savingwannabe

What a difference moving up north makes. It is a big decision, you will not be stressed by work and will have a massive pool of savings too. I hope you are having a good week. It's raining by me and starting to get dark early.. 

MovingForwards

Seems like it's a no-brainer to move back up as you could easily make your money last 10 years, put a bit into pension to get the tax relief and live off the tax relief element for a year without the need to touch your pensions.

Hope the viewings went well.

Not long until your sale completes.

doingitanyway

Moving north sounds great. You already have a network living there too. Lucky you.

As you know my much wanted house fell through at the last minute. The good side of that is I realise I used everything I had (and didn't have, as I stole from future me) Now I am focused on having a new home, a bit of savings and living well at 60 and beyond. 

I hope whatever choice you make allows you to live well and happily.

How did the viewings go?

Skint_yet_Again

Sale has completed 🤗 Cash is in the bank. I think I will move it to my instant access savings account for now. Only 0.5% but will keep it out of my current account. 

I am staying with DF. Viewing a character cottage this weekend, not ideal at £150k and no private garden just a shared cobbled back yard with small table outside back door & space for bins/ washing line. Nothing else on the market at the moment and houses rarely come up. Am torn between giving up my hated job and moving up here with £100k left in the bank, or spending it all on a house down south, living near DS and friends, but keeping my job. Either way I will no longer have a mortgage. If I stay here I can be back south within 5 hours to see DS & friends and they can come to visit me up here. Even though I hate my job it’s hard to leave after over 30 years 

MovingForwards

Congratulations! 

I don't think the cottage is for you. If it had a private courtyard you'd be more enthusiastic.

In a way we become institutionalised with a job, gain fear of the unknown and changes that come with it.

How about giving it a few more months as you've been through a lot lately, let your head clear and see where you honestly want to live when the pressure is off.

MoneyWorry

Congratulations on completion

I'm going to echo what Moving Forwards has said.  Give yourself space to think clearly.  I hate my job and was going to go at 60, then at 61 and finally going at 2 weeks before 62.  I'm glad I waited.  It's given me space to look at all sorts of different scenarios before finally settling on this one.