Downsizing dilemma

V3cash

Savvy_Sue said:

V3cash said:

Savvy_Sue said:

I think I'd get a valuation, and also think about where you might want to go. The one thing you can't change about a property is its location (which is our problem, location is perfect but house is too big).

If you start looking around the perfect place may leap out at you.

I just remember moving being the most horrendous stressful experience so I think I need a few more years to forget that 😕
are you currently looking to downsize then?

You and me both! I was so stressed that when an estate agent started telling me that property X on his books would hold its value better than property Y on someone else's books I just stopped him and said that I really didn't care about resale values, it wouldn't be my problem, because whatever we bought I'd be leaving in a box!

No, we're not looking to downsize. We probably should but there are complications. We may change our minds but ATM we're sticking where we are. 

Yup I agree! My next house will be the last so it’s important to get it right.
I don’t think I will get any equity out of the move so am realistic about that and trying to save instead.
I also think you learn a lot when you move, living here has made me realise i need to have a good bus route or train nearby when I’m retired.

Working_Mum

Hello V3cash,
I'd start playing with your "wishlist" for your next place now - thinking not just aesthetics but practical things like transport links, local community, shopping etc. I did a big mind map of everything I wanted in my next place and it got me really thinking about what was important to me (I also got a pension projection which helped shape my thoughts too!).

I downsized almost 5 years ago (in the middle of Covid! It was great fun......not) - I moved from a beautiful arts and crafts 1920's detached 5 bedroomed home - we'd been there for 20 years and I'd got divorced during my time there. I moved to a very traditional 1930's 3 bedroom semi and have completely remodelled it to suit the needs of 2021 me - it is 250m from my old house and in a small town which I was very clear I didn't want to leave (it has great train and bus links to my local city, a small but vibrant local shopping scene and a very active community spirit as well as being perfect for walking spaces for my dog).

I felt grief for a while for my beautiful old home and sometimes wish I'd never left but the benefits of where I am now have opened up so many areas of my life. I'm mortgage free, my bills are smaller, I no longer worry when the wind is howling whether my chimney pots are going to fall down, I've sorted my garden from scratch and find such joy there. My life is simpler and more fulfilling and it all started with the decision to downsize! I was 52.

Farway is correct in that viewers always find something to dislike about houses and what's great for one viewer is horrendous to another - you simply have to not take it personally and believe with every "no thanks" you are getting closer to "yes please I love it"

I wish you luck in your journey - it is a super exciting time for you!

((WM))

V3cash

Working_Mum said:

Hello V3cash,
I'd start playing with your "wishlist" for your next place now - thinking not just aesthetics but practical things like transport links, local community, shopping etc. I did a big mind map of everything I wanted in my next place and it got me really thinking about what was important to me (I also got a pension projection which helped shape my thoughts too!).

I downsized almost 5 years ago (in the middle of Covid! It was great fun......not) - I moved from a beautiful arts and crafts 1920's detached 5 bedroomed home - we'd been there for 20 years and I'd got divorced during my time there. I moved to a very traditional 1930's 3 bedroom semi and have completely remodelled it to suit the needs of 2021 me - it is 250m from my old house and in a small town which I was very clear I didn't want to leave (it has great train and bus links to my local city, a small but vibrant local shopping scene and a very active community spirit as well as being perfect for walking spaces for my dog).

I felt grief for a while for my beautiful old home and sometimes wish I'd never left but the benefits of where I am now have opened up so many areas of my life. I'm mortgage free, my bills are smaller, I no longer worry when the wind is howling whether my chimney pots are going to fall down, I've sorted my garden from scratch and find such joy there. My life is simpler and more fulfilling and it all started with the decision to downsize! I was 52.

Farway is correct in that viewers always find something to dislike about houses and what's great for one viewer is horrendous to another - you simply have to not take it personally and believe with every "no thanks" you are getting closer to "yes please I love it"

I wish you luck in your journey - it is a super exciting time for you!

((WM))

I moved to my present house during Covid too which was the worst experience of my life so I feel your pain and I think it makes me want to wait until that memory has faded a bit.
we also had solar installed 3 years ago so I’d like to get some use out of that before moving.
You are right about wish list, I think you learn from living somewhere what is important and transport links are a must for sure!
we are very lucky as we have recently inherited a bungalow jointly.
We need to decide wether to buy sister in law out and extend it, the only problem is it’s not really got great transport links ( better than here) but garden is huge and has potential to make it amazing as we could easily double the footprint and go into loft, others have so planning should be doable, just a question do we want live in a caravan and have hassle of builders and workmen.

Savvy_Sue

V3cash said:

You are right about wish list, I think you learn from living somewhere what is important and transport links are a must for sure!
we are very lucky as we have recently inherited a bungalow jointly.
We need to decide wether to buy sister in law out and extend it, the only problem is it’s not really got great transport links ( better than here) but garden is huge and has potential to make it amazing as we could easily double the footprint and go into loft, others have so planning should be doable, just a question do we want live in a caravan and have hassle of builders and workmen.

I think it would be the location, location, location question which would decide me, especially for what you want to be your very last property. 

Although one question is, are the transport links likely to get better or worse? Both where you are, and where the bungalow is. 

I know that's a very difficult question: where I live there's a nominal commitment to improving the buses / reducing car use, but certainly in the short term the penalties for car use are increasing long before the buses have improved. On the other hand, the local rail services have improved. That's in a large city: I would not consider anywhere the least bit 'rural', where buses are one a day or worse ... 

V3cash

Savvy_Sue said:

V3cash said:

You are right about wish list, I think you learn from living somewhere what is important and transport links are a must for sure!
we are very lucky as we have recently inherited a bungalow jointly.
We need to decide wether to buy sister in law out and extend it, the only problem is it’s not really got great transport links ( better than here) but garden is huge and has potential to make it amazing as we could easily double the footprint and go into loft, others have so planning should be doable, just a question do we want live in a caravan and have hassle of builders and workmen.

I think it would be the location, location, location question which would decide me, especially for what you want to be your very last property. 

Although one question is, are the transport links likely to get better or worse? Both where you are, and where the bungalow is. 

I know that's a very difficult question: where I live there's a nominal commitment to improving the buses / reducing car use, but certainly in the short term the penalties for car use are increasing long before the buses have improved. On the other hand, the local rail services have improved. That's in a large city: I would not consider anywhere the least bit 'rural', where buses are one a day or worse ... 

there may be improvement in bus services if more housing is built however, I think the ever increasing council tax would be a burden and we would be better off in a lower band house, also the house has a few extra things which make maintenance more expensive. Air source pump is more expensive to service and underfloor heating. We also have a pump, which pumps sewage up to mains, that needs regular servicing.
it has lots of stairs which won’t be good in old age, this house is definitely suited to people with young family really, has a lovely small primary school close by.
The cleaning is a huge job too as we have 2 en-suites, a shower room, family bathroom and toilet . 
I didn’t really think about maintaining a large house and how much it costs.
it takes us a long time to clean it and hoover all the stairs, definitely not for old age.
It’s great for now but I will definitely move before retirement as I’d rather have a bit more money in my pocket and live in smaller house and I don’t think we could maintain it and
we would end up living on just 2 floors, waste of a house.
I would love to live near a train line and 3 miles away the coaches go to Heathrow so i could live there, it’s a small village but has shops and cafes there, plus a train station so its better with a community feel. Mind you it has a great little cafe that i probably would use too much 🤣
hubby has categorically said no to living in parents house so that’s out 

Albermarle

V3cash said:

Working_Mum said:

Hello V3cash,
I'd start playing with your "wishlist" for your next place now - thinking not just aesthetics but practical things like transport links, local community, shopping etc. I did a big mind map of everything I wanted in my next place and it got me really thinking about what was important to me (I also got a pension projection which helped shape my thoughts too!).

I downsized almost 5 years ago (in the middle of Covid! It was great fun......not) - I moved from a beautiful arts and crafts 1920's detached 5 bedroomed home - we'd been there for 20 years and I'd got divorced during my time there. I moved to a very traditional 1930's 3 bedroom semi and have completely remodelled it to suit the needs of 2021 me - it is 250m from my old house and in a small town which I was very clear I didn't want to leave (it has great train and bus links to my local city, a small but vibrant local shopping scene and a very active community spirit as well as being perfect for walking spaces for my dog).

I felt grief for a while for my beautiful old home and sometimes wish I'd never left but the benefits of where I am now have opened up so many areas of my life. I'm mortgage free, my bills are smaller, I no longer worry when the wind is howling whether my chimney pots are going to fall down, I've sorted my garden from scratch and find such joy there. My life is simpler and more fulfilling and it all started with the decision to downsize! I was 52.

Farway is correct in that viewers always find something to dislike about houses and what's great for one viewer is horrendous to another - you simply have to not take it personally and believe with every "no thanks" you are getting closer to "yes please I love it"

I wish you luck in your journey - it is a super exciting time for you!

((WM))

I moved to my present house during Covid too which was the worst experience of my life so I feel your pain and I think it makes me want to wait until that memory has faded a bit.
we also had solar installed 3 years ago so I’d like to get some use out of that before moving.
You are right about wish list, I think you learn from living somewhere what is important and transport links are a must for sure!
we are very lucky as we have recently inherited a bungalow jointly.
We need to decide wether to buy sister in law out and extend it, the only problem is it’s not really got great transport links ( better than here) but garden is huge and has potential to make it amazing as we could easily double the footprint and go into loft, others have so planning should be doable, just a question do we want live in a caravan and have hassle of builders and workmen.

I though you were thinking about downsizing !

V3cash

Albermarle said:

V3cash said:

Working_Mum said:

Hello V3cash,
I'd start playing with your "wishlist" for your next place now - thinking not just aesthetics but practical things like transport links, local community, shopping etc. I did a big mind map of everything I wanted in my next place and it got me really thinking about what was important to me (I also got a pension projection which helped shape my thoughts too!).

I downsized almost 5 years ago (in the middle of Covid! It was great fun......not) - I moved from a beautiful arts and crafts 1920's detached 5 bedroomed home - we'd been there for 20 years and I'd got divorced during my time there. I moved to a very traditional 1930's 3 bedroom semi and have completely remodelled it to suit the needs of 2021 me - it is 250m from my old house and in a small town which I was very clear I didn't want to leave (it has great train and bus links to my local city, a small but vibrant local shopping scene and a very active community spirit as well as being perfect for walking spaces for my dog).

I felt grief for a while for my beautiful old home and sometimes wish I'd never left but the benefits of where I am now have opened up so many areas of my life. I'm mortgage free, my bills are smaller, I no longer worry when the wind is howling whether my chimney pots are going to fall down, I've sorted my garden from scratch and find such joy there. My life is simpler and more fulfilling and it all started with the decision to downsize! I was 52.

Farway is correct in that viewers always find something to dislike about houses and what's great for one viewer is horrendous to another - you simply have to not take it personally and believe with every "no thanks" you are getting closer to "yes please I love it"

I wish you luck in your journey - it is a super exciting time for you!

((WM))

I moved to my present house during Covid too which was the worst experience of my life so I feel your pain and I think it makes me want to wait until that memory has faded a bit.
we also had solar installed 3 years ago so I’d like to get some use out of that before moving.
You are right about wish list, I think you learn from living somewhere what is important and transport links are a must for sure!
we are very lucky as we have recently inherited a bungalow jointly.
We need to decide wether to buy sister in law out and extend it, the only problem is it’s not really got great transport links ( better than here) but garden is huge and has potential to make it amazing as we could easily double the footprint and go into loft, others have so planning should be doable, just a question do we want live in a caravan and have hassle of builders and workmen.

I though you were thinking about downsizing !

🤣🤣
well I want less bedrooms than I have but still want space
i know I’m probably after the impossible!
I want a spacious 3 bedroom place which seems hard to get unless you build it yourself