Posted: Sun Nov 16, 25 11:07 am Post subject: Downsizing the house?
Well are any of us on the lookout to move?
If so - useful thinking
The only thing I didn't really appreciate when moving was the change of bus routes.
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 9456 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 25 9:27 am Post subject:
Interesting article...only thinks of property owners...
We moved from a mile away from a village and six days a week bus route...to the edge of a bigger village ( being in the middle would have driven us crazy!) to 200 metres from two bus routes, 7 days a week.
We also moved to a bigger house so that we could actually do things instead of having them in boxes. People are suggesting that I downsize...but apart from the fact that I couldn't afford the rent anywhere else...I sew, print, cook and preserve...I grow fruit and veges...have bikes..and a workshop.
Some people assume that when you get older that you only need one bedroom, one living room, very small kitchen and shower room and a pocket handkerchief of a garden....
Nicky cigreen
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 9984 Location: Devon, uk
Some people assume that when you get older that you only need one bedroom, one living room, very small kitchen and shower room and a pocket handkerchief of a garden....
I guess there are so many variations on 'older' - the very old probably don't need a lot of space. But the active old do.... For me my house is bigger than I need but the location is everything - I'm in the centre of a village with shops etc, yet have a big garden and land. Whenever I consider moving 'to make life easier' I realise I can't beat what I currently have. and moving is costly, if you are buying and selling.
"Some people assume that when you get older that you only need one bedroom, one living room, very small kitchen and shower room and a pocket handkerchief of a garden...."
And in my line of 12 such dwellings (bungalows for over 55s, most of us 70 and over) there seem to be only 4 of us who can manage to keep such a dwelling in good order.
In this area there are any number of retirement flats and even a retirement village. In most you can go into them over the age of 55, which is ridiculous as most people will be working until they are well into their 60s. My father preferred the company of people of my (then) age as he said old people talked about their aches and pains and how things used to be better when they were young, and I tend to agree with him. I suppose I might decide I will get old one day, but at present I think I am better off doing what I can, even if not as much as perhaps I used to be able to do.
I suppose these retirement flats are fine if people are on their own and just want to potter, but as Gz says, if you want to do things you need room to do them.
Mind - the article I posted only deals with private owners. Downsizing via a social landlord may be free of mortgage considerations and estate agent fees but my goodness it has a whole different set of hurdles. From size to where you want to go.
View Latest Posts