iluvpink
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,274
Location: Michigan
Member is Online
Jul 13, 2014 12:40:31 GMT
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Post by iluvpink on Oct 21, 2019 15:59:31 GMT
Not quite 50 here, just turned 48. But no, we actually upsized a few years ago. Our old house was just way too small and due to the recession and other factors, we were stuck there far longer than we had planned.
We did however get a dumpster and got rid of a town of stuff and donated other items to Goodwill.
I don't see us moving/downsizing until we are able to retire. And that also depends on if my parents are still around. Eventually we do plan to move south and build a house a bit smaller, but not too much.
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Jili
Pearl Clutcher
SLPea
Posts: 4,363
Jun 26, 2014 1:26:48 GMT
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Post by Jili on Oct 21, 2019 16:03:19 GMT
No plans to downsize here-- we're just about to make our final house payment. I'd like to leave this house, but it's just not in the cards while we're still awash in tuition.
It's mostly just the two of us at home, though the girls are in that in-out limbo due to school. Our older daughter will move back home for her last semester of graduate school, as she'll have internships in the area. Even taking the girls' rooms out of the equation-- this house is too big for us (and it's a small house). Dh and I really only use the living room, bedroom, and kitchen, LOL. We have a family room and office we really don't use. I'd say that we need to reorganize and repurpose these rooms, but I'd rather just wait until it looks like the girls will really be gone. I know, however, that that may take some time, so that's really just an excuse on my part. It's just a lot to think about.
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chendra
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,860
Location: The 33rd State
Jun 27, 2014 16:58:50 GMT
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Post by chendra on Oct 21, 2019 16:05:38 GMT
I wish we had a bigger house, but I'm never moving again!
We purposely moved to a one story house a few years ago, with retirement and aging in place in mind and 2500 square feet seemed large for two people. As it turns out, our house hosts all family gatherings and it's just not big enough, nor is the floor plan great for the multitudes. My dad was in the military, so growing up, holidays were just our little unit. I thought having a dining table that could seat 12 was huge and certainly sufficient. Nope, we usually have around 30 people for gatherings, and this year, the number appears to be creeping toward 40. In the summer, I shoo everyone outside, but for Thanksgiving, Christmas and foul weather, we stick folding tables everywhere. I'm pretty sure people are going to be seated in the laundry room and den in the back of the house this holiday season! I guess if they don't mind, I don't (except I do because I'm introverted and claustrophobic and really just want to hide in the bedroom with our dog during these shindigs.)
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Post by smalltowngirlie on Oct 21, 2019 16:17:51 GMT
Repeating myself from other threads: sold our house on 5.6 acres and sold/donated all our stuff to move into a 38' RV and travel full-time. We hit the one-year mark in Sept. No kids, and I already lived far from my family, but we "moved" from his home state. Do not miss all the stuff one little bit and was just thinking this morning that I have even more I could get rid of. Streamlining, even long before we took off, has brought such peace to my life, not to mention the time and money savings. This our plan for retirement, except a smaller motor home. We do not traveling now, but want to just drive once I retire. DH is already looking into remote jobs since I am 7 years older than him. I may work an extra year or two since the amount he can collect on his retirement plan jumps significantly the longer he works so I would like him working as long as possible.
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Post by ScrapbookMyLife on Oct 21, 2019 22:50:03 GMT
I have downsized a lot in the last few years.
It started with moving in with first room-mate, and having less space. Put stuff in storage.
Then I moved again, into current room-mates home. I started going through all my boxes and getting rid of what I don't use, don't need, don't want, etc... About a year and a half ago, I moved into studio "above the garage" apt on same current room-mates property. I did more downsizing and re-configuring of stuff. Purchased what I needed. Got rid of what I didn't.
What I thought I always wanted, isn't what I want now. I thought I wanted a home with a full library (books everywhere) and a full bar/entertainment area. I do love reading, but the books I already read, were small print(need large print nowadays) and had become dust collectors. I never entertained, not once. So, I let 99% of it go. I kept about about a dozen of my favorite books and enough drink and serveware to have one or two guests over.
I have decided I absolutely love smaller living(studio apt). I never want to have a bigger place again. I would be okay with just renting a good sized bedroom from someone and arranging it "studio style". Plus smaller living is less expensive.
Twice a year, I go through everything. Cupboards, drawers, closets, car trunk, etc...
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Post by Scrapper100 on Oct 21, 2019 23:38:18 GMT
I don't by see us downsizing any time soon but I am going through everything and purging a lot. The thing that made the most impact was getting rid of our elliptical that we didn't use. It was huge and had a large footprint. It's officially gone today and replaced with a couple of chairs for much needed seating during the holidays. I love the extra space.
I am also going through everything else around here. We spent Saturday going through one garage and basically filled the truck bed twice with stuff to go well it was a little more than half both times but it's a long bed truck. I have started filling more bags and boxes of stuff to go. Seeing empty space on the shelves in the garage is awesome. There are still some things I wouldn't mind leaving but know if we purge it will cause bad feeling so we are keeping for now. It's only a few totes and will be easy to purge later.
We have some planters in the backyard we aren't using and I am hoping to set rid of them soon.
Eventually I do want to downsize and have a single story house but right now enjoying our space. Realistically in about 10 years I would like to downsize. Hoping that the massive purge I do now will help towards that goal. I figure every year of two we will need to do this.
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Post by alexa11 on Oct 21, 2019 23:40:55 GMT
I moved into a small house after my divorce and I'm still here. My DD's bedrooms now belong to my mom and granddaughter.
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Post by birukitty on Oct 22, 2019 0:16:43 GMT
Repeating myself from other threads: sold our house on 5.6 acres and sold/donated all our stuff to move into a 38' RV and travel full-time. We hit the one-year mark in Sept. No kids, and I already lived far from my family, but we "moved" from his home state. Do not miss all the stuff one little bit and was just thinking this morning that I have even more I could get rid of. Streamlining, even long before we took off, has brought such peace to my life, not to mention the time and money savings. This is what I'd like to do when I'm ready but instead of a RV for me it'd be a 38 foot sailboat, and I'd also travel fulltime. This is my dream one day. I'm so happy for you ChasingDirt that you've been able to accomplish your dream! Right now we're living in a 3 bedrooom, 4 bth, 3 story home (finished basement) in Annapolis, MD that we bought over 20 years ago in a fantastic suburb that we love-it has water priviledges that include a pier for boats, a small beach and a boat dock. We love the community and DH would like to move to a bigger house (I guess that's upsizing) in the same community but away from the one main road into the community-right now our house is one empty lot from the main road. I would like the cruising sailboat. Our wishes are different. I think we'll need both as I can't see us on the boat together-there is no way on earth I can sail with him since we argue over every single tiny thing-the boat would sink before we left Annapolis with both of us on board! We love each other very much (24 year marriage) but I also don't want to give up on my dream. I usually sail with my father since he and I enjoy it the most and we get along great. We'll see what the future brings. There's also the problem of money. I need to find a way to make enough to afford my dream sailboat. One day...
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Post by ~summer~ on Oct 22, 2019 0:21:54 GMT
I am 46 with one out the door to college with the others to follow in the next couple years.
We are planning to move - hopefully soon but not down grading. Ironically I feel I need more space now. Part of it is we both work from home - I want a real home office - and I want a bigger kitchen and dining room to host dinners and I still want bedrooms for when people come home and visit.
I’m also sick of our old house that constantly needs fixing - there are some newer home communities I’m looking at - I’m hoping the big guy is on board to move in the next 6 months...but he hates change so we will see
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Post by ntsf on Oct 22, 2019 0:25:34 GMT
birukitty....I have a 38 ft sailboat for sale.. everything is refurnished, or redone.. and for once everything is in good shape..sorry it is on the wrong coast.. would be open to a bargain. my dh has had some health scares and decided it is time to give up the boat and will buy a mountain condo for me (from my dad).. the boat can be singlehanded.. it was singlehanded to hawaii.. and it is totally ready for the ocean.. it is beautiful.. everyone likes it.
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mlana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,523
Jun 27, 2014 19:58:15 GMT
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Post by mlana on Oct 22, 2019 1:26:07 GMT
I thought we were going to have to sell our house when DH’s health took such a bad turn in 2015, but we’ve managed to hold on until life improved.
I did some serious research and realized that if we refi-d, our payment would be way less than a rent payment for even a small apartment! LOL I may not get to pay off my home like I’d dreamed about, but I can live with that.
DD is thinking about doing her master’s in 3 years or so and she’s talking about maybe moving into the basement while she goes to school. I pointed out to her that she could invest $5000 into making some changes and she would still save over $30k in rent by living here. Plus, she’d have someone to watch her pup while she’s in school.
My mom bounces back and forth between here and her house, so if I moved, I’d really need to plan on having a room for her. I am much better off to put a chair lift on the stairs and just stay here.
But I am trying to make everyone realize we HAVE to clear out the house. There is so much crap in here after 17 years, we could fill a dumpster with just items we haven’t touched in more than 5 years. I’m working on it, but so far it’s a solo project.
Marcy
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 25, 2024 11:44:24 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2019 11:44:50 GMT
We have plans to up-size actually. We are in a 2 bedroom apt in Brooklyn, but we are looking to move to a house in PA, with some land to grow veggies, and maybe have some animals.
Our 2 girls are planning to move upstate to study to be electricians next year.
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Post by LisaDV on Oct 22, 2019 12:25:57 GMT
Our kids are still in high school. We've moved quite a bit over the years. We bought a small hunting property (40 acres) in 2010 that had a house that needed to really be torn down, but we thought it could be fixed up instead. We finally moved there in 2013/2014. Full time all of us - 2014. It's the smallest house we've lived in at 1500SF. We found it hard to fix up while living in it. Plus we didn't know what to keep or toss from the other house. So it just was cramped. DH accepted a different job last October and we moved this year to the biggest house we've ever lived in (4500SF) - 5 bedrooms, 4.5 bath. It's dated, so needs updating, but also why we could afford it. It sits on 1.8 acres in the township but not the city so I can still have chickens, just not as many as I had at the homestead.
I have no idea what/where we will end up. I think DH & I would both like to be back at the farm if we ever get it fixed up. We tend to want different things out of it though. I would love to just do the RV thing like @chasingdirt, but DH gets motion sick.
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Post by birukitty on Oct 23, 2019 0:09:37 GMT
birukitty....I have a 38 ft sailboat for sale.. everything is refurnished, or redone.. and for once everything is in good shape..sorry it is on the wrong coast.. would be open to a bargain. my dh has had some health scares and decided it is time to give up the boat and will buy a mountain condo for me (from my dad).. the boat can be singlehanded.. it was singlehanded to hawaii.. and it is totally ready for the ocean.. it is beautiful.. everyone likes it. First off-I am so very sorry to hear about your DH's health scares. Secondly-Now isn't that a coincidence? I really, really wish I could buy it, but right now isn't the right time for me. I have no funds to buy it with. Just out of curiosity what kind is it and what year? I'm thinking I wouldn't be ready for another 10 years or so.
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Post by cindyupnorth on Oct 23, 2019 1:07:53 GMT
I'm Btt'ing this because...well..one word. Olan
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Post by mikklynn on Oct 23, 2019 12:05:00 GMT
I’m not planning to move any time soon, but I know that I will likely want to downsize at some point. There were people asking just weeks after my husband died what I was going to do about the house. They weren’t necessarily asking me, but a close relative. His response was the same as mine: Live in it. I do not want to make a quick decision or an irreversible one. Yes, it’s a big house for one person; it was a big house for two (four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, living room, family room, dining room, loft, etc.). And my husband did most all the yard work, even when he was on chemo. I will be retiring at the end of this school year, so I want to wait to see how much I want to do in the future. I’ve done more yard stuff and gardening than I ever did before, and there is some pleasure in the gardening especially. My nephew has done the mowing and trimming and fertilizing and I’ll have to figure that out since I can’t expect him to continue that indefinitely. I am okay with hiring people or services to do some things. With my nephew's help, I’ve been getting things done that needed to be, like a new front door, new shutters and outside lighting, etc. Vince and I had this house built and we moved in almost twenty years ago. We chose everything together and it’s very much what we wanted. I also love the neighborhood and the neighbors, who have been there for us and now for me. I have thought that I might choose to move into one of the detached condos behind us, in the future. For right now, I’ll stay and see how things go once I’m retired. We had put in a stair lift shortly before Vince died, so that will make it easier for me to stay in the house longer if I choose. OMG, what is WRONG with people? I had someone I work with ask me when DH was diagnosed with cancer - "If he dies, you'll sell your big house, won't you?" I told her no! It is my home.
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Post by mikklynn on Oct 23, 2019 12:15:20 GMT
We are planning to different-size in the next couple of years. We would like a one level townhome with a finished basement. Our current home is multi-level and increasingly difficult for DH. We would need to install 2 stair lifts if we stay.
We still need at least 2 guest spaces for our DS and his family. I want a craft space, too. I think I could put a Murphy bed in the craft room in place of one guest room.
I have been purging like crazy. We have lived here 32 years, so there was a lot accumulated. I think I have purged 25% of what we own. It feels great!
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