How do YOU feel about downsizing and moving away from your country estate?

[Retiredguy2]

Age 65 here, recently retired and just began collecting Social Security. First wife passed away two years ago and I am recently remarried, have no kids and the new spouse has 3, and none of the kids have the slightest interest in taking over our homestead when we move in the not so distant future. I have lived on a fair sized property since 1987 and have put hundreds of thousands of hours of sweat equity into it and probably over a half million bucks into paying for and upgrading and maintaining the place. Yet despite all that, we are planning to move closer to town and downsize our home. Not really sure if I will ever recoup all the labor and bucks I put into this place, but...I guess I should have thought of that a long time ago.

Being a newbie here, I am wondering if any others are in the same boat...how are you feeling about being in the situation I am describing? I guess the good news is: They just opened a retirement community about 4 miles distant from us. We drive by it a few times a week...and darn...it is getting difficult to think we may be relocating there down the road. (pun intended here).

 

[two_bit_score]

Age 65 here, recently retired and just began collecting Social Security. First wife passed away two years ago and I am recently remarried, have no kids and the new spouse has 3, and none of the kids have the slightest interest in taking over our homestead when we move in the not so distant future. I have lived on a fair sized property since 1987 and have put hundreds of thousands of hours of sweat equity into it and probably over a half million bucks into paying for and upgrading and maintaining the place. Yet despite all that, we are planning to move closer to town and downsize our home. Not really sure if I will ever recoup all the labor and bucks I put into this place, but...I guess I should have thought of that a long time ago.

Being a newbie here, I am wondering if any others are in the same boat...how are you feeling about being in the situation I am describing? I guess the good news is: They just opened a retirement community about 4 miles distant from us. We drive by it a few times a week...and darn...it is getting difficult to think we may be relocating there down the road. (pun intended here).

Really don't have anything to offer except to say I hope it works out for you. Sending a prayer your way.

 

[oldpilgrim]

I"m 70 and retired 3 years ago.

20 years ago, we built a new house that everyone said was too big...except us. We didn't finish the upstairs at the time.

Right after we built it, our divorced son moved in and I had to finish the upstairs. Then his daughter moved in with him. Then he got remarried, and new daughter in-law moved in. Then they had a child and after a year of 4 of them living in a small place, they moved out. We were alone for a cuppla years...it was nice.

Then my mother in law died, and my 84 yo father in law moved in. Then number 1 granddaughter moved in and we're back to a full house again....for the past 5 years.

I like a big house in the woods, but wonder if having that big house made life way too complicated for me. It's nice to have family near, but so many and so long and so near is a little tough to take, especially at my age, now.

What I would like is just me and her here alone and the second floor nailed shut for about the next 20 years. I don't want to downsize as I have too much other stuff in the garage and barn that I like to use. The woods and wildlife I see and hear while sitting on the porch in my rocker with my dog there beside me is a little too much for me to contemplate losing right now.

 

[Retiredguy2]

The two of us kinda rattle around in our 4 bedroom 2500 square foot house but we love having the space for visitors and overnight guests. It would help a lot if there were some way I could sell off the back 7 acres and all the outbuildings (3 barns) yet still have the privacy we enjoy now. Taking care of the huge yard (4.5 acres) is too time consuming, I gave up the garden plot this year as it was too demanding to keep up. Really wish I could move the house and detached garage (24X36) to the 2 acre lot for sale across the road, we love the area and have wonderful neighbors.

 

[BleedingOrange]

Why do you have to maintain all 4.5 acres ?
Why not just maintain 1 acre, and let the rest go wild ?

 

[PHPaul]

65 here as well, and as long as I'm physically able, I'll be living right here thank you.

I tell my wife "They'll drag me off this place in a body bag" and I'm not kidding.

Living in an apartment or even a small city would kill me. I need room and I need privacy.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

We are younger, 57 both of us, and all of our 4 children are on there own. We sold our 3200 Sq ft house on 1/2 acre outside of the city, and moved into a 7500 Sq ft house with 80 acres in the country 3 years ago. Don't regret any of what it takes to live here, and plan on dying here, God willing. We aren't buying into the, older means less mentality. Ask me again in 10 years...

 

[teg]

I plan to live at my farm until I die... and certainly don't care if it does kill me. I will never ever finish off all the projects (they are after all it's just a hobby... and you never count the costs of hobbies, since it gives me pleasure).

I have a friend, that I'll be eating with tonight after he is done hunting. After hunting season, it's post firewood season. He's 72 and in better shape than I ever hope to be...

I wouldn't move... but I guess your new wife wants too???

 

[Retiredguy2]

Why do you have to maintain all 4.5 acres ?
Why not just maintain 1 acre, and let the rest go wild ?

Because of the outbuildings, and because the township we reside in requires lots that have dwellings to be mowed to the depth of the outbuildings. The back 7 acres are permitted to grow wild and I let them. Maintaining only one acre would mean the house and garage would be surrounded by pasture.

 

[R_Walter]

My wife and I have downsized tremendously in the last year. I moved out of and rented our big house in town (Albuquerque) and now stay mostly up on my little place 100 miles north (paid for) in northern NM. My wife returns from back east in January upon her retirement from the Feds. I'm retiring in the spring and we will rv around the country for a few years until we get tired of it or health doesn't permit. It's hard giving up all your stuff. I know because I haven't been able to do it and don't want to. Here's hoping this winter isn't too rough.