Optimum house size for early retirees in the USA

[HobbyDave]

Ceberon,
If you need a lift from Atlanta to the Springer Mountain trailhead let me know.
Mrs. Sailor and myself might through-hike AT some day - so far we did Georgia part and some Carolinas pieces.
Sailor
PS: What kind of a boat?

Well, first of all, my wife and I are both 29, and we're planning on retiring at 40, so we still have a bit of time before we'll need a lift. If all things go according to plans though, I'll still be posting here, and we'll see who is around

As for the boat, we don't own it yet, so it's certainly a toss-up. A lot depends on our financial situation (I'm leaning towards retiring at 40, and our expenses will just need to follow however much we have at the time.).

We might go for a catamaran to tour the Caribbean (BVI, Bahamas, etc) for a few years, and then keep open the option to purchase something a bit more blue-water worthy for our around-the-world tour. Or perhaps we might find a cat we'd feel comfortable with on such a tour. Or perhaps we'll find a lovely mono-hull which we'll take to the Carib, and stay with that the whole time. Not entirely sure.

I have all the boat shows in our area (Chicago) blocked off on our calendar for the next few years, so we can start getting a better picture of the types of boats we like. My wife's father also owns a 35 footer on Lake Michigan we can get some experience with.

 

[renegade]

The wife and I currently occupy a 4100SF 5BR home, which we will sell when we RE, using the funds to purchase our retirement home. I am still working on convincing her that 2000-3000 SF (total, with basement) is more than enough for our retirement home, as long as it has a large shop building too.

She keeps showing me listings for these enormous homes that I'd rather not maintain, and I know she couldn't keep clean/dusted anyway. It's going to take a while to persuade her that all those rooms we don't use today are unnecessary and wasted square footage in our next home

I think 2500 is a nice size.

 

[Goonie]

Our current house, which is where I'll stay after RE, is a bit less than 1500sf. I have a 2-car garage that is converted as a workshop/woodshop. I built on a 12' x 20' addition to the end of the garage for my model RR addiction. I also have 10' x 8' garden shed. And I'm considering building a small greenhouse next year. The house has 2 patios...one covered...one not. If the weather is at all reasonable....I spend almost ALL of my time outside....gardening, landscaping, (or pondering what I want to accomplish out there next) or charring a slab o' cow!!! :

This is all on about 1/4 acre. There is plenty of room...inside and out....for the 2 of us, so we aren't on each others nerves......at least not ALL the time.

Plus every year, I see to it that there are more perennial gardens/landscape, and less grass!!! Thus freeing up more time to travel!!!