SumDay
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2012
- Messages
- 1,862
Last spring we went on the semi-annual parade of homes tour, and realized how huge our existing home and yard were. The yard work consumed far too many weekends, and was taking a toll on us physically. We were already paying someone to cut the grass, but the leaves and landscaping were just not enjoyable as they had been when we first bought the house.
So, we found a nice reverse story and a half in a maintenance free community. Grass is cut, landscaped areas are mulched, irrigation system is maintained, and snow over 2 inches is shoveled. Our old house was built in 1962 - the new one was built in 2007. HVAC is much more efficient, there's much less temperature variation and we're just physically more comfortable, not to mention mentally more relaxed.
Here are some random things I learned:
1. It cost us - big older homes are no longer as desirable (in our area anyway), so we certainly didn't even come out even.
2. We put 66% down and took out a small mortgage, which I don't regret. We could have paid for it in cash, but I like having some cash available and this purchase would have depleted it.
3. I was shocked they gave people in their 60's a 30 year mortgage, but they did. We are throwing a nice extra chunk at the principal each month, and anticipate paying it off in 5-10 years.
4. We started getting rid of "stuff" in March, and moved in September. It was a frenzy since we'd been in the old house for over 30 years. I made the kids take their 'lives in a Rubbermaid tote' - you'd have thought we were putting an anchor on their ankle.
So, start early, and be aggressive. You may end up buying a couple of things you donated to Goodwill, but no one died. The adult kids were NOT happy we moved. They loved that old house.
5. I was not prepared for how stressful showing a home can be. I work from home, so it truly was a pain for me. Lots of day showings, but it sold (thanks to St. Joseph being buried in the yard
).
6. We must have said to one another "the goal is to move, right?" We'd made a LOT of improvements to that house, and there is no way we came close to recouping the money. We took a hit, but we are out of that behemoth now, and that's what counts. Someone with 4 kids bought it, and it's their little slice of heaven now.
7. Angie's List was pretty valuable to us, especially when finding a mover. I got a nice discount because I mentioned that's how I found them. We did the packing, and they loaded two huge moving trucks. We loaded one day, stayed in a hotel that night, and unloaded the next day. It was exhausting. I would not have wanted to be any older when we did this. The unpacking was kind of fun (I'm an organizer by nature) but was still very tiring.
8. Have a budget for the new house. You don't know what you don't know until you get moved it. We had a couple of windows that needed replacing, two of the toilets needed updating, we needed a piece or two of furniture to finish things off, and it looks like we'll have to paint the exterior next summer. Another reason I was glad I had a little extra cash.
9. Changing your address after being in the same house is a real PITA. I was sure I had most things changed, and got several nasty surprises.
10. Try not to kill one another. There were days...
So, that's it! I hope someone considering this finds a nugget or two that will help them when they begin their downsizing journey. We thought we'd be driving by the old house because we'd miss it. Haven't been back once.
So, we found a nice reverse story and a half in a maintenance free community. Grass is cut, landscaped areas are mulched, irrigation system is maintained, and snow over 2 inches is shoveled. Our old house was built in 1962 - the new one was built in 2007. HVAC is much more efficient, there's much less temperature variation and we're just physically more comfortable, not to mention mentally more relaxed.
Here are some random things I learned:
1. It cost us - big older homes are no longer as desirable (in our area anyway), so we certainly didn't even come out even.
2. We put 66% down and took out a small mortgage, which I don't regret. We could have paid for it in cash, but I like having some cash available and this purchase would have depleted it.
3. I was shocked they gave people in their 60's a 30 year mortgage, but they did. We are throwing a nice extra chunk at the principal each month, and anticipate paying it off in 5-10 years.
4. We started getting rid of "stuff" in March, and moved in September. It was a frenzy since we'd been in the old house for over 30 years. I made the kids take their 'lives in a Rubbermaid tote' - you'd have thought we were putting an anchor on their ankle.
So, start early, and be aggressive. You may end up buying a couple of things you donated to Goodwill, but no one died. The adult kids were NOT happy we moved. They loved that old house. 5. I was not prepared for how stressful showing a home can be. I work from home, so it truly was a pain for me. Lots of day showings, but it sold (thanks to St. Joseph being buried in the yard
).6. We must have said to one another "the goal is to move, right?" We'd made a LOT of improvements to that house, and there is no way we came close to recouping the money. We took a hit, but we are out of that behemoth now, and that's what counts. Someone with 4 kids bought it, and it's their little slice of heaven now.
7. Angie's List was pretty valuable to us, especially when finding a mover. I got a nice discount because I mentioned that's how I found them. We did the packing, and they loaded two huge moving trucks. We loaded one day, stayed in a hotel that night, and unloaded the next day. It was exhausting. I would not have wanted to be any older when we did this. The unpacking was kind of fun (I'm an organizer by nature) but was still very tiring.
8. Have a budget for the new house. You don't know what you don't know until you get moved it. We had a couple of windows that needed replacing, two of the toilets needed updating, we needed a piece or two of furniture to finish things off, and it looks like we'll have to paint the exterior next summer. Another reason I was glad I had a little extra cash.
9. Changing your address after being in the same house is a real PITA. I was sure I had most things changed, and got several nasty surprises.
10. Try not to kill one another. There were days...
So, that's it! I hope someone considering this finds a nugget or two that will help them when they begin their downsizing journey. We thought we'd be driving by the old house because we'd miss it. Haven't been back once.
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