Two moves or One after FIRE?

[lem1955]

I am about to turn 65. DW just turned 74. We are thinking about when and where to downsize. We still garden, ski, bicycle, hike and live in a region where all of that is easy to access - just step outside. We love our house have been here 30 years and have upgraded appliances and renovated the kitchen. Still have to replace the original roof and replace a few more original windows. We think we want to stay here another 5 years. So we would be 70 and 79 when we expect to move. We are considering exploring CCRC places and getting on a waiting list at our preferred place, but moving first to a rented apartment or condo for a few years. Is that one too many moves or just right? I know we will have to decide what is right for us, but I'm eager to hear your wise experiences and opinions.

 

[pacergal]

We have a also been in our home for 30+ years, single story, easy to get around in.
We plan and hope to age in place.
If necessity requires help in the future, then a CCRC would be our choice. I would probably plan the same thing--sell current house and rent until a space became available in the CCRC, meaning two moves.

 

[brett]

We downsized and unloaded our large home. Traveled. Then moved into a condo for what turned out to be four years. Then we bought a 1400 sq ft. single level duplex in an over 55 complex where all the lawncare and snow removal was taken care of. Essentially a lock and leave. Very happy with both decisions.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We downsized to a small yard with a mostly maintenance free yard. We intend to age in place. If DH dies before me I will move into a condo.

 

[timo2]

It depends upon how effective you are cleaning out your extraneous possessions. If you don't have much to move, that's great. It took us several years before and after our house sale to properly dispose of the built up detritus of our lives. We were still working so that stretched it out. Regardless, I would say put some time between the first and second moves. Otherwise it seems like one long multi-year move. The first move of our retirement plan was a chore for us. I was still working and we sold our house to benefit from an up market and moved to a rental with no commute. A year after that first move, I retired and we moved to our actual retirement location. It was a lot of work over three years between removing the excess stuff, selling the house, moving once, retiring, moving again, and establishing the new residence. Our last intended next move will be when (if) we have to be put in some sort of care facility.

 

[audreyh1]

Things change. I don’t think you can expect just one move. People don’t usually enter a CCRC until mid 80s.

 

[rk911]

in our current home since 1988 and have been cash flowing renovations, remodeling and add-ons for 20+ years now. almost done. i used to harbor thoughts of moving to other locales....davidson county, tn (nashville), texas hill country, arizona to name a few. but while we're not old...(69 and 68) my wife is starting to have mobility issues, we're anchored here with our friends, family, church, etc. in a word we're comfortable. i think we have one move left in us (this is our 4th residence in nearly 50-yrs) and i'm hoping that won't need to be for 10-15 years.

 

[Bamaman]

We're presently moving for the third (and last) time in 15 years. Along the way, my parents liquidated 2 homes and we sold my aunt's large home. I honestly don't know what to do with all this furniture--2 extra dining rooms & 2 extra bedrooms. It's such good stuff. And I've been moving boxes for over 6 weeks.

I'd like to think this is the last move. If something happens to one of us, the other needs to sell this "new" to us house and really downsize. And of course there's our 8 year old granddaughter we're raising, and she needs complete consistency in her life. How our retirement funds hold out is a deciding factor--down the line.

 

[W2R]

When my mom moved to a CCRC back home in Hawaii, there was a waiting list several years long because it was/is a very nice facility. When a senior was notified that their name got to the top of the list, then it was necessary to really pounce on it or they would give that spot away to the next person on the list.

She ended up having to move three times! Luckily she was only 72 when she started this process and she had help; both my brothers are unusually strong and muscular, and they flew out there to help her downsize, sell the house, and move.

MOVE #1: She sold the family house and moved to an apartment a couple of blocks away from the CCRC, waiting for her name to come up on that waiting list.

MOVE #2: A year or two later the CCRC notified her that an opening was available, and she took it immediately even though it was a one bedroom (in the CCRC) instead of the less costly one room studio that she preferred.

MOVE #3: Then while living in the one bedroom space at the CCRC she got back on the list for the smaller accommodations, and moved a third time when that became available.

If there is a long waiting list, and if it was me wanting to move to that CCRC, then I'd get on it and start the process now. I am 71 and can't even imagine moving again at my age, much less at 79.

 

[Moemg]

Why not just stay in your house and start looking at CCRC's ? My Mom did not move into one until she was 94 . She lived in the independent living area until her death at 99.The place she moved into had a waiting list but it was not years long .This was in Wilkes Barre ,pa.

 

[albireo13]

I am 64 and DW is almost 60. We just went through the ordeal of moving my aging parents from their house to a CCRC near us. That taught us a lot.
They had lived in their 4 bedroom colonial, upstairs bedrooms, for almost 50 yrs until they couldn't any longer.
Their move was painful for everyone involved and they still are not really happy.

We decided this year to move to a house that is friendly for aging in place ... HOA, small yard, 1st floor master and living, low maintenance, etc. I do not want to go through the culture shock that my parents went through at their age.

Something to consider ...