To old to uproot

No!....I mean 'on' my doorstep.

I must admit nannypiano, I would love the sea in my doorstep but you can't have it all.

I retired to Lowestoft when I was 60 and on my own and loved it. After 5 years my two sons kept asking me to move back nearer to them as I was getting older and might need help. So I did. I like where I am living but so miss Suffolk and the sea air. I would move back tomorrow if I could. But I am 10 years older now with a dodgy hip, so it may not be a good idea, but I get back there at least once a year and that helps a bit.

I am seventy seven and have often holidayed around Cromer. I would love to live down there...but would I?
My friends and family are all up here in North Manchester. I would miss them all.I would miss our wind swept moors and their natural wild beauty,I would miss the big shows in Manchester and the city's vibrancy, I would miss the Lakes, the Yorkshire Dales, York, Chester, North Wales,the Derbyshire Dales. Merseyside and the Fylde coast, all under a two hour drive.In fact I love the northwest of England.I love its diversity.
Within a five minute walk of where I live we have a beautiful country park, we are surrounded by hills. The train station is five minutes away. I can be in Manchester in less than fifteen minutes from where I can catch a train to all parts of UK.
Our local hospital, still with its A&E, is five minutes away. I can get an appointment with my doctor the same day if its an emergency, other than that usually within two or three days.All our family, four children and eight grandchildren live within ten minutes from us.
After writing this I've convinced myself I don't want to leave. What on earth was I thinking of?!!!!
PS I'd love a holiday home down there though.No chance unless the Premium Bonds
provide us with a large win.

I moved here when i was 65 and have never regretted it for a second. I live 3 miles from my younger daughter , son in law and 3 children, Its the best thing i did and at the right time for me. If you think you might be moving, start preparing now. Start getting rid of junk and clearing out what is not going to be required, and do it now, then when the time comes you will just have the necessities to pack. you are so fortunate to have some prior warning. It would be much harder if it all had to be done in a few weeks. Remember failing to plan is planning to fail.

Am sure you will manage the move just fine, but do it because YOU want to live in that place, as your daughter could move again and then what. Good luck.

I am 75, dh is 89 and we have just moved out the house we have lived in for the past 40 years on the SE London/Kent borders and relocated to a village in Lincolnshire! The motive behind the move was dh failing health, both mental and physical and we needed to be nearer family. We are both so very pleased with our new home and everything about it, just wish we had done it sooner. I am a great believer that age should not restrict your dreams - go for it, with a positive attitude, you can make it work xxxx

Tricia F
I married a man like that too - always "it might come in handy"!! I tried pointing out that we are no longer flat broke newly weds but fairly comfortably off although not rich. I then tried emotional blackmail "how on earth will I cope with all this if anything happens to you" - delivered with pathos and almost a tear in my eye. That did the trick - he is now halfway through the loft and I am tackling the cupboards. So far he has not "rescued" anything I have chucked out! Fingers crossed.

I would say it'll work out fine if you want to actually live in that area anyway but not sure,if you're going only to be close to family. I've seen that turn into a lot of dissatisfaction if family aren't as easy to see as you'd like. Perhaps you should get to know the area by taking holiday etc there and form your own opinion. Good luck with your decision!

In reply to 30 years of stuff...We have just downsized.....from 5 bedroomed house into garage annex, it meant decluttering big style. If something didn't have a place we sent it to charity shop. This has left us with an enormous sense of freedom and the knowledge that our kids don't have the awful job of clearing our house out when we die. I used the method of holding an item, if I felt an emotional attachment I put it to one side, sometimes I just needed to say goodbye to something, surprising amount to charity. Don't let "stuff" hold you back.

I love moving house...........got the itchy feet feeling after reading this.......

Sorry ana I did not mean to rub salt into a wound. 6 months is not very long I know, but that was my point, it felt like ages so I really do feel for folk who have trouble selling. My DD1 took 2 years to move due to chains breaking down but is now in her new home. It will happen. Hope you have a pro active estate agent.

It will happen Ana ?

Flower go for it, it's exciting to move and although Norfolk may be out of your comfort zone, it's rural and houses are cheap compared to a lot of areas.Find a large village or small town rather than be too isolated though ( thinking long term.)

But thanks for the good wishes

Six months? I wish...!

Oh dear Ana..I do empathise with that..we did manage to sell our house in about 6 months but even that felt like a long time once we had decided to go! Fingers crossed a sale happens soon.

I would love to move!

You all make it sound so easy - but no one seems to want to buy my house. Or rather they do, then at some stage decide they've changed their mind...sigh!

My mother moved 150 miles away when she was 79yrs and another long distance move when she was 88yrs. I moved when 60yrs.
It depends if you really, in your heart if hearts, want to move.
I think it is much easier to make friends when you are older- you have the time and there are lots of activities- depends whether you have your health.

I moved (not far) last July at 70. I didn't have piles of c**p but I had enough! It was very therapeutic getting rid of it over a period of a few months, and I've been strict with myself about replacing anything.
I would say do it sooner rather than later, good luck

We moved in our late 50s to be nearer to DD it was good to begin with but most of the friends we made were slightly older than us and sadly have either died or are far from well . A newish neighbour who had to move to look after DGC ( his is mid 70s ) tells me too many people already have friends and do not want to bother with him and his wife. He is a great joiner in and tries to blend in but so misses his old friends .
I still miss my closest friends we had before who knew us when we all had small children .

I uprooted after my dh passed away. It was only about six miles away and I've joined lots of things and made new friends.

I agree with MOnica - as long as you are both in reasonable health, age is not a barrier but having moved twice in four years you certainly have to be determined.

We are both 72 and have moved after 40+ years in the same house. We now live near our daughter and we love it. New area to explore, New people, New shops etc. Go for it ?

My sister is 70 and she has moved 4 times in the last 6 years. She seems to have coped OK.

My 88 year old aunt relocated from Sussex to the Isle of Wight last year to be near a daughter who had decided to move there. So far, so good.

Four years ago, with her DH then near 90, my aunt moved from a large family house to a bungalow 10 miles away. The move was entirely organised and planned by the couple and my uncle planned contracted and supervised all the building work required to make the bungalow meet their requirements.

Age is not a bar to a successful move. Just personal determination.

I moved to where I am now, alone, from a town into the countryside, at the age of 72 and have never regretted it.
It is so much more peaceful here and I love it.