When to move?

Thisismyname1953

To those of you that think that a stairlift will save you in the future please be aware that they are not always suitable . Especially in the case where the person has a stroke with a hemiplegia that can affect balance greatly. That person would not be safe on a stairlift.

The thought of using a stair lift seems quite scary to me.

I would love to move to a smaller property but my current house visit within walking distance of three supermarkets two railway stations and a dilapidated town centre so ifvi ever had to stop driving it would be OK. It's too big for me on my own but I could only afford a flat locally and I don't like the idea of the ever increasing service charges.

I moved from a 4 bedroomed house to a 2 bed bungalow 5 years ago. After one year I was diagnosed with spinal trouble and couldn't walk upstairs. I'm so glad I moved.

I’m not a hoarder, but that doesn’t mean that after twenty years there isn’t a heck of a lot of stuff.
We also have thousands of books, and some large pieces of furniture which were made to fit this house, but even if could take a couple of items. we would have to get rid of a lot.
I just don’t feel ready to do that.

We're in the process of selling up and moving to a new build extension at my daughter's house in Somerset. She and SIL came up with idea after the first lockdown but it's taken all this time to get planning permission/building etc done. When we first talked about it OH was fine. Now he's showing signs of dementia and his hip op has to be delayed/cancelled due to ulcers on his leg, so he's getting less mobile. It will be a relief to be on one level and to have family next door in case of emergency. It will also mean I will see more of the grandchildren. I only wish it hadn't taken so long, but that's officialdom for you, and that we were already there.

That's like here Sara54. Because the ceilings are high we have inherited huge bookcases and sideboards, wardrobes and dressers which wouldn't fit anywhere else.

In turn the contents with their dinner services, books and games are probably valueless to anyone else.

Although I know it will need to go eventually, is this part of the clearance before sale or general decluttering?

I notice when viewing houses on-line that most have a few pieces of furniture left to demonstrate scale or perhaps because the owner has died or downsized even more.

M0nica
Have you chosen Cambridgeshire which would be midway between Hertfordshire & Yorkshire on the A1 corridor?
There are some lovely little towns in & around Cambs & Lincs , especially places like Stamford 👌

I don't have grandchildren so I was able to pass lots of the games and toys, I had saved ready for them, on to a neighbour with 4 children. Only keeping one sweet little dolls house.
Likewise with furniture I "inherited" from my parents. Not to my daughters taste nor would fit in their style or size of house.
So these pieces and our 50 year collection of mainly second hand furniture will have to go. And it is a wrench. But go it must over the next year or so. I would like to feel that someone would appreciate it all as we did. But it's too big a job to expect our daughters to do the clearance at an unhappy time so better it goes and leaves the house a bit empty but maybe easier to clean.....and note to self not to buy another thing until I or less likely DH finally downsizes. I am going to ask my younger daughter to photograph each room and the contents of cupboards so that they can both decide if there is anything they would like to have or have special memories. I'd it's just special memories and they haven't got space at least they can have a photo for a memory.

That's an excellent suggestion about photographing the rooms and their contents HelterSkelter

Also whoever suggested measuring furniture before you view properties.

I was 62 when I made the move from our Edwardian, 5 bedroomed family house to a 3=bedroomed, thirties attached house. Mind you, just half a mile away. My son and Daughter in law had been living in the family house with me (separately), for a few years, so first they had to find somewhere to move to.

It was suggested to me then to look at flats and I was horrified at the suggestion, I like living in a house, with a back andfront garden etc.

Really loved the house I moved to (although one of the first jobs I had done was a loft extension so daughter (and ever increasing family), would be able to visit and stay with me. I lavished work on it, I was still working and the house was my main hobby. Really believed for several years it would be my final home.
Then, as I went into my later seventies, I began to regard the stairs )particularly in the evenings) as if they were Everest!!!! Only had a small garden there, but last few years needed a gardener- I never had a cleaner, and did manage housework myself, but it became more and more of a chore.

I did think of a stair lift - but these have limited use if you live by yourself. (cannot send heavy items or washing up or down on it if there is no-one at the other end to remove that). By the age of 78 I came round to the idea of living in a flat.

In fact I moved 150 miles away to a flat in a small seaside t own. Gorgeous, large, airy flat - in the centre of that town, so close to everything. Despite some of my children being concerned about this move, I loved flat living from the day I actually moved in, and found living in a small town wonderful in retirement.

It was hard at that age to move more or less by myself. My children were helpful, particularly on moving day at each end, and the one who has lived in that seaside town for many years have been wonderful over the past (nearly) five years I have been here.

I love my flat and my location, on my mobility scooter I can reach within less than ten minutes, beach and promenade, park, theatre, museum, library, station (trains direct to London), Bus Hub where every bus in the town stops, High Street shops. Dentist - two minutes away, GP 15 minutes away, Hospital two miles but bus from right outside flats goes to main entrance there.

And the advantages of living in such a healthy air town.

Franbern that's sounds perfect. Is it on the south coast? Chichester?

I come from the SE coast and would love to move back. But the next move needs careful consideration. Where my sister lives in the SE could be perfect. Small town near the sea but not walking distance. Good trains to London where one daughter lives. But I haven't told my sister yet!!!! Anyway decluttering to do first.

We moved two years ago and had thought hard about future-proofing. So we have a smallish house in the inner suburbs of a small, flat, city. We managed to squeeze a shower into the downstairs cloakroom, and the room I use as an office can be turned into a downstairs bedroom. The bus into the city centre is just round the corner, as is a small Coop, and the doctor, dentist and pub are all within ten minutes walk. There is a smallish garden which we could afford to get mown by someone else if necessary. The stairs are a straight flight and could accommodate a stairlift if needed. At some point eventually we - or one of us - might need a flat, but for the time being we've got easy enough living.

We took the decision at age 73 to move to a 2 bed retirement flat from a 5 bed home in a huge garden. We chose a large village with all the necessary facilities and good transport links to two cities.
The development has communal areas where we can gather for events if we choose. We have chosen to also immerse ourselves in village life to meet people outside the development and get to know different age groups.
We travel quite a lot and treat the flat as a lock up and leave.
We got rid of all our big furniture and many possessions which we found liberating.
So we feel we have future proofed, removed any stresses and worries and given ourselves time to settle in to our new life in good time.
If the worst happens to one of us then the other will have so much less to deal with and be part of a supportive community.