It’s all going……..ready for a new life.

Beware of the garage! We didn’t have the next house when we moved, so we guessed what we’d need erring on the too much side. Everything went into storage.
When we eventually moved in anything that wouldn’t fit/ we didn’t want, went into the back of the large garage.
Several years later, this Autumn we’ve cleared it out! Out of sight out of mind!

We haven't downsized yet but we've set the wheels in motion: we've bought a 1 bed retirement flat in the complex my Dad lives in.
We're renting it to the manager for the next three years at least, then we'll decide if we're ready to sell our house and move in.

The rooms are a good size so apart from our dining table, our furniture will fit although obviously we won't need all of it.

Hope it all goes well for you, sago

It must be an upheaval, however much its the right thing to do.

A lovely new build.

I did it 18 months ago but under totally different circumstances.
My DH had furs recently and my only living offspring lived 5 hours away. I decided that it was imperative to be nearer.
It was very hard to move from a 3/bed 3 reception house to a tiny flat.
I’ve done it. It was a necessity.
Enjoy your move.

DH had died!

Sago everything crossed that the contracts are exchanged soon. Once that's done you can breath easier then it's just completion and move to your new home.

Marriedalongtime I moved from large 3 bed semi to 2 bed bungalow a move of over 100 to the north west..
I found decluttering my house decluttered my mind and let go of things I had held into for far to long .When my husband died I no longer had a home it was just a house . Moving to my bungalow gave me back a home . I did all my own packing as I decluttered I packed boxes of things I was keeping . I set myself a target of 2 boxes a day .

I love living here and found I love being clutter free, mind you I did bring things with me that I realised I didn't want. I marked it box what was in it and numbered the boxes but I must have had a blind spot for toilet rolls as when I unpacked I had 9 large packs of toilet rolls. 😆

I have wonderful neighbours who care if they don't see me . Healthcare here is brilliant . And I am living my life to the full. Doing things I never thought I would do . Plus I see my daughter and family often . Even my estrangement from my son and family his choice I had no say hasn't marred how I feel living here . I am happy a feeling I never thought I would feel again.

I miss my husband everyday and my grief gets worse as the years go by. But I know he would love my bungalow and I even brought myself a greenhouse and grow veg . My husband said I had a black thumb turns out it's green .

All who are moving it's a wonderful adventure and you are moving forward to a life full of positivities no matter how old you are . My mom always said older never old.

We moved from a 6 bedroom Edwardian semi with 4 floors where the garden was accessed from the basement. It was a fantastic house to raise our family and multiple pets.We now have a 3 bed 2 bathroom bungalow so we can still accommodate visitors and now frequent stays of grandchildren. We sold or gave away a lot of our furniture and bought some new far more suitable but did manage to keep an old settle and blanket box that are lovely pieces and have sentimental value.We were only in our 50s .The only downside in the future is the large garden which I currently love doing.If we get too old or infirm and the expense of getting more help with it is too much we would consider one more move.But we have lovely neighbours and a lovely outlook so would be sad to leave.Good luck with your move !

I would move from my three bed semi tomorrow but the smaller homes two up and two down in my World Heritage Site town are more expensive than my home because they are mostly purchased by landlords to let out as holiday lets.

When we retired 10 years ago we sold our 400 yr old farmhouse and moved 4 miles to a modern bungalow. No regrets!
My OH has been ill with encephalitis and cancer for the last 2 years and we could not have managed in a house and would have had to move while he was in hospital which would have been a nightmare!

We did this last year...moved from a lovely big 4 bed house to a much smaller 3 bed 10 minutes walk from a lovely high street, new build, everything done, no regrets. I thought I would miss my old house so much but never even think of it! Very sad that we couldn't fit a few bits of really nice furniture in, but soon got over it! I don't spend my whole time cleaning and it's so much cosier! Good luck!

Twenty years ago, after 26 years in our Victorian family house, we decided that it should have a new family. The AC were both married, with mortgages, and it was time to go. The right 1980s house came up nearby and we made a new home, still energetic enough to make it our own.

we decided that it should have a new family

We did exactly that Romola. Our brilliant family home felt underused with just the two of us rattling around so we found a biggish bungalow on the outskirts of town. So glad we did.

Do hope it works out well for you too Sago

We've recently moved 250 miles to be near our children & grandchildren.

Left a large detached, 100 year old house that was so solidly built it never creaked or groaned.

New house is only 20 years old and doesn't stop creaking and groaning.
They don't make 'em like they used to.

Best thing we ever did as had no family left where we lived.

Once we'd made our mind up to move we took 6 months to slowly declutter. Hated having to do it and actually doing it but so glad we did.
Congratulations on the move
Good Luck.

We have a four bedroom Victorian semi, too big for us now, was up for sale all last year thought we had sold it but were let down twice and lost the bungalow of our dreams near the South Downs.
Still hoping to move but can’t do much till we get another offer on our place.
Not loving the experience. Have moved 5 times in the past 46 years and this is the hardest time. But onward and upward 🙏🏾

We moved to Wales some seven years ago. Sold our semi, in a suburban road in a town near London, and move to a large detached house with a huge garden. Quiet and peaceful. A completely different way of life. It was a little difficult to begin with , but we have been extremely lucky with our neighbours.
Wouldn’t change it for the world.

Very best of luck to you Sago, hope it all goes smoothly.
You put me to shame as I've just decided against trying to downsize to 3-bed apt. which appears to have almost everything I want.
Overriding reason is my own house isn't even on the mkt yet and it would take months to get rid of all the stuff in the garages and sheds and I would need the money from a sale in order to purchase. I don't think any offer would be accepted from me in my current situation.

Babs03

We have a four bedroom Victorian semi, too big for us now, was up for sale all last year thought we had sold it but were let down twice and lost the bungalow of our dreams near the South Downs.
Still hoping to move but can’t do much till we get another offer on our place.
Not loving the experience. Have moved 5 times in the past 46 years and this is the hardest time. But onward and upward 🙏🏾

I can so relate to what you are going through. You must be feeling exhausted. You have the right attitude and you'll get there. We also had two sales fall through very late on last year and lost the first flat we liked when our house hadn't sold. But, finally, after many months, the house sold, we completed last Friday, and I'm loving our new flat (it's much better than the one we didn't get!).

Yes, we did it nearly two years ago. We were lucky as the couple who bought our house loved the way we decorated it and bought ALL our furniture. We were left with only two chest of drawers, two fold up garden chairs and two mirrors! Personal belongings were stored in a lockup for a year while we travelled.
We have now bought a house and the furniture we had would not suited our new house so we are very pleased that we can start again. Today our new dining room suite and sofa were delivered and we are super excited with them.
Good luck with your move and getting rid of the old furniture is very refreshing as your new chapter begins

Great to hear so many positive stories, thank you all.

It’s really a sideways move as the house is not much smaller in square footage, it is only two years old and one of just 4 new properties tucked away in a nice quiet village with a few amenities and a good size Co-Op.

I am looking forward to being warm!

We are getting rid of all our antique furniture and paintings and starting again.

We bought a holiday let 3/4 years ago and went ultra modern and love it so we have taken the plunge and decided to have a major change.

Moved mum & dad from an old Edwardian house with small, individual rooms & no downstairs cloak room to a more modern open plan house with DS WC & en-suite bedrooms
Unfortunately dad passed away, but mum is so happy in the new house, with not much maintenance, she won’t be moving again at nearly 80.
Hope all goes well with the move 😊

Against the trend we sort of up sized - from a end of terrace town house to a 'bungalow by the sea' All our stuff we kept and have added to in the 10+ years we've been here. I am so glad we moved as the house fulfils a childhood dream (except there are no roses round the door and we definitely don't have a cottage garden. It's more 'jungely in flavour). We have sea views (more sea peeps) really and it's lovely all year round.

That’s so exciting and I hope all goes well. My story is a little like that of Whiff. My husband died and after trying to stay in our 3-bed/3bath/large difficult garden which he loved and looked after, I moved just 75 yards to the other side of the same road, to a 2-bedroom cottage. All the houses in the road are different as it’s a historic market town near the sea. It was a magnificent new start for me and made the grieving easier. Despite the tiny distance, the removal company used their usual overnight schedule with 2 vans, one mostly containing the very large glazed and planted terracotta pots I took with me. My little courtyard is now full of the shrubs and plants we had and I have very little housework and gardening to do. I made a huge number of lists beforehand - auction, hospice charity shop, recycling, rubbish, etc and had measured all rooms in the little house and all furniture in the old house. All settled in so well. I think of it as ‘my’ house, but I know he is here with me and likes it!

I hope you will be very happy in your new home, and new "life".

DH and I sold a large flat in Copenhagen in 2013, bought a motor boat and spent the next three years fulfilling his dream of sailing around on the canals and rivers of N. Europe.

Then we bought this house, which we both were happy with, in an area where we can afford to live comfortably. Something that was no longer possible in Copenhagen, which like all capital cities is expensive.

I am so thankful we made the change when we did and fulfilled DH's dream, which I enjoyed far more than I had anticipated. Life had one of the nasty surprises in store for us - DH died a little over a year ago of cancer.

I sincerely hope life has nothing like that in store for you and that you will have many good years together in your new home.

I seem to be a rarity compared to most. We moved to Wales 10 years ago, to a large 3 bed house with holiday let in the garden that gave us an income. We thought the family would love coming to visit, but how wrong can you get? 'It's too far'.
'It takes too long", any excuse. Then my husband's health began to deteriorate pretty rapidly, so we decided that we should return to the South where family are. We bought a 4 bed modern bungalow, and while it's nice not to have so much upkeep, I absolutely hate being back down here. Too much traffic, too many new houses, too many people!! Yes, it's handy to have the doctors on the doorstep, and not have to travel 20 minutes to get to the nearest shop, but I really DO miss Wales! Maybe we just bought the wrong home, but it was just SO beautiful where we were, and instead of looking out on fields, hills and trees, I now look out on a small garden, and other peoples houses. We live on the edge of the New Forest, so are lucky in that respect, but it really isn't a patch on Wales!

Did it 12 years ago. Moved from an Edwardian terrace, West End Glasgow to a semi detached bungalow, rural village, Scottish Borders. Don't regret the move, despite very poor public transport and a garden that is very steep.