Do you love your home?

I do love our home which is a 3 bed 2 bathroom bungalow with a large south facing garden.One of the reasons we moved her in out mid 50s was because our previous home was a large 6 bedroom Edwardian semi on 4 floors and the garden lovely as it was faced north and had to be accesed via the basement. It seemed young to downsize but now I'm glad we did.Moving is such a hassle. I still miss the old house though at times.And often dream about it.It had some lovely features and so much space-when all the family are here for meals or some to stay it feels a bit chaotic.Especially now we have 4 grandchildren. I guess we didn't fully consider that!But we've future proofed it with solar panels and battery storage.New roof and windows etc.So hopefully here we will stay with some help in the garden as we get less able.

fancythat

Out of interest, did you downsize to a 2 bed, 3 bed or 4?
I do think, eventually, we will "need" to downsize, for whatever reason.

3 bed flat.

My home is my happy place, only been there a year but I love it so very much.

I have lived all over the UK in 12 homes, there are only 3 that have felt special.

One was featured on a TV property show, I cried when I saw it!

I still miss my last house, or rather my last garden. Have lived in various places in this country and abroad, and made the best of whatever I went to, but my last house was in Richmond, and of course , being me, the main reason for its choice was the garden, it was a standard semi style house. There was a front garden, and then at the back a largish patio and then three levels of lawns with a pond down at the bottom and views out onto the wild part of the hill. I lived there for over 20 years. making the garden my own, with a lovely garden shed with large windows down at the bottom level, so that in the winter when it was too cold to sit outside you could still sit down there and enjoy the view and I used to do potting up and have the radio and a comfortable chair etc . A lovely hide away to enjoy all the wild life and birds and my many different plants including a large collection of hellebores and over 100 rare snowdrops. My patio had over 70 pots on it to grow things that didnt like my soil , so had the chance to try out many different things . I grew a beautiful Katsura tree in the garden and it was peaceful and lovely.

Inside the house the usual things but most importantly my many book shelves filled up and my piano and music and paintings. My husband was a good photographer and we sailed our old yacht all over, enjoyed walking and country life and were very happy, and I would have loved to stay there for the rest of my life.

After my husband died I would still have been happy to stay there , as felt his prescence round about me . However after a second cancer, and more problems with my back, living on a hillside , I knew that my choice was to stay and eventually I would have to go where someone else chose for me, or I could move while I could still be independant . That cost me my garden and my piano etc etc which I still miss very much, so that even after some time I dont feel this flat is yet "home" . Unfortunately I had to move in the middle of covid and I couldnt use my usual "moving" energy to get it sorted out when I arrived and without that initial push of wanting to make it mine, it is still a work in progress.

I know that practically speaking it was the best thing I could do, and has allowed me to remain independant and so far to be able to keep the car and be free to do my own thing. I am slowly doing things to make it more mine but rather get caught between times I am in the right mental state to sort things out but physically frustrated by how long it takes me to actually do things, and at other times think I should get started on something and not in the mood!! Ah well every time I am able to go back up to swaledale I am content to think that I made the right decision and by now no doubt trying to run the house would have been too much. It is quite peaceful here and the neighbours are fine, and we get on very well but there is no one here with my particular interests , and I am sure one or two think I am quite mad such as when one lady was telling me about her planned 80th birthday party with family and asked me what I was doing for my 80th, and when I said I was going to Canada , she said how nice of my son to take me. I said that I was going on my own and had done all my own arranging with the aim of going on the Rocky Mountainner and she looked rather surprised and asked if I felt alright going alone. So I am slowly bedding myself in here and use the yellow book to get my fill of gardens and other gardeners to chat to , and fingers crossed shall have a few more years to enjoy them

I love my house more each time my dd tells me I should downsize again. I don’t get attached to bricks and mortar but I do love the light and space in this house. But it’s painful to admit it’s too big for me.

I fell in love with my house the day we viewed it in 1980 - A 4-roomed mid terraced house, there was a bathroom in what was the 2nd bedroom, bakerlite light switches, round pin plug sockets and every internal door was warped - it certainly needed lots of work. We moved in late 1981 and I've been here ever since., Brought my daughters up here after my husband left, grieved here following my 2nd husbands death. There's been parties, sleepovers, get-togethers so many wonderful memories. The house has changed - electrics, heating, a bathroom in the middle of the house after partioning off part of the front bedroom. A kitchen added when pregnant with my first daughter, the loft converted by my 2nd husband. More recently an upgrade of the heating system and just last month the bathroom modernized with a large walk in shower. I have no wonderful views, just more terraced houses, walk straight in off the street, a very small backyard - no garden. There are plenty of local shops, including supermarkets close by, good bus links if I ever need to use them and amazing neighbours. I can be walking in woods or on the canal towpath with my dog within 5-10mins and have 2 lovely parks the same distance away. Can you tell I love it!

I loved my last home and had it exactly as I wanted, but I moved 100 miles when we retired to be closer to my daughter and her young family, that was six years ago and although we have made all the updates and changes to the house I still can’t feel really happy here, we downsized because this area was so expensive and I get frustrated through lack of storage space
But even though we can’t really afford to buy anything bigger in this area ( it’s a 3 bed semi) I’m pleased we moved as I see my daughter and grandchildren almost everyday so that’s so much better than having a big house

Usedtobeblonde I loved this OP. I’ve not long retired and moved as well, from an inner city deprived, largely buy let demographic. Everyday I’d leave my house, short journey to Newham hospital, pissy mattresses, broken dumped white goods, the works, so depressing. Now I live in a tiny 200 year old cottage in Suffolk, taken me just over a year to do it up but it’s mine and everything is delishly quirky. 🤗🌷

We moved into our first home in 1979 and spent 6 happy years there. Had our first two children there. Moved to a bigger house just round the corner, had our third child and lived there for 22 years. It was a desperation buy as we had been gazumped on the house we had wanted and didn't want to lose our sale. I was never in love with it. After that we moved to a house I inherited from my father (hadn't grown up in it) but despite extensive transformations, again I was never in love with it. Moved again just before Covid, downsized to a house which reminds me very much of our first house, totally in love with it and hope we don't have to move again 🥰

Been in my home 10 years now, before that 35 years in a 4 bed. Down sized because of empty nest syndrome! Just moved round the corner. I have a lawn and bought an automatic mower. Its fantastic. I then went and bought an auto vacuum. Ok its not as good as my upright, but I let it lose in the bedrooms and it does it stuff. Ive become so attached, I have named them - mickey the mower & vinny the vacuum! Get a cleaner into spring clean and gardener in twice a year!

I feel that I am the same as most of you. I've lived in my house for around 50 years and although I feel its a bit too big (3 bedrooms) and its only me now I can't really see me moving at least not in the near future. Its so near to three major food shops, walking distance and a five minute walk to my GP. I love it really loads of happy memories but again it needs a but of a tidy up decorating wise but I dont really want the hassle of having to move all the furniture around to have it done. I agree anyone buying it will strip it out including the fitted kitchen and two of the fitted bedrooms that my late husband actually made himself.

My home was meant to be our forever home on DH's retirement and move back to the UK. Unfortunately my DH passed away. I am in a very rural setting, need a car even to get to the village shop, bus service negligible and need to move. Don't like driving anymore and know I need to move but so difficult when it was our pride and joy and with all of my last memories of DH.

I love my home but have no love for the house. To be surrounded by my belongings, each with a story of their own, gives me huge pleasure and sense of security. I’m actively looking to move somewhere with better public transport in case the day should come when I can’t drive. I’ve lived in this house for 47 years, having moved in when we were newly married and our children were born here. My happy memories of our lives her are in my head, not in the bricks and mortar.

I really love my beautiful home and I'm at my happiest when I'm here. Holidays are a nice break, but I'd be quite happy staying at home, I go for my husband's sake. Tomorrow we're going to Warner's Runnymede, hubby thought it would do me good after having the grandchildren for the last two weeks, but actually I'd be happy to relax at home, enjoy the peace and quiet, and read a book, knit, or watch series 4 of Lark Rise to Candleford, which I'm loving. There's no place like home 🏡.

Lived here 24 years now and our first house together so a big decision. We love the house, have kept it updated, renewed kitchen, en-suite, future proofed the garden etc. However, our cul de sac has changed as people have moved away and the new neighbours are not as caring, friendly or respectful as those who left. It might be a decision we have to make but I don’t have the energy to move into anything which requires work. So we might just batten down the hatches and put up with the “ entitled” approach. Or the three floors might kill us off

I love coming back to our Spanish apartment. We bought it 20 years ago as a holiday home with no intention of ever living here permanently. Fast forward 17 years and while we were over here and couldn’t travel back because of Covid it made us reassess our lives. We have a DD GD and SIL in Melbourne and a DS DIL GD & GS in Amsterdam so no family back in UK. We applied for residency under the withdrawal agreement following Brexit and here we are and love it.
I always thought it was too small to live here permanently but we manage fine. I do think you adapt your lifestyle to where you live. We have 2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms lounge and small kitchen. What we do have though is a beautiful small garden a sun roof and balcony…oh and amazing friends and neighbours and we all look out for one another. We visit our family often and last summer they were all here at the same time which was lovely. I rented a house nearby for them and we had our two GD’s (cousins) staying here with us.
We still have our apartment in beautiful Yorkshire where we downsized to 20 years ago. It’s rented out as we don’t often go back there now and stay with friends when we do.
The weather here is definitely a plus factor and we often take our bikes and cycle along our local canal or walk along our beautiful coastline.
Completely different home and live style to what we have been used to in the past but we love coming back to it.

Downsized last summer to a beautiful waterside apartment and absolutely love it. I was really attatched to my last marital home, it was large, had lots of lovely original features and a huge garden. But 7 years ago decided I loved it but not the man I shared it with. On the day I left I thought I'd be heartbroken but I was actually relieved and excited to have my own place to do with as I wanted. 5 years on from buying my own house as a single woman I sold it making 65k due to the improvements! I moved into this apartment with my new husband and we are very happy. Its close to everything we need but far enough away to not know town is nearby. The views over water are beautiful and we get the sunset from our front window which can be glorious. Its safe, quiet, and full of love ❤️

I downsized from a 3 bedroomed house to a one bedroomed sheltered housing flat nearly two years ago. My health meant I was unable to maintain the house properly and I was struggling with the stairs. It was the best decision for me. I'm on my own as my husband died nearly ten years ago. It pushed me into getting rid of a lot of stuff which has been a relief and I feel calmer. It won't be such a big job for whoever has to deal with my junk when the time comes. The flat is easy to maintain and there are social eventsI feel safer here than I did rattling around in a big house. I have since had to retire early because of ill health and I don't think I would have found it as easy if I hadn't moved.

Yes, absolutely love my home of 40 years BUT now that I’m on my own have decided to downsize, too much maintenance…..Have just put it on the market, haven’t seen anything I like yet.

I love my old Welsh long house but know I should really downsize since, living alone since my husband died, it does come with a lot of work. Plus there are barns, stables and a lot of land. I keep putting off the dreaded day as I do have rescue cats, as well as my dog, and as there are no busy roads near me - just fields and woods - I worry that the cats would be at risk. I would also miss the wildlife that comes to visit - fox, deer, badger and numerous birds, including chatty owls. No easy solution!!

We moved 3 yrs ago, from a semi rural house which we’d been in for 30 yrs to a rural property 4hrs away where where the accent is very different to mine 😄 - but the people are warm and friendly.
I love coming back to the peace and tranquility of rural life in this house, to the sound of the birds, the wonderful landscape and rolling green hills, especially at this time of year. I realise I need this to feel connected to nature. Its a sanctuary.

Yes, I too love my home, even although we only lived here for 7 years before DH died, plus the 2 where I have been alone (with two cats).

But when I dream, I am either back in the flat I lived in for 20 years, or back in my childhood home, which was sold in 1980.

And strangely enough I dream things that never took place in any of my homes and with members of my family being there who either never in real life were there, or not at the ages they are in my dreams.

Usedtobeblonde

I have been away just for three nights and the feeling of being back in my home fills me with joy.
It is a bog standard estate house.
Not grand, not even pretty but it is mine, filled with my chosen things.
I have lived in it for 50 years, it is a bit worn in parts, a fair bit needs doing but I shall not get them done now.
Just warm, comfortable, grown a bit shabby like me but we suit each other just fine and has fifty yeas of memories, most of them good!!

That is me all over, even though I have decided to decorate for the last time inside. Just white paint and emulsion all over so at least it is clean and tidy. My kitchen cabinets are the worst, they really need replacing but that is not happening in my time, I am dreading having the decorators in, as I sell a lot on line and have boxes everywhere what to do with them? Garage here they come, car must stay out then!!

We've also downsized and I do like my home, it's exactly what we need and very close to two of our children.
Previously we were a couple of hours away and saw less of them, but I do miss the beautiful Georgian house we lived in then. It was just not a practical house for people who are getting older, having four flights of stairs up to the top of the house and needing a lot of maintenance.
So I don't love it, but I'm content as we've renovated it to suit ourselves and there is virtually no maintenance. I do love being so close to two of my children however.

Having been dragged around the country by my parents, and then being forced out of London by too many immigrants of all kinds to be able to have a family, then having to move to gain work, I have no real attachment to bricks and mortar.

I had open fields all around, but now the windows of the house built behind me overlook at less than 30ft, so my answer has to be no.