Chatting about down sizing to a smaller dream home

 

030/10 Timbercrest Rise, Woodvale, WA 6026

Talking to friends about down sizing brings a lot of headaches!

Do we need a house with two toilets and bathrooms, a family room and formal lounge and dining we all ask.

Do we really want to leave our loved garden that we break our backs at each day trying to get to one more weed or that snail that is eating our seedlings.  The weeds start to get a long way down on some days to pull out!

The idea of a retirement village sometimes is frightening, especially when we see the issue with living close together when there is a pandemic.   We personally like our back garden facing north to get the winter sun so why would we want to move?

When we down size we have to sort out the treasures that we have had for so many years, which ones do you give away or which items do we give to the Salvos? 

I know we have gone through all this 20 years ago with our late mothers, it is emotional.

Give items to grown children and what did they do they sold them!  No emotional attachment to a lot of items.

 

Image Details IST_21327_00902 - Thinking seniors couple. Confused elderly  people. Grandfather, grandmother forget and trying remember. Troubled old  senior discussion, aging seniors worried talking cartoon vector  illustration. Thinking seniors couple ...

Sometimes I think I would like to be  a Pharaoh and take everything with me!  LOL  

4 comments

I would HATE to have to move from where I am now -- NO immediate neighbors -- loys of wildlife and no traffic noise and a big block -- which has a wonderful garden and that I can no longer keep to it's best -- but I would neck myself if I ever came to the point of going into care -- plus if you sell and buy you are up for a hell of a lot of stamp duty -- or whatever they intend to put on instead -- you would be better off using some of that money to pay someone to come and do a bit of gardening now and again -- although maybe not be able to afford it very often.

I was interviewed for home help 11 months ago -- and still waiting -- and at this time I do not care to have strangers in my house or near me  -- why the hell can't this unthinking government allow us to get the money and pay someone we KNOW is safe and is looking for work to come and do some jobs and they could also be recommended to our other friends, as it is the way it is people are waiting and most DIE b4 they get any help at all -- and they are paid a miserable wage  and I have been told by a friend that they got a new person every week and the work was not done right and also -- this below is a quote

'---------------------------------------------------------------

'My elderly mother has had numerous small precious items go “missing” and so many breakages that it would make you weep.
As of July 1st, the hourly rate that is charged to the client's account is Now $60 ! The carers that come around of course don’t get paid anywhere near that amount low to mid $20s, so the care companies are making a killing financially!'

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So why can't they give us the money and we can employ would we wish

I would HATE to have to move from where I am now ...

Me too.

Downsizing and expenses ...

Selling, downsizing, moving ... have done my sums regularly and currently am better where I am. Although the property is very big, I have a garden guy and pool man and employ a professional cleaner annually for a spring clean (I can manage dusting and hand stick vacuuming one room at a time). The cost of this help is far less than most body corp or senior's villages would charge (I've checked). All other charges similar e.g. rates, electricity.

PLanB wrote "So why can't they give us the money and we can employ would we wish" – you might want to explore this further. Until my my mother-in-law moved into aged care home, she was able to engage her daughter and a family friend for home help under a care package. Like you she did not want to deal with strangers in her home.

Thank you Farside -- I will enquire and see what can be done, thank you

 

When my husband died 11 years ago, I made up my mind that I didn't want to stay in my house any longer. It had a huge back yard 50' x 150' and the only time I used it was to hang clothes on the line. I was warned by my sisters to not rush into anything, and bide my time. I thought, to hell with it, I'm ringing a real estate agent to put my house on the market. I had never done this thing alone so was scared I'd regret it later. After a few days of advertising by the real estate people, I sold my home within 5 days.! I was ecstatic and my sons couldn't believe I had done this all by myself. This gave me great confidence and I found myself a lovely little Villa not too far away from the local shops and my friends. I have now been here for over 6 years and have a beautiful garden and painted the interior with all the colours I loved. I'm still energetic and don't rely on anyone to help out. Things may change in the next few years but I'm still batting on. When I moved out of my old home I was not interested in making money with Garage Sales, I put all the items I didn't want out on the nature strip with a sign, "Everything Free," even my furniture. The house was cleared within the week and I'm sure I made some people very happy that couldn't afford to buy furniture. The saddest part was the leaving, all those memories came flooding back because we had lived in that house for over 30 years. After a few tears and saying "good bye" to each room, I closed the front door thankful for all those wonderful years.  

                                              

 

HOLA I am so pleased you are happy --good for you

Thanks PlanB. I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking of moving. Some people leave it until it is too late. I have a sister who wants to move and a very stubborn husband who won't hear of it. If anything happens to him she will be in a terrible predicament.

 

Very good Hola!

Years ago when I was newly by myself with two teenage boys to look after I did the same, bought a block of land and built a new house, much to my parents amazement.

The hardest part was putting the garden in!

Today we built a smaller home to our own design, got rid of the bigger house and got rid of a lot of furnishings.     The garden has a hankerchief lawn!   The plants are  10 roses, which I have been spraying these last few weeks due to hubby not being able to do that.  

Have decided to get a cleaner in since I have been ill recently, we have tiles on the floor and have a steamer so I will get the cleaner to do the bathroom and steam the floor tiles, that will take a lot of the load off my back.  

But we didn't expect to age so quickly!  LOL  Hubby especially, was a bit of a shock.

But number one son comes around, bless him and helps us.

 

Good on you Hola. So glad the move worked well for you.

Hola makes a good point "Some people leave it until it is too late." – do it while you can still enjoy the benefits from the new arrangement. I downsized from the large family home three years ago.

I am in the process of doing just that.  Sold my house the day after it was listed - what a shock! buying into a lovely village interstate closer to my family.  The hardest thing is going through everything I've had here for 25 years and weeding out all that I don't need.  And organising the actual move.  Luckily I have someone helping me who does house clearing for a living.  I am glad this will be the last time I have to do it.  Looking forward to setting up my new space and spending more time with family.  Financially its a win also.

So glad to hear you happy with your choice Patti!

It is stressful, had to do it with my late mother in law and late mother.

I know when mum sold her home it was a shock, she also didn't expect it to be sold so quickly.

Patti, do yourself a favour and do as much of the clearing out before you move, it will save you $$$ and heartache. We did a big clearout after 25 years in the family home so did not take stuff to a temporary rental that was smaller. What could be donated was donated and the rest put on the verge for hard rubbish removal. By the time the hard rubbish collection came around there was scarecly anything left after the nightcrawlers had picked it over. Then 18 months later we unexpectedly found ourselves in the position of yet more clearout before moving to a downsized home. This came as a surprise after being so ruthless the first time. And now we find ourselves still going through clearing out. It is a slog if you are sentimental and there are no short cuts. My approach is to box stuff up and then if box unopened after 12 months move it closer to the door. It is true that you inevitably throw out something a couple of weeks or months before you go looking for it.

Nearly 4 years ago we were in the South West of the state in a small town, I went into a secondhand shop and there before my eye were three Corningware dishes, little ones and bought them!  LOL  Each with their own glass clear lids too!

I had got rid of lot of the bigger dishes and saw these and thought they are ideal for the microwave! 

Got rid of some and buy more!  But we have used them a lot they have been very handy, they hardly looked if they had been used either.  I find looking around in some country towns very useful with the items in their little shops.

Good on you Patti. Yes it was a finncial win for me too as my husband hadn't worked for many years due to his detereriorating health.       

4 comments



To make a comment, please register or login

Preview your comment