Topic: Lifestyle Changes

[Ken (OP)]

Making a major lifestyle change can be extremely difficult to think about and manage! 

At our ages and my health concerns, Kay and me know that changes need to be made to our lifestyle because if one of us dies or becomes incapacitated that would leave the surviving spouse in a very difficult situation.
So, how to get ahead of the events that will happen in the next months or years?

First order of business is to sell this oversized money pit... and it is that because I'm no longer able to do a lot of the maintenance and upkeep chores that can turn out to be very costly if you bring in someone to do a repair of some kind. So, after the house is sold, then what?

What we want to do is go full-time in a motor-home or travel trailer, but my online research is beginning to persuade me out of that idea. The main issue would be the day-to-day expansiveness like fresh water, dumping fees for your waste tanks and fees for staying in a park like KOA and others, where the parking fees an run anywhere from $50.00 a night to several hundreds in some parks. And, just like a house, there's always the maintenance and upkeep chores that might be outside of my abilities.

A second option would be to rent a small house, but we've only begun to research that idea, so the ups and downs of that approach remain to be seen.
We're gonna have to do some deep thinking on this one. 

[Skhilled]

Yes, Been thinking of that for quite awhile now. I used to want a house but no longer want the maintenance involved in it, especially when I have to work and am getting older.

I've been wanting to rent something but need to find something cost worthy.

[Scrubmeister]

What about a condominium? Mobile home in a park?

No real maintenance to do. The trick is finding a nice one where you want to live. Easier said than done I imagine?

I have a motorhome. There is always maintenance to do and expenses. I agree.....pass on that idea.

My wife and I have been talking about the same thing Ken. Its better to plan ahead then wait until something happens.

[Ken (OP)]

We are so accustomed to being in a home with some distance between us and our neighbors that it would be rather traumatic for us to try and adjust to apartment or condo living... we've been 'house dwellers' since to early 1980s,

We may yet go with a motor-home, but that seems less likely as my research progresses, so our next best option would be to rent a small house out in the boon-docks somewhere near our current location. A one or two bedroom would be plenty big enough for us because if we have a large family gathering like we did with the Summertime Fun 2023! it would just mean that more of the visiting family members would need hotel rooms.

The research continues, meanwhile we keep making progress on all of the details that will lead us up to the sale of this house.

[Scrubmeister]

Yes, I get the distance between neighbors.  That's how we live too.

A small ranch on some land might work?  Single floor living is the way to go as we age.

Rents of anything like that would be hard to come by and expensive where we live.

[Skhilled]

I grew up in a big city and am used to the neighbors. They eventually learn not to piss me off and play nice with the other children. LMAO

I agree with the living on a single floor part. However, I'm so used to running around on my job as well as up and down ladders it would probably be hard for me to adjust. LOL That's how I stay in shape, no gym, just work. LOL

Yup, renting is expensive everywhere now and needs to be curbed.