End of Pensioner "Perks"

[reohn2]

Al
I wish you well and hope it all works out OK for you,wife and family.All the best

[al_yrpal]

Thanks. With Natural Ankling and Mick as near neighbours I'll fit right in

Al

[reohn2]

Thanks. With Natural Ankling and Mick as near neighbours I'll fit right in

Al

I'm sure you will

[Cugel]

I can imagine the pub conversation, down to the last hackneyed cliche!

Cugel

[reohn2]

I can imagine the pub conversation, down to the last hackneyed cliche!

Cugel

You don't mean the three wise men sat round imperial pints of garlic and porridge ale discussing how to overcome the Franco German expansion?

[Psamathe]

......
I wonder if the baby boomer generation is the last which has stayed relatively sedentary in terms of housing and is therefore much more attached to those dwellings......

Owning a house is a real hindrance to life. I was very late "on the property ladder", instead moving job and the good opportunities were never "local" so I ended-up moving around (incl. overseas) - something not very easy if you own a home.

And then you have all the hassle like periodic re-decorating (costs and time when you could be doing fun stuff), sorting out repairs, builders, etc.

Ian

[al_yrpal]

To a lot of folk their home is the most important thing next to their family. People love to improve and cherish their homes and make them just like they want to be. And, lots of folk love their community, local friends and neighbours, and to belong to clubs and societies sharing their interests with like minded people. Whilst I can appreciate a different point of view where its just a house thats convenient for your job that isnt how most people see it. And thats why we shouldnt try to bully old folk in single occupancy out.

Our forthcoming move is only our 5th in our lifetime and I have never found any house to be a hindrance. What would be a hindrance would be not being able to adapt somewhere to meet my desires and requirements, and paying someone rent which is tantamount to stuffing money down the drain. In my present community one can observe people with no stake, they dont join in which is their decision of course.....

Al

[pwa]

I have said that I can't imagine wanting to move from my community, but looking at it from another angle, a few years back my parents were becoming frailer with age and we all decided they would be better off selling their home in Ireland and returning to the UK to live close to us, where we could support them in various ways. So that is what they did and it turned out to be one of the best decisions they ever made. Since then they have had several medical emergencies and we have been there for them. My Dad died last year and we now see Mum several times a week, help her out with things, and take her with us on holiday sometimes. Last year we took her on a week's canal boat tour and she sat at the front, like the Queen of Sheba, with the crew scuttling round at locks. My daughter was usually controlling the boat (rather well) 65ft further back. Three generations together.

[Psamathe]

I suspect a lot must depend on individual circumstances, particularly in later life.

My comments were personal experience from earlier in my career. That said, and I recognise I might be a bit of an exception, I still find owning my house a bit of a "millstone". I've spent over 6 months out of the last 10 months away and it's hassle arranging extra (unoccupied) insurance cover, arranging neighbours to keep an eye on the place, having central heating professionally drained (insurance company requirement), etc.

Ian

[merseymouth]

Hi all, Well Al, good luck with your re-location, worth the effort if it makes life easier for the extended family.
Both my wife and I are orphans, so we are the elderly millstones in the mix. She has really only lived two permanent homes in 69 years (plus a short period in digs). I have managed three, first till 7 years old, the next for 20 years,finally 44 years in my current pile.
My next move will be in the box with handles.
But in the last 3 years I have had to contend with 3 moves by our daughter, the first two 5 months apart, then just last month a move for her up to Cumbria.
The worst thing in the moves is trying to work out DYI in absentia! Painful.
We don't have a car, but we have an excellent rail service available, hope it stays that way in Grayling's hands .
Our homes aren't large, but I now have space to keep all my books together, a properly sited dartboard and a nice table for the jig-saw addiction!
So our home is now worth more than we paid for it, but if we sold up we would not feel any benefit unless we down-sized to a mouse hole .
The same goes for most long term home owners so we ain't actually causing a problem.
But one thing should change, it shouldn't be the case that a single 75+ year old triggers a free TV license, sorry Al . If there are younger adults in residence, who would have to buy their own license, then why shouldn't they cough up?
Well, chew on that. TTFN MM

[bigjim]

I detest DIY. I'm quite capable of doing it and have an array of tools. I've just finished re-tiling the bathroom floor. I'd much rather be out on my bike, down the gym or just going for a walk. I don't think maintaining a modest semi like mine is that expensive. Although paying builders £200 a day goes against the grain for me. However I've done the maths and it beats renting by a long shot.
My lovely lady always wants the house to be relatively modern, so often it is not maintenance but changing things just because they have become old fashioned, which is crazy to me and is unnecessary spending.. I could walk into some of these houses that have been found in some papers that have been stuck in the 50s/60s era etc and sit down, put the kettle on and live there quite happily.

[al_yrpal]

Thanks MM, two of us are over 75 and we cant use the bus pass any more because of the Mrs's lack of mobility and constant pain. What do you think, half price?
We are regressing into the 19th Century, our new (old) house was built in 1820. The thought of my daughter trawling Antique Shops fills me with dread Endless DIY is looming.

Al

[merseymouth]

Hi again Al , If it is a single residence with a mixed age group then surely a normal TV license is appropriate. But if it is split into family residence & Granny Flat then surely you old fogeys should view for free, with the others paying as per custom.
If they take advantage of you Oldies to save paying then surely that is exploitation?
I still force my SWMBO to get regular exercise even though she suffers from a injury occasioned in her earlier years, she improves after the first ten minutes. Living in a rural or semi-rural situation nearly always poses problems with public transport, but luckily for us we live very close to a mainline station and our daughter also has a station close by, so ok. But should a 21st Century Dr Beeching appear we my be scuppered?

So Al, keep working towards the Royal Tele Message, 100 not out, with pleasures close by. TTFN MM

[Cugel]

Moving house is considered stressful at any age - widowed and over 70 it's both mentally and physically crushing. Plus it simply reduces what I can leave - 5 grand wasted compared with what I'll leave in say 2 years time if I simply stay put.

I wonder if the baby boomer generation is the last which has stayed relatively sedentary in terms of housing and is therefore much more attached to those dwellings.

Once he left home, upon marriage, my father has only lived in two houses since. Since adulthood l have lived in seven different dwellings, all in different towns/locations, and one of those was abroad. My wife, who is less travelled, has lived in five.

I have no problem with moving and we are planning to move to more appropriate, accessible housing when we age, we definitely don't want to be car dependent when elderly. My only issue with the type of retirement/sheltered housing l have seen a couple of relatives in is a garage for bikes!

That's probably because the previous generation to yours had a more settle working life,obviously that's a generalisation but I think it's a valid one.
The longer you live somewhere the more attached you become to the house,neighbours and surroundings,especially if you have children that have grown up there.

I lived 52 years in NW England, around Lancaster. In the early days I was a student and moved a zillion times to and from various rented places, all of which tended to be of the hovel or garret status as I had little dosh and the landlords were the usual type - givus yer rent (cash only) and no repairs! This trend continued for some years.

Eventually I got married to the ladywife and setteld in our bought-house, which we spent many years, much dosh and a lot of effort making very nice indeed, including the large well-stocked gardens. But last year we decided to change our lifestyle and leave NW England for very rural Wales.

We left behind a very nice house, improved to the highest standards. We bought another that had an owner with a similar attitude, in addition to the drive to make the house a very efficient low-carbon affair. If house owners look after and cherish their home, they can feel pleasure in passing them on to the next owner. If house owners look after and cherish their homes, others can move into such a place and be very satisfied if & when it's sold.

We didn't find our move traumaticc at all. In fact it's an adventure. We left many social relationships and memberships behind. Already we have made many equivalent new ones. You take your sociability with you when you move. It can be practiced anywhere, as can home-making.

Cugel

[Mick F]

Al.
All the very best to you and Mrs Al. Don't stop being on this forum, and it's very possible that we could meet up face-to-face rather than keyboard-to-keyboard.