Did you sell your house to purchase a van for full timing

buttons said:
A boring couple of weeks in the life of a brick box dweller,:Wink: Today sitting in glorious sun shine looking out to sea and topping up the tan at south end on sea (dont knock until you have tryed it). Last week, spent in 5* luxury on thr island of Cyprus, just 5 hours from my brick box to the hotel.:Wink:
Tomorrow catch up on a bit of work before spending next weekend camping in the beautiful county of Suffolk. Followed by a couple more weekends away then a week in the villor in majorca followed by a couple of weeks in the US. Etc. Etc.:Cool:
Any one of these pleasures would be a majour undertaking if not impossible if I Was full timing.:Sad:
How about a week in the life of full timing. What are you doing this week.
Click to expand...

I would rather be full timing in my own 'box' than sat in an airport for hours on end, catching flights that leave early morning, and land in the middle of the night. Queuing with hundreds of similar folk, tired, bored, hungry, thirsty, huddled from here to there, delays, cramped in an aircraft seat for hours and hours, more queues for the baggage, car hire, bus, etc; I have had enough before i get on a plane!

I can have a wonderful time, wandering from place to place enjoying the countryside.
Sod the airports, sod the queues, sod the middle of the night flights. I am happier on a slow ferry, to unseen places, than i would be in any lousy airport.

craig
 
hi grommet perhaps you were too late getting into buying . the secret is paying it off early .not going the full term .
i for one had mine payed off at 42 yr old . never borrowed since . semi retired at 43yr old .have the house and camper . do what i want . go almost where i like /or should i say can .
where you buy etc is all part of the trick . but as said by op. most new m,homes lose about ten grand a year for the first 5 years . buy an old one yes you lose less . i say buy a truck ,convert it and after a couple of years its free .you cant lose anymore .
but a houise gives cheaper insurance etc . and all the other bits . but enjoy your travels as and when you can . lost my mum and dad a few years ago . still miss them . look after her you only get the one.
 
Gromett said:
I have come to the conclusion that fulltiming is something that either suites you or doesn't. At the moment if you were to force me into a brick house it would be kicking and screaming and I would be looking for a way to get on the road again as quickly as possible.

Some people it suites for a while (then back to brick house) and for others not at all.

I am fortunate in that I am single and don't have any kids or other responsibilities. My only tie is my mum who will hopefully be fit and well within another 3 months so I can start travelling again as being stopped in one place really doesn't suite. Even while looking after mum I am parked outside her house. I live in the van, cook in the van, shower in the van and toilet in the van. It IS my home and I love it. I am just a bit fed up at the moment that I can't use the new rubbery bits I have just fitted to each corner and move.
Mum has offered to let me stay in the spare bedroom, hook up my main computer in there, use the shower and other facilities. She has finally grasped that my own house is only 5 meters away and I am happier going home each night.:thumb: By the time I move on I will probably have been parked here for 9 months. It is not why I went fulltiming but having said that if I wasn't fulltiming I would have to work 40 hour weeks and couldn't have come down to look after her.
Click to expand...


We completely understand why you chose to do what you do and have no problem with that. As you so rightly said, what suits one person, might not suit another and we know we prefer to do what we choose to do, splitting time between both home and motorhome.
Like others have mentioned previously, those who don't have any desire to full-time love to get away in their motorhomes, but really enjoy the feeling of getting back to the bricks and mortar as well.
We appreciate that having your own space is paramount to you, but at the same time you are close by to your Mum and I am sure she really appreciates you being there for her:thumb:
We both hope that your Mum will soon be back to full fitness and that you will soon be able to get back on the road:thumb:

Margaret & Bill
 
I was considering full timing, but having recently spent 2 months full timing around the Baltics & Scandinavia not so sure. For me the best option is probably downsize to release equity and spend as much time as I want in the MH. As for worry about the house being burgled whilst away, I would be much more worried about my prize possesions in a flimsy MH being nicked!:Eeek:
 
campacola said:
I was considering full timing, but having recently spent 2 months full timing around the Baltics & Scandinavia not so sure. For me the best option is probably downsize to release equity and spend as much time as I want in the MH. As for worry about the house being burgled whilst away, I would be much more worried about my prize possesions in a flimsy MH being nicked!:Eeek:
Click to expand...
Sounds like a sensible logical idea.:thumb:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Elaine and I had a lo g discussion about this and her answer is same as before no
But what she did ask is what would I do if anything happened to you and I was on my own what would I do ?
She want the piece of mind of knowing she would have a home to go back to

Female logic and after thinking about it she is correct she did say that in few years maybe try it but keep house and rent it out
 
matamoros said:
As the saying goes " There are no pockets in shrouds" :BigGrin:
Click to expand...

You made me think of my brother then, he loves that phrase, and he adds:

"You come into this world with nothing so, if you leave it owing, that's the only true profit you're ever gonna make"
​
 
Think we have been here before at the moment sat in the sun not worrying to much just let me know when we have the next crash
 
Don Quixote said:
No regrets

Sold up just over 4 yrs years ago, bought a small place in Spain as a "bolt hole" - bought a MH to see the rest of EU ( currently in Germany ) and have never looked back once. We can come over to UK and enjoy the "funister" meets and meet some very nice members.

Not full time, but nearly.........

Most of all NO STRESS........... As my signature below shows "life is too short"
Click to expand...

Now back in Spain at the "bolt hole" turning MH round ready for next trip out ( Portugal ) December time for 3 or 4 months........... What a life at 56 years old. See you there maybe?
 
life is what you make it . so many wait hoping for redundancy to give them the freedom they could have had years ago..
i always thought 42 was a good time to semi retire . i wasnt wrong .

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
We were discussing this very subject, when I was telling him about some of you being full timers, he said he wouldn`t sell up and do that, he can see the attraction in going off to many different places, but he would always like a base, as he says when we get older no one knows what is around the corner, there may be a time when no longer able to travel, at least you will still have a place to go to, renting it out is one option, so that it is not left empty, we were going to live in France a few years ago, got as far as looking at properties, estate agent there was persuading us to go for new build and not an older place, in the end we decided to stay here, if we had gone to France we would have rented the house out here, just our view on things, wouldn`t do for us all to be the same, I personally can see the attraction in being a full-timer:thumb:.
 
hi. thats my view as well .i looked in the 90,s in france .very nearly did sell up and go .but the buyer here was messing us around . we kept the house and set off on around africa trip. left our grown up lads in the house . now i still have the house . i say keep a base sorts address questions etc . but travel as well . you can have best of both worlds . lovely cornwall in summer in uk .then the next summer starts in november . you can live life to the full . eternal summer suits me .
 
buttons said:
Perhaps going up was the wrong statement but if the price of a property of mine was in free fall then I would indeed be unhappy.:cry:
Click to expand...

The value of your property does not matter at all unless either you sell up and get out of the market or drop dead and then it will matter to who ever inherits it. Not worth worrying about. BUSBY:Laughing:
 
rainbow chasers said:
I do see your point. Of all the fulltimers I have met - there wasn't many of those that actually went back to home ownership to be honest.

I think it does something to you - you re-evaluate what society expects of you. Many feel buying property is not always necessary - though it is a good way of investing your money and keeping it relatively secure.

I have met many fulltimers; some have bought old houses at auctions, but just as many have gone into land and either put a park home on it/ completed a modest self build - maybe something to do with new found confidence in themselves? Others have either found a good rented proerty deal on their travels, either home or abroad, and a fair few that really have spent the inheritence end up in social housing!
Click to expand...

Whats wrong with SOCIAL HOUSING ? BUSBY:Smile:
 
vwalan said:
then its over valued. that was the trouble they got over valued and folk really thought that they were worth it .
get lovely houses around here with lots parking for less than 200grand . some down to 125,000.
how that compares i dont know . but one twop doors away was sold last year for 130,000. lovely place .
Click to expand...

200000 would buy you a mansion around here. You can get a modern two bed semi on a nice quiet new estate for under 110000. BUSBY:BigGrin:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
I thought I could maybe full time, but having tried 2x2 months full timing this year I realised I would definately need to come back to a base for a few months at least. I would also want somewhere to work on my MH after a trip with access to a full set of tools. :thumb:
 
campacola said:
I thought I could maybe full time, but having tried 2x2 months full timing this year I realised I would definately need to come back to a base for a few months at least. I would also want somewhere to work on my MH after a trip with access to a full set of tools. :thumb:
Click to expand...

There are some full-timers at the rear of where I work, and they find the same problem, needing some pro tools sometimes and courier delivery's seem to be a problem some times as well.
 
We sold up because we had a MH...

Later on we bought a 2nd place over here, so we have 2 'bases'... but only because they were there - and cost next to nothing to keep.

We're not bothered where we are when we eventually pop our clogs. :Wink:
 
Don Quixote said:
Now back in Spain at the "bolt hole" turning MH round ready for next trip out ( Portugal ) December time for 3 or 4 months........... What a life at 56 years old. See you there maybe?
Click to expand...

Not many at 56 years of age can get away as you do
I know I am lucky doing it at 50
Life is short so have to enjoy it
 
Thought I'd tag along on this 'interesting' thread!

We are just over 2 years in now, and have nothing to go back to whatsoever!
Regrets - only that we didn't do it years ago.
Property - no thank you!
If we get terminally ill - will go over a cliff together in the MH, whilst having a great party :Eeek:
.....don't take me too seriously - I dont! :Wink:

And remember - there are no problems - only solutions!:Cool:

I still have 2 years left to work, but leave my suits/shirts/shoes etc in a locker at the office, and get my shirts all washed and ironed nearby, so never having to have anything in the MH apart from my casual stuff! We stay on a CL on the days I'm at work - then on days off we clear off wherever we fancy! It works, its fun, and we love it:thumb:

Come February 16th 2016 - thats when the fun will really start!!!! I know you shouldn't wish your life away - but at 50 I'll be retired, and can't wait:wooo::wooo:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
BreweryDave said:
Thought I'd tag along on this 'interesting' thread!

We are just over 2 years in now, and have nothing to go back to whatsoever!
Regrets - only that we didn't do it years ago.
Property - no thank you!
If we get terminally ill - will go over a cliff together in the MH, whilst having a great party :Eeek:
.....don't take me too seriously - I dont! :Wink:

And remember - there are no problems - only solutions!:Cool:

I still have 2 years left to work, but leave my suits/shirts/shoes etc in a locker at the office, and get my shirts all washed and ironed nearby, so never having to have anything in the MH apart from my casual stuff! We stay on a CL on the days I'm at work - then on days off we clear off wherever we fancy! It works, its fun, and we love it:thumb:

Come February 16th 2016 - thats when the fun will really start!!!! I know you shouldn't wish your life away - but at 50 I'll be retired, and can't wait:wooo::wooo:
Click to expand...
Retiring early is fantastic Dave, been there done/doing it. Not sure about the living in a box though. Thousands love it as I'm sure you do but not for me. I like the security of bricks and mortar with a family base so that anyone can drop in at will without first looking my whereabouts up on google. Cant understand what these additional benefits are, having a motorhome on the driveway gives me the same benefits surely. I can only see additional negatives without any positives but it would be boring if we were all the same. Have a great retirement..:thumb:
 
Interesting views.We are just about to become temporarily homeless as the exchange of contracts is soon.Decided not to look for new property until we have sold up,therefore we will be fulltimers with stuff in storage untill we ????? .Well thats the problem,we dont want to rush in to a decision so might just wander around for a while untill our ureeka moment arrives.

Park Home (cheap but rent to pay)
Bricks (cheap/expensive depending on where you buy,but with rental potential)
Nothing (invest the "home" cash for a 5% long term return approx)

Initial thoughts are to buy a van in the states and use it 4 months a year over 5 years approx.Use our van for Europe 4 months approx and the rest at "home" and/or fly to holidays to rent holiday property.


BUT -I believe without some form of address life could become difficult on admin stuff ,maybe declare we live at our sons house ?
This is a good problem to think about but feel we should settle the matter by xmas to start 2015 fresh.
 
We were only discussing this yesterday. Pats son has just been awarded a post doc in Munich for the next 3 years. This means for perhaps 10 months of the year the house will be empty. Empty houses deteriorate quickly, so what is the solution. Sell the pile and buy a small apartment near Dover or perhaps a park home with storage, closer to the channel ports. Its not really a financial thing with us to sell up to go fulltiming, its more of a practical thing as we spend more time in the van than we do in the house. I do realise that there are many hoops to jump through when there is no letterbox and we will have to consider all the options first. One of the main problems is of course health issues and if I died what would herself do in the south coast when the rest of her family is oop norf. A tough one all round.
 
Snowbird said:
if I died what would herself do in the south coast when the rest of her family is oop norf.
Click to expand...

It's not "if" it's "when" and she moves north again. Simples.

Though you might as her if she wants to become a suvverner.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Dafydd said:
a long time planning...

Thanks Buttons for the interesting thread...

I've been thinking about selling up and living in a van since about 3 years ago. I think I made my mind up about 1 and a half years ago. Then for the last year I've been waiting for the Irish economy to come back from the dead, which it is starting to do (banks are finally starting to give mortgages again).

I'm currently getting rid of a couple of decades of accumulated furniture and "stuff" - a harder job than I'd imagined. Then re-decorate and put it on the market August/September and cross my fingers that I won't be having to live in an immaculately hoovered house for too many months till someone buys it.

Over the last 2 years I've read quite a few threads on mhf and I've got to say that the ruminations of a variety of people with all different perspectives, talking through a load of different aspects of going fulltiming has been a *massive* help.

So I'm going to cash in all my chips. I've got to (nearly) 50, I find myself a free man with a paid off house and a small income. I think that without that fortunate financial situation I couldn't really contemplate living as a solo nomad.
I do some work online (editing, document preparation) but having done a financial plan (ie gone from a scrap of paper to a spreadsheet) my total annual income will probably only be about £12-£15 a year.
However, in doing the financial plan I realised that with the bills & costs of a fixed home-life I will actually have about the same financial freedom with considerably more physical freedom. I've got friends around Europe that I haven't seen in years.

For all the logistics & beaurocracy considerations this forum has proved absolutely invaluable. And my lovely sister has agreed to let me use her house as a postal address - and to stay there between selling up and buying a van.

As to an exit strategy - well I think you have to have half an eye on that: the means put by to rent somewhere perhaps. But also: look what happened to the actor James Gandolfini - 51 and keeled over. That really made me think!

So yes, I'm going to willfully set fire to some bridges!
I could rent the house out... I've thought about it and for a lot of people that's going to be (or is) the most sensible option. But I know I won't be wanting to return to live here in future so for me it's part of a 'clean break'.

Despite being naturally impulsive the near-death of the Irish economy has forced me to bide my time, which has been a good thing. Over the last 2-3 years I've narrowed down the van I want to a handful of models, I've got lists of places I want to visit that cover several pages, I've read over Truma/Alde heating systems, reviews of dealers, how to import from Germany, medical cover, rules for motorway tolls and compulsory kit for a dozen countries, wi-fi options, and the saga of Fiat-Sevel gearbox issues of 2006-2010 vans :Eeek:
Now I'm definitely ready!! Even my elderly mum seems to have got used to the idea that I'll be living in a campervan and no, I won't be carrying on waiting for a college lecturing job! I think she's already planning some little trips she'll want me to take her on..

Anyway, I'm grateful enough to all the folks here for posting their wisdom that I've finally paid up for membership!
Click to expand...




Great post. I'm around your age and planning on the same but funded by redundency and a good pension (At 55, fingers crossed) as an exit plan, if needed. Be great to chat with ya :)
Mike
 
mojo said:
Interesting views.We are just about to become temporarily homeless as the exchange of contracts is soon.Decided not to look for new property until we have sold up,therefore we will be fulltimers with stuff in storage untill we ????? .Well thats the problem,we dont want to rush in to a decision so might just wander around for a while untill our ureeka moment arrives.

Park Home (cheap but rent to pay)
Bricks (cheap/expensive depending on where you buy,but with rental potential)
Nothing (invest the "home" cash for a 5% long term return approx)

Initial thoughts are to buy a van in the states and use it 4 months a year over 5 years approx.Use our van for Europe 4 months approx and the rest at "home" and/or fly to holidays to rent holiday property.


BUT -I believe without some form of address life could become difficult on admin stuff ,maybe declare we live at our sons house ?
This is a good problem to think about but feel we should settle the matter by xmas to start 2015 fresh.
Click to expand...

Where would you get 5% and how long do you have to tie your money up for ?
 
We sold our house, not to buy a motorhome, but to reduce our outgoings due to serious illness. Since then we have bought a caravan as well and move between the two. Not a single regret. Saved loads of money each month, have money sitting in accounts earning a nice little interest,and never felt so free and well. Everyone should do it!
 
I sold my house in February. Hit the road in May (selling furniture sorting doctors etc). Due to ill health, HAD to sell and it was either loose the money in rent or go it alone. I have taken a huge risk with my health, but with the mobile phone, internet am coping with getting medication etc thanks to using my sisters address as 'unfixed abode'. Vets are accessible wherever I book. House prices going up means nothing to me, unless you own them outright, they are not yours. It is hard, having to get your next site etc but meeting new people and seeing new places makes it worth the while. I do not miss the gossip that comes with a permanent abode, I feel free of it all. I am me n mine, n living my life with my pets, take me or leave me, we may not cross paths again......but we would if you were on my street................do you understand?

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top