Thinking of downsizing property ,might be homeless,how do you exist in van?

[PaulOH]

Thankyou for your knowledge, i dont fancy renting a property ,as i feel it would be “moving” twice,i think ill declutter,and whats left put in storage,i cant use mums address ( which is actually next door) as she has dementia,my commitment to caring for mum has lessened due to her increased care from carers ,which is enabling me to actually think of moving,anyway ive been valued,and once ive got my finger out and decluttered(we have contents of old relatives bungalow who has gone in care home in garage and workshop)and house looks presentable i think ill be biting bullet and sign will be going up , altho i love my house its too big for just 2 of us….. i think its been dealing with emptying bungalow thats made me want to downsize myself

I am sorry for what you are experiencing, a close relative with dementia is not at all easy. I am thinking of full timing myself for different but equally emotional reasons so you are not alone.

I think you need to think about how best to expedite the situation for you. Would your relative or other family members mind if you lived in the bungalow? Can your use your mum's address by parking in her driveway?? Would your relative let you use that address before anything is sold? All you want is grounds to avoid being accused of not doing thing right. Lets be practical - if you want to avoid renting, then the van or a caravan is a possibility, but it is not the only one.

I think people choose to be in the van or caravan because they can accept the limitations in order to move around and select the kind of experiences they enjoy. You too may love this for a while, but I read that you love your too-big house - are you ready for the compromises?

If you can honestly say that you are, then bring it on!! if you are going to use a caravan then it'll be quite a bit more expensive regarding site fees, but you'll probably not have to install solar and will have a car free to use. If you go the MH route then you can avoid site fees but will be a lot more concious of how to access water, drains and electricity, via solar etc. as well as needing to be able to park somewhere that the neighbours or local police don't object to. Your car becomes an extra.

My perspective is about what's practicable. I am not versed in the UK's other legal requirements when registered to an address, so I suppose it might come down to these sorts ot things too!

 

[Tigger-Tim]

Some friends (who are experienced caravanners) tried living in their caravan when their house was being remodelled. It was OK in the summer months, but the winter was hell. They rented a house in the end.

I lived in my caravan on a seasonal pitch Monday to Friday for about three years. But it was just me, and I tend to quite enjoy camping. I used to get a few looks from people when I went off to work in my suit each morning but the campsite owners knew what I was doing and were fine with it.

Unless you want to go travelling, a caravan and seasonal pitch is a much cheaper way of doing it.

 

[Reallyretired]

I wouldn't worry too much about a too large house. Ours is really larger than needed for the two of us, some rooms we may only go into on a weekly basis, but we would hate the trauma of moving. It has taken years to get house and garden as we want.

 

[The Wino]

How about a static caravan site off season? You could probably get a good rate at some of the ones on the East coast if that's not too far for you.

Otherwise what about house sitting???

I was going to suggest similar but in a holiday let at the end of the season with a 6 month occupancy.

 

[olley]

That is what I'm currently paying, it was less last year but I had a claim.

Surprised the rate hasn't gone up, ours did stay roughly the same for the 3 years we were ft.
Address wasn't a problem as we simply changed everything to the wife's shop, however their are companies that will receive your mail and forward it on to you or scan and email it to you.
Some narrow boat owners use them, just have a Google.

Here's one: https://ghostmail.london/?gclid=Cj0...16DDSU5rIrfTTQ34d0M6azsuRHPWD-fEaAj5DEALw_wcB

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[Jamesh]

Which area do you need to be local too?

Doncaster?

Without knowing this it's a bit of a stab on the dark....

 

[Swifter]

Definitely watch Van Life and John & Mandy - not for the faint-hearted!

They have spit up , presumably partly to do with the stress of living in such a small space together .

 

[Pirahna]

We sold up last year and spent a good few months living in the van. Trying to park for free in the UK is difficult, we stayed on campsites. Some sites do seasonal pitches and if that's your thing I'd suggest buying a caravan, using a motorhome as daily transport isn't fun. I found van life a hateful experience, there's nothing good I can find to say about it.

 

[olley]

I suppose what you ft in can make a difference to whether you like it or not.
We used our RV 30' long with twin slides, queen size island bed and large lounge area, we are in it now having some time away while the drive is done.
With a smaller van just buy an awning.

 

[nicholsong]

I suppose what you ft in can make a difference to whether you like it or not.
We used our RV 30' long with twin slides, queen size island bed and large lounge area, we are in it now having some time away while the drive is done.
With a smaller van just buy an awning.

pampam

Regarding storage: the main items like furniture can go into a depository, but if you are visiting Mother you could rent a small storage(Yellow Box Co.?) to which you have access, which would be useful for things like winter clothes/shoes, or even some tools, when not needed in the MH all the time. Even to put the loungers/BBQ away for winter.

I think that if you take up some of the ideas on here you might find it quite practical to use a MH.

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[Neilfg]

We sold our house and moved into the van whilst looking for new property. As we did not know whether it would 3 months or 18 months we decided to describe ourselves as fulltiming or of no fixed abode.

Used a relative's address for correspondence, set up mail forwarding, did not inform doctor, switched to comfort for insurance at 1200/ year full-time, put furniture we kept into storage and used a relative's garage for some bits we might need access to. We drove the van and a car and toured the UK with a couple of trips to Europe.

Moved site every 1 or 2 weeks, time limits on site not an issue as would just move somewhere else for a few days then head back if we wanted to.

It was 9 months in the end, had a great time and would not hesitate to do it again.

 

[gus-lopez]

But it was just me, and I tend to quite enjoy camping. I used to get a few looks from people when I went off to work in my suit each morning but the campsite owners knew what I was doing and were fine with it.

The site where I met ianthebuilder a few years ago had the whole front filed for full timers. all sorts of occupations including nurses & physiotherapists.
Another I use in susssex had at least 7 people who lived there permanently & I'd see every year. There are far ,far more people living on sites mainly due to being unable to afford rents.

 

[The Wino]

The site where I met ianthebuilder a few years ago had the whole front filed for full timers. all sorts of occupations including nurses & physiotherapists.
Another I use in susssex had at least 7 people who lived there permanently & I'd see every year. There are far ,far more people living on sites mainly due to being unable to afford rents.

I don't necessarily think it's not being able to afford rents it having more disposable income without paying as much rent. I suspect there are also quite a few people without close relatives who sell up and spend up the cash realised as they have no one to leave an inheritance to

 

[CazPaul]

I don't necessarily think it's not being able to afford rents it having more disposable income without paying as much rent. I suspect there are also quite a few people without close relatives who sell up and spend up the cash realised as they have no one to leave an inheritance to

And those who do have relatives to leave it to but choose not to leave it to the greedy bleeders. There will be quite a few of those.
No one has an automatic right to be left assets and cash, only thing I ever got left was a poker for the fire which we still use.

 

[nicholsong]

And those who do have relatives to leave it to but choose not to leave it to the greedy bleeders. There will be quite a few of those.
No one has an automatic right to be left assets and cash, only thing I ever got left was a poker for the fire which we still use.

Paul

You can use the poker on here when you want.

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[CazPaul]

Paul

You can use the poker on here when you want.

Any thoughts on what for Geoff?

 

[Li150]

We are seriously thinking of downsizing ,selling the house and getting somewhere smaller,but still in this area,however theres not much for sale at moment,so if we sold ours we thought we would buy a motorhome to stay in until we find somewhere,the question is what do you have to legally do when you are between properties,with post,internet etc?i wont be going fulltime cos ill be putting belongings i want to keep in storage,cant go too far cos ill still be calling on my mum every day,i think your allowed to stay 21 days on various sites per stay arent you?
cheers pampam
im off to look at one tomorrow but so are lots of other people lol
ps im tryin to declutter but ooo its hard!

We were in a similar situation, we've just sold our place and decided to rent a small apartment while waiting for our next home to be finished in February 2023. Thought of using the Motorhome long term but still had the need to store personal belongings etc. Now having to sort out all the paperwork involved re Licences, Registration Documents, Insurance and so on then will have to do it all again next year. Think/hope we've made the right decision, we'll be using the Motorhome as much as we can in the meantime. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

 

[Tony50]

We are seriously thinking of downsizing ,selling the house and getting somewhere smaller,but still in this area,however theres not much for sale at moment,so if we sold ours we thought we would buy a motorhome to stay in until we find somewhere,the question is what do you have to legally do when you are between properties,with post,internet etc?i wont be going fulltime cos ill be putting belongings i want to keep in storage,cant go too far cos ill still be calling on my mum every day,i think your allowed to stay 21 days on various sites per stay arent you?
cheers pampam
im off to look at one tomorrow but so are lots of other people lol
ps im tryin to declutter but ooo its hard!

It took 2 years to sell our 4 bed bungalow, just as sale went through COVID lockdown came in ,(well timed Boris !!) Storage people were not sure whether they would collect furniture , Buyers were both Police (priority people) they were coming whatever they said !! Stayed in Motorhome for 6 months on large site, "O" we had to get special permission from council to ask Locked down caravan site to let us on, what with selling, storage, avoiding being homeless , we enjoyed our 6 months stay in s 7.4metre motorhome with good summer weather .

 

[Tombola]

Take off in it for a rather long extended holiday trip round Europe or farther. Plan a good route to places you want to see.
When you get van sick, stay in a hotle the night or 2 or an air bnb.

 

[pampam]

The bungalow was nice,BUT disapointing,you couldnt get a double bed in small bedroom,we chatted to the couple who were very nice and they had had 3 viewings today,so it will definately sell,but when we drove back home into our drive it made us do a bit of a rethink,
money to spend in the bank?
or
living somewhere you really like?
im still decluttering tho. Its very theraputic

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[Spidey]

We are in the process of doing this. We have just sold, completion due Aug and our new place will be built by Aug 23. Thought about renting but soon realised we wouldn’t be there much. So we are taking a gap year. Lots of travellingq in the Van. We are also doing some month long Airbnb rentals to cover the winter months. You can get some great bargains. We are thinking of a month in one in Venice as well.
These threads are great because it makes me realise how much I have to change.

I am excited for the adventure.

We are downsizing from a big 4 bed to a 3 bed apartment halving our floor space. With no garage or loft we are being quite brutal with our decluttering. Also the thought of our kids having to go through it all one day is quite a motivation. We kept stuff because we had loads of storage and didn’t need to think about it. We love the simplicity of staying in our van but recognise we will need time out of it as well.

Good luck op in what ever you choose to do

 

[PaulyP]

How about a static caravan site off season? You could probably get a good rate at some of the ones on the East coast if that's not too far for you.

Otherwise what about house sitting???

Just what I was going to suggest, I have a 38 foot static and spend 3/4 or 5 nights there then go home for 3/4 or 5 nights, lots of space and could easily stay there full time but like my home comforts as well.

 

[pampam]

Oo so many great ideas
Spidey i have now emptied 2 bungalows and a house(all local authority rentals) where my husbands elderley relatives have lived frugally and paid full rent , the latest who is my hubbys last relative has saved all his days and is now in a lovely home where he will be paying £900 a week until his savings are nearly gone . We dont want or need his dosh, but emptying his bungalow, and his hoarding(a generation thing ) again makes me think im not putting my lot thru this:
I think my wanting to move was actually a way of running away from my life as it has been eg poor old mum with dementia , and old relation whose depressed and trys to end his life
Apparently the saying is " depression likes to have company" and i think i caught it lol
But not now hes in a nice place and on medication
He also has company so i feel happier
We havent written off moving and im enjoying decluttering and taking control
Static sounds good too
Cheers pampam

 

[nicholsong]

Just reading this thread and thinking about 'de-cluttering' I realised I did that when I moved to Poland 11 years ago, as I emptied my house in London of furniture ready to let unfurnished.

My only possessions are some personal things I left in the London loft, my papers and clothes here in Poland and my MH. Even my boat in Greece and its contents have gone.

How is that for 'un-cluttered'?

Geoff

 

[Tony50]

Oo so many great ideas
Spidey i have now emptied 2 bungalows and a house(all local authority rentals) where my husbands elderley relatives have lived frugally and paid full rent , the latest who is my hubbys last relative has saved all his days and is now in a lovely home where he will be paying £900 a week until his savings are nearly gone . We dont want or need his dosh, but emptying his bungalow, and his hoarding(a generation thing ) again makes me think im not putting my lot thru this:
I think my wanting to move was actually a way of running away from my life as it has been eg poor old mum with dementia , and old relation whose depressed and trys to end his life
Apparently the saying is " depression likes to have company" and i think i caught it lol
But not now hes in a nice place and on medication
He also has company so i feel happier
We havent written off moving and im enjoying decluttering and taking control
Static sounds good too
Cheers pampam

A Static caravan is great in the Summer , in winter,damp in wardrobes and under bed on you clothes in wardrobe / boxes under bed, lots of depreciation , when we bought one , to live in after living in the motorhome for the summer, and give my wife more room after new knee, I first got the Static caravan site rule book, and glad I did , get I, read it , because rules and regulations, you may not like, and, 15% you pay them if you sell privately , and , someone on site at Felixstowe was told to remove van due to age , or get new one , she is getting rid of it, but, as contract is out of time they are charging her £600 per month ground rent !!!

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[Jamesh]

A Static caravan is great in the Summer , in winter,damp in wardrobes and under bed on you clothes in wardrobe / boxes under bed, lots of depreciation , when we bought one , to live in after living in the motorhome for the summer, and give my wife more room after new knee, I first got the Static caravan site rule book, and glad I did , get I, read it , because rules and regulations, you may not like, and, 15% you pay them if you sell privately , and , someone on site at Felixstowe was told to remove van due to age , or get new one , she is getting rid of it, but, as contract is out of time they are charging her £600 per month ground rent !!!

I agree to own a mobile home in some sites sounds a nightmare!

But an owner might rent out thiers at a reasonable rent during the off season?

Ventilation us the key tbh. Keeping the air fresh if at all possible.

 

[Tony50]

I agree to own a mobile home in some sites sounds a nightmare!

But an owner might rent out thiers at a reasonable rent during the off season?

Ventilation us the key tbh. Keeping the air fresh if at all possible.

If you saw the carrying on' s in the rent van next to us , cleaners said, pizza ate in bed , mud on floor next comment, Park Holidays said rent it out when you have finished with , sod that sold and cut my losses

 

[gus-lopez]

I don't necessarily think it's not being able to afford rents it having more disposable income without paying as much rent.

That is what nurse and physio stated .Far cheaper on site than renting. All the others on the site in Sussex were youngsters bar one.

 

[bobandjanie]

We sold our bungalow in 2013 and almost everything we owned, got on the electoral roll signed on at a doctors and dentists at our daughters address and was fulltime for two years until we decided where we wanted to live, we only do five or could be six months this year in our 6m panel van. Bob.