Old Age After Full Timing

[Okta]

Is it private rented accommodation or council? If private get your name on the council list and maybe by the time you are ready to give up living in a van a house will be available for you. When it eventually does become available make your mind up if you want to move back to bricks and mortar or not.

I worked in social housing for most of my working life and I wouldn’t rely on Council housing being available, it may not even exist.

 

[Rumour]

EDIT: The guy of which I speak below is a guy from here, I found the post, but obviously expanded upon on Facebook.

Facebook page?

This came up on my newsfeed thought I would see a similar post on the forum but can't even find the member on here...is it our forum? All looks like Phil? :unsure::unsure:

wildcamping.co.uk

I have had a read and I can't find one comment about something very important! Maintenance of the van! One breakdown can eat up a couple of months living expenses. There was a guy posted somewhere on Facebook (I think) who is terminally ill and doing his last trip and living full time in his van. He gave up his rented house and now has no base, he has no family and uses a friends address for legal stuff.

His gearbox has broken! It has caused two problems. The first is trying to find the money for the repairs. It is an old Talbot van and he is having a problem trying to find a gearbox. Second, he has to get the van to a repair garage, while there, he can't live in it. So he has to find expensive, short term accommodation.

If he can find a box, it will take a couple of days to drag it in the workshop, fit the gearbox and clutch assembly and finish off. BUT.. It may take weeks to find a box, or just as long to have his box rebuilt. It has been estimated that it could cost up to £4K by the time he has finished, including accommodation. Then of course, there is the annual MOT. Great if it passes, but if it needs repairs? Spares that have to be ordered?

And this is on top of the medical side. It is OK when fit, but break a leg or have some kind of accident and be laid up, it will be difficult. It may be OK, but I see full timing as a younger mans game, I wouldn't be without my bricks and mortar!

 

[AndyWill64]

I have had a read and I can't find one comment about something very important! Maintenance of the van! One breakdown can eat up a couple of months living expenses. There was a guy posted somewhere on Facebook (I think) who is terminally ill and doing his last trip and living full time in his van. He gave up his rented house and now has no base, he has no family and uses a friends address for legal stuff.

His gearbox has broken! It has caused two problems. The first is trying to find the money for the repairs. It is an old Talbot van and he is having a problem trying to find a gearbox. Second, he has to get the van to a repair garage, while there, he can't live in it. So he has to find expensive, short term accommodation.

If he can find a box, it will take a couple of days to drag it in the workshop, fit the gearbox and clutch assembly and finish off. BUT.. It may take weeks to find a box, or just as long to have his box rebuilt. It has been estimated that it could cost up to £4K by the time he has finished, including accommodation. Then of course, there is the annual MOT. Great if it passes, but if it needs repairs? Spares that have to be ordered?

And this is on top of the medical side. It is OK when fit, but break a leg or have some kind of accident and be laid up, it will be difficult. It may be OK, but I see full timing as a younger mans game, I wouldn't be without my bricks and mortar!

Yes, all very valid points in general, but as the expectation is that van life will be cheaper than I'm currently paying, I planning to reduce the amount I draw from my pension each month. I also know that as appealing as the lifestyle is I'm likely to become bored at some point, and will be looking for work of some kind or other to build up a modest maintenance fund, and possibly supplement, reduce or replace my pension.

I'm realistic enough to accept that it will have to end at some point, most likely not at the time of my chosing. However, I think the biggest regret would be not giving it a try at all.

To be honest, I'm happy to accept the consequences of my decision for myself. My biggest concern is for my two dogs, although if anything happens to me I'm fairly sure family would take them, even if it means splitting them up. And if I'm being really honest, they are the real reason I think staying in UK is our best plan. It might be different if I had a partner or travelling companion, although I don't know where they would sleep

 

[Bear]

Life's full of what ifs
And perhaps I should be considering the future, but then that takes away the pleasure of today. Turned 67 now and just going day be day till or if summit throws a spanner in the works.
Dear ole friend used to sat
You die if you worry, you die if you don't so why worry at all.

 

[Rumour]

Life's full of what ifs
And perhaps I should be considering the future, but then that takes away the pleasure of today. Turned 67 now and just going day be day till or if summit throws a spanner in the works.
Dear ole friend used to sat
You die if you worry, you die if you don't so why worry at all.

I agree to a point. No need to worry unnecessarily, but to be left with nowhere to live, or very ill and stuck in a van is daft with no contingency. Others end up having to "save" you and they shouldn't have to. Like the link I posted above, to be terminally ill, have the van seriously break and not have to money to fix it or have anywhere to live is short sighted at best. But we all want different things I suppose.

 

[gasgas]

...........

I'm a semi-retired Software Developer, so could do contract work if necessary, .............

........

The thing is about IT work is that if you haven't been doing EXACTLY the work for the last six months that the employment agent has on offer then you won't even get an axknowledgement of your application, let alone an interview or a job. I speak from experience to the extent that when I had as a contractor been out of work for 6 months I got a contract managing the installation of the first mobile phone network they had in Nigeria. When I asked the recruitment consultant why I had been successful he said 'You're the only one who applied'. Anyway I did the job and it was well paid but the point is that, as I was told by one recruitment agent
"Within fifteen minutes of posting a job vacancy on the net, I have got 100 applications in my inbox. I scan through the applications, select the first five suitable candidates and forward them to the employer. I block delete the rest. There are 400 applications for every vacancy in this business"
As I heard on Radio 4 one day, the interviewer was talking to a NASA computer programmer.
Interviewer:" Well, gee Gus, you are a Genwhine Rocket Scientist, I bet you get paid big bucks for what you do"
Gus " I get $25 an hour for what I do. Last week my washing machine sprang a leak and I had to pay a plumber $75 an hour to come and fix it. The reason is that EVERY kid in school learns computer programming. NO kid in school learns plumbing, electrics, brick laying, joinery and so on, so those guys can charge what they like"

At that point I retrained to be a gas man (not 'engineer'). Plumbing and gas is just grown up lego but it can pay better than programming a space ship to land on the moon.

As for social housing, you had better hope that you don't get dumped in some of the places I had to visit as a gas man.

 

[wildebus]

As a little example, one of my neighbours was a full-timer in her van (PVC Autosleeper). She absolutely loved doing that for years.
She had to get a permenant address a couple of years ago due to some medical treatment and they would only do that if she had a fixed place to live (I think someone alluded to this kind of situation earlier in the thread?) and she now rents a Local Housing Association bungalow. Nice 1 bedroomed place with fantastic views over the fields.
So coming from Van full-time to a fixed property is very doable, but I would think it is something you need to plan ahead for when that time looks near as the chance of deciding you have had enough of Full-timing one week and finding a place you would actually want to live in the next is pretty slim! Deciding WHERE in the country you want to settle, and then WHEN are the two key things I guess and prepare for that day by making enquiries in the area.
I think "pensioner accomodation" was mentioned? I think what was may meant by this is those groups of flats that have a warden and are limited to those over a certain age (I think 55 is quite a common one?). These can be quite cost-effective and usually a fait bit cheaper than 'normal' housing.

On another point mentioned, going back to my neighbour, she was very fortunate to have her rented place as it happens as her van broke down a couple of weeks ago (comformatic gearbox issues). It is in a garage and she has no idea when it will be fixed. If she was still full-timing, she would be effectively homeless and in a much worse situation

 

[barryd]

The thing is about IT work is that if you haven't been doing EXACTLY the work for the last six months that the employment agent has on offer then you won't even get an axknowledgement of your application, let alone an interview or a job. I speak from experience to the extent that when I had as a contractor been out of work for 6 months I got a contract managing the installation of the first mobile phone network they had in Nigeria. When I asked the recruitment consultant why I had been successful he said 'You're the only one who applied'. Anyway I did the job and it was well paid but the point is that, as I was told by one recruitment agent
"Within fifteen minutes of posting a job vacancy on the net, I have got 100 applications in my inbox. I scan through the applications, select the first five suitable candidates and forward them to the employer. I block delete the rest. There are 400 applications for every vacancy in this business"
As I heard on Radio 4 one day, the interviewer was talking to a NASA computer programmer.
Interviewer:" Well, gee Gus, you are a Genwhine Rocket Scientist, I bet you get paid big bucks for what you do"
Gus " I get $25 an hour for what I do. Last week my washing machine sprang a leak and I had to pay a plumber $75 an hour to come and fix it. The reason is that EVERY kid in school learns computer programming. NO kid in school learns plumbing, electrics, brick laying, joinery and so on, so those guys can charge what they like"

At that point I retrained to be a gas man (not 'engineer'). Plumbing and gas is just grown up lego but it can pay better than programming a space ship to land on the moon.

As for social housing, you had better hope that you don't get dumped in some of the places I had to visit as a gas man.

Depends on the OP's situation. Maybe he is sought after for the sort of coding he does. If he has been self employed maybe he already has clients. Software development sounds more project based to me though so maybe not as simple as doing an hours work here or there to top up the coffers.

Ideally what he needs is bits of work just to keep him going but not so much that it spoils the lifestyle.

 

[AndyWill64]

The thing is about IT work is that if you haven't been doing EXACTLY the work for the last six months that the employment agent has on offer then you won't even get an axknowledgement of your application, let alone an interview or a job. I speak from experience to the extent that when I had as a contractor been out of work for 6 months I got a contract managing the installation of the first mobile phone network they had in Nigeria. When I asked the recruitment consultant why I had been successful he said 'You're the only one who applied'. Anyway I did the job and it was well paid but the point is that, as I was told by one recruitment agent
"Within fifteen minutes of posting a job vacancy on the net, I have got 100 applications in my inbox. I scan through the applications, select the first five suitable candidates and forward them to the employer. I block delete the rest. There are 400 applications for every vacancy in this business"
As I heard on Radio 4 one day, the interviewer was talking to a NASA computer programmer.
Interviewer:" Well, gee Gus, you are a Genwhine Rocket Scientist, I bet you get paid big bucks for what you do"
Gus " I get $25 an hour for what I do. Last week my washing machine sprang a leak and I had to pay a plumber $75 an hour to come and fix it. The reason is that EVERY kid in school learns computer programming. NO kid in school learns plumbing, electrics, brick laying, joinery and so on, so those guys can charge what they like"

At that point I retrained to be a gas man (not 'engineer'). Plumbing and gas is just grown up lego but it can pay better than programming a space ship to land on the moon.

As for social housing, you had better hope that you don't get dumped in some of the places I had to visit as a gas man.

You are of course correct about trades paying better than programming, but money isn't everything. I qualified as an electrician after leaving school, but got out of that back in 1990 because I had absolutely no interest in it. If I'm going back to work now it needs to be something I enjoy, or something I can do "brain dead" while thinking about something I enjoy.

 

[AndyWill64]

I agree to a point. No need to worry unnecessarily, but to be left with nowhere to live, or very ill and stuck in a van is daft with no contingency. Others end up having to "save" you and they shouldn't have to. Like the link I posted above, to be terminally ill, have the van seriously break and not have to money to fix it or have anywhere to live is short sighted at best. But we all want different things I suppose.

Others like who? Those paid for through years as a taxpayer? Proper friends and family would have no objection to helping out.

I agree not having any plan at all would be short sighted, but the plans of all sorts of people go wrong on a daily basis, and they all need help in different ways.

 

[Geek]

I'll be 60 in April, and expect to give up our rented property to go full time in my mortorhome within the next year or two.

Hopefully I'll be able to physically and (just about) financially maintain that lifestyle for a good few years, but I'm wondering if there's a 'normal' path from mobile life back into bricks and mortar.

Other than hopefully being on state pension by then, my only asset at that point will likely be the motorhome, which will obviously have depreciated somewhat, probably to somewhere around £10-12k.

Are there any difficulties around applying for pensioner accommodation etc after full timing?

Yes there are loads of difficulties.

Firstly, your van will be getting older. Things will go wrong. Getting fixed might leave you homeless for a while. Parts may be hard to find.

Secondly, you will be getting older. Things will go wrong. Medical help may be hard to find.

You will eventually have to come off the road and you will need to find a settled home.

You won't be entitled to priority housing because choosing to give up accommodation to go full time will be considered to be making yourself 'intentionally homeless' even if it's over a decade later.

On the other hand, being a priority case wouldn't get you anywhere at present. Let's hope that by then, a more humane government is in power. One that values society more than money.

 

[AndyWill64]

Depends on the OP's situation. Maybe he is sought after for the sort of coding he does. If he has been self employed maybe he already has clients. Software development sounds more project based to me though so maybe not as simple as doing an hours work here or there to top up the coffers.

Ideally what he needs is bits of work just to keep him going but not so much that it spoils the lifestyle.

My situation is unlikely to apply to anybody else reading this thread for help, but I'm lucky enough to have written an application for a local businessman who now wants to adapt it for sale to the trade. It might go well, it might not, but either way there will be on going development work for a while.

I'm also lucky enough to still be in contact with a previous employer where I was heavily involved in the testing and commissioning of one of their major systems. Everybody else with that level of knowledge has either moved up in the business or moved on and no longer available, and I'm now waiting for a start date for my second stint as a contractor to help with an upgrade. I don't want to count my chickens, but there's plenty of scope for opportunity there.

 

[barryd]

My situation is unlikely to apply to anybody else reading this thread for help, but I'm lucky enough to have written an application for a local businessman who now wants to adapt it for sale to the trade. It might go well, it might not, but either way there will be on going development work for a while.

I'm also lucky enough to still be in contact with a previous employer where I was heavily involved in the testing and commissioning of one of their major systems. Everybody else with that level of knowledge has either moved up in the business or moved on and no longer available, and I'm now waiting for a start date for my second stint as a contractor to help with an upgrade. I don't want to count my chickens, but there's plenty of scope for opportunity there.

Well that sounds encouraging. Sounds like you could be indispensable to both. Thats all you need really, a few clients like that to keep you going. Both of those sound long term to me. Make sure you "own" both and your quids in for years.

I just support a few businesses now, mainly PC networks and 365 stuff and supplying kit but they will never go anywhere else. Far to embroiled and they get good service because Im not in demand from anywhere else. Specifying and supplying new kit is a good one. A few mouse clicks and a couple of emails and its usually £100-£200 profit plus whatever you make remotely setting it up (Generally about the same).

 

[wildebus]

You are of course correct about trades paying better than programming, but money isn't everything. I qualified as an electrician after leaving school, but got out of that back in 1990 because I had absolutely no interest in it. If I'm going back to work now it needs to be something I enjoy, or something I can do "brain dead" while thinking about something I enjoy.

And doing Plumbing or Electrics or similar is far more physically involved than sitting in front of a computer. Still work, but a very different form of exercise!

 

[barryd]

And doing Plumbing or Electrics or similar is far more physically involved than sitting in front of a computer. Still work, but a very different form of exercise!

The massive advantage of doing IT work in the van though is exactly that. You can do it from the van. You dont even need to get out of bed, in fact I often dont. So it dont matter where your clients are. Whereas if your a Sparky your either going to have to source work locally or stay around where people know you. There is nothing more satisfying than doing an hours work and then sending someone an invoice whilst downing a cocktail with your feet in Lake Maggiore.

 

[AndyWill64]

Well that sounds encouraging. Sounds like you could be indispensable to both. Thats all you need really, a few clients like that to keep you going. Both of those sound long term to me. Make sure you "own" both and your quids in for years.

I just support a few businesses now, mainly PC networks and 365 stuff and supplying kit but they will never go anywhere else. Far to embroiled and they get good service because Im not in demand from anywhere else. Specifying and supplying new kit is a good one. A few mouse clicks and a couple of emails and its usually £100-£200 profit plus whatever you make remotely setting it up (Generally about the same).

I think the point is to make "enough and a bit more" rather than using up too much of the remaing time working to build up tens of thousands in the bank.

 

[AndyWill64]

And doing Plumbing or Electrics or similar is far more physically involved than sitting in front of a computer. Still work, but a very different form of exercise!

Indeed. But I can sit in front of the computer at night, and take the dogs for any number of walks during the day.

Just as a matter of interest, what are the chances of a plumber or spark being allowed to live in their motorhome on a new build site? I assume there would be some insurance implications, unless it was seen as a security measure.

 

[Robmac]

Just as a matter of interest, what are the chances of a plumber or spark being allowed to live in their motorhome on a new build site? I assume there would be some insurance implications, unless it was seen as a security measure.

This already happens on building sites and major roadworks, although usually caravans but I've seen motorhomes as well.

I don't think it's a problem.

 

[wildebus]

Indeed. But I can sit in front of the computer at night, and take the dogs for any number of walks during the day.

Just as a matter of interest, what are the chances of a plumber or spark being allowed to live in their motorhome on a new build site? I assume there would be some insurance implications, unless it was seen as a security measure.

Something you *might* need to think of ..... if you use your motorhome for business/work - and that could include working IN it - and it is >3.5t, things start to get 'interesting' in terms of Operator Licenses, official maintenance schedules, maybe a Tacho, and a whole load of nonsense like that. Is it a realistic threat you will encounter? probably not, but it IS an official requirement you could be challenged on.
(3.5t or less and you can ignore all the above )

This is one reason why I don't generally travel to any customers in my >3.5t Motorhome to do any work. Too risk-averse

 

[r4dent]