The Seven Year Itch !!!!

Why not rent out your home and then go off in the van?

You wouldn't need to sell everything then and it would give you some income and you'd still have the asset.
 
Firefox said:
Why not rent out your home and then go off in the van?

You wouldn't need to sell everything then and it would give you some income and you'd still have the asset.
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That's what I'd like to do :)
 
Hi Herbenny1

North Africa was calling for my retirement winters but it all seems to be going *its up at present bless em. Looking for a Plan B myself at present.


Richard
 
think i'd be happy to have a mobile home somewhere on the south coast not too far from a ferry port
 
I have exactly the same thoughts as you about wanting to just go off, and I daydream about going to live in the van with the dog on a little bit of land with a shed on it for some chickens and maybe the odd sheep or goat or two, ideally down south in France close to the Pyrenees where there's mountains to walk and climb, sunshine in the summer and skiing in the winter. I've got no idea how I would be able to achieve it as all I have is my house, my dog and my vans. The house would be unlikely to sell at the moment, there's neighbours who have had theirs on the market for a couple of years, they are ideal first homes but around here, the average salary is probably only about £12 - £15k for most people and first time buyers just can't get mortgages.

I've thought about renting it out but it's kind of mid-renovation (estate agent speak for needing alot of work!), and only a hardy (or daft!) person would be prepared to live in an unheated house (apart from woodburner stoves downstairs, which although lovely are alot of work) in the middle of nowhere, halfway up the fellside, and I would need to invest some capital (which I don't have) into it to bring it up to required standards for renting. So that leaves me exactly where I've been for the past couple of years since I was made redundant... stuck until the market picks up. Hopefully retraining and now qualified as a trainer will open new career doors for me this year and so financially things will pick up and I can start spending £££ again on the house.

Hopefully in 7 years time, I might have been able to either do it up and rent it or sell it, and really think about emigrating but sadly the dog won't be around so I don't like to think about it and just take things a day at a time and have learned that when an opportunity presents itself, to take it, because they don't come around twice, and I think I'd rather regret something I did instead of regretting something I didn't. And life has a strange way of giving you opportunities when you are really not looking for them.
 
whitevanwoman said:
I have exactly the same thoughts as you about wanting to just go off, and I daydream about going to live in the van with the dog on a little bit of land with a shed on it for some chickens and maybe the odd sheep or goat or two, ideally down south in France close to the Pyrenees where there's mountains to walk and climb, sunshine in the summer and skiing in the winter. I've got no idea how I would be able to achieve it as all I have is my house, my dog and my vans. The house would be unlikely to sell at the moment, there's neighbours who have had theirs on the market for a couple of years, they are ideal first homes but around here, the average salary is probably only about £12 - £15k for most people and first time buyers just can't get mortgages.

I've thought about renting it out but it's kind of mid-renovation (estate agent speak for needing alot of work!), and only a hardy (or daft!) person would be prepared to live in an unheated house (apart from woodburner stoves downstairs, which although lovely are alot of work) in the middle of nowhere, halfway up the fellside, and I would need to invest some capital (which I don't have) into it to bring it up to required standards for renting. So that leaves me exactly where I've been for the past couple of years since I was made redundant... stuck until the market picks up. Hopefully retraining and now qualified as a trainer will open new career doors for me this year and so financially things will pick up and I can start spending £££ again on the house.

Hopefully in 7 years time, I might have been able to either do it up and rent it or sell it, and really think about emigrating but sadly the dog won't be around so I don't like to think about it and just take things a day at a time and have learned that when an opportunity presents itself, to take it, because they don't come around twice, and I think I'd rather regret something I did instead of regretting something I didn't. And life has a strange way of giving you opportunities when you are really not looking for them.
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Do you know Whitevanwoman-we are almost on a parallel line! Similar questions about a future life, similar problems with homes.....and similar white vans, dogs and a life ethic! Hey-if you get a solution-please tell me and we can both follow a dream!
 
don't know if its any use to you,best way out of a dilemma is to make a decision,doesn't matter if its the wrong decision,as long as you make one.
 
n brown said:
don't know if its any use to you,best way out of a dilemma is to make a decision,doesn't matter if its the wrong decision,as long as you make one.
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It's odd but at work or in a professional capacity, decision making is not a problem, I can make either a snap decision and stick to it, or when appropriate, I can take time to consider pros and cons to make a decision.

But with regards to my personal life, I am just sooooooooooooooooo crap at making decisions. Even deciding what to wear (and I don't mean fancy clothes, I mean whether to wear blue jeans or black jeans) or what to eat or whether to go out or stay home, or which dog walk to do, involves lots of ummming and ahhhing, changes of mind, faffing around, checking weather reports, etc etc.
Oh dear, what does that say about my various dilemmas in my personal life??!! :scared:
 
wvw just go with the flow if fell right then enjoy it if it dont then dont do it lol


ps should be in bed but bettert thing to do like see who ican wind up only joking
 
You all have a good take on it all and thanks for your comments. We dont have any savings but we do have a lot of equity in the house, but I think we could go down several routes to achieve our dream. Himbenny would have to still work at least some of the year and I would happily clean toilets (done it before) just so that we could get extra pennies. The thought of sitting here when I am seventy and wishing that I had done it frightens me, and yet I know the pain and upset through family what its like not to have a home, and to lose everything you ever worked hard for.

Seven years to plan, save and dream is a good start and who knows whats round the corner we could win the lottery tomorrow and could make it all happen with a click of a finger. :D
 
Many years ago I went though this when the wife walked out it was like winning the lottery. After we split every thing in half there i was thinking what to do with all this money i now had and were to go, So I bought a 2nd hand van and ended up in Spain was only going to stay 3 months that was nearly 15 years ago. For me the best thing i ever did, so what ever you decide good luck to you.:have fun:
 
Hia

you will probably all shout at me
but

I am retired ----- a widow---- house paid off----- motorhome ---- a dog

so what is keeping me in cold cold Britain

Family 3 gorgous grandkids --- a daughter who when she was 3 months pregnant found out her hubby had been cheating on her so now is a single mum

alright the time will come when they need me less and I will except that

I also have a very very dear friend who keeps beating 1 cancer only for another 1 to appear and she is ------------

so

I am going to Scotland for a month

but
when you are on your own (and the dog) I get stuck for company sometimes------- to share

so
I will see how this trip goes

maybe I might sod off 1 day but not at the present time

but

Anyone else go for it enjoy it

keep your dreams alive
 
Hia

I think what I am saying is if my hubby was alive and we were in this situation we would go and only my dear friend would hold me back
 
Hia Polly.......I can totally understand your reasons and I may feel different if and when I am blessed with grandchildren one day:heart:. I am extremely close to my Mum and my children are my everything so hence why we have decided on the 'seven year itch'. I have faced so many trials and tribulations in my life (probably like most of us) and I know we all have our story to tell .......

I have been in the same job for 17 years somwhere down the line I feel I have lost my tenacity. I have a good solid marriage and himbenny wants to make changes as much as me. He works all the hours god sends and is having his first week off in over eight years LOL....apart from a day here and a day there, he has always worked. So something has to give and we havent quite worked it out yet. Its nice to hear people like yourself sharing their stories and giving us food for thought.

We do sound like we are going through a midlife crisis as long as he doesnt change me in for some dolly bird I dont mind !!!!:D

Look forward to hearing about your Month in Scotalnd ......would like to go one day x

Jac
 
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decisons ,decisions....

Hello herbenny- what a lot to think about! it's lovely to read other people's plans . I don't know whether you've come across Margaret and Barry William's website MagBaz Travels but it's well worth a read on fulltiming etc. We both thoúght we'd like to sell up and go but aging parents and our love of where we live and our friends made us rethink. So we use our van as much as we can at home and abroad but still have our 'nest' to come back to. We also didn't want to end up as elderlies living in a van we couldn't afford to replace.
Something else to consider- we met a lovely couple in Greece who were working on campsites in Europe and had done for a couple of seasons. It gave them a bit of an income, somewhere to stay and time to travel. ( it might have been Keycamp or something like it) They didn't clean toilets though!
I agree that the way to end a dilemma is to make a decision, but in my opinion, good research can aid making a decision. happy thinking
 
well i starting over again ok it been a few years but will have to make the effort but the way i am at moment dont want to give anyone the responsibilty of me as i am and dont think it fair to so just plod along my own sweet way unles it comes along and hit me in the face and i feel its right
 
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How about downsizing and releasing some equity and getting rid of the mortgage. I would find it too scary not to have somewhere to come back to when all the ailments catch up with me. I think some uk haulage companies are based in Europe to get around some tax issues, while Himbenny is in a job he might be able to make some contacts. It's amazing how little you can get by on when you are not working, however things go wrong and stuff needs replacing. We would love to travel, my daughter is in Oz, but we have a cat, my daughter's, and my mother has Alzheimers so a bit tied at the mo, but watch this space!! So we make do with mini breaks!
 
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