Downsizing to Apartment

L

Lon

Well-known Member
Location
Central California
Selling my 2,000 sq ft. home and moving into a two bedroom two bath apartment was a good financial move.I live alone and what I have saved by selling my home more than pays for the rent that I now pay for my nice apartment.No more property taxes, no more home owners insurance, association dues, gardener. I live in a gated age restricted community with swimming pool, Fitness Center etc. :cool:
 

Congrats, Lon - I've always thought that apartments are the way to go, except when you live beneath a family that thinks combat boots are the height of fashion. :rolleyes:

The age restriction is IMHO great - I'm getting to the age where I don't especially want to hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet unless it's coming from my bound concubine. :cool:
 
This is an interesting issue to talk about. My wife and I have been talking about down-sizing from our 3800 sq. ft. home to maybe a condo. We would save on taxes and utilities for sure. We have looked at a few, but after you live in a large home for many years, you immediately know that down-sizing to a condo is going to take some getting used to. For me, it means getting rid of a lot of things that I have had for years. For my wife, it will mean doing less entertaining, which is not an issue for me.

We looked at an 1800 sq. ft. condo a few weeks ago and we both liked it. It is in a 24/7 gated community, they take care of the outside maintenance, including the outside of the building and roof. Basically, all I need to buy is insurance on the contents and pay a monthly fee, which is affordable. The units are new and the company is still building them. We are looking at a 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath unit with a 2 car garage. There is also a small, I think maybe 8x10 room, that can be used for my office.

We will need to go back and check them out again before making a decision Like I said, getting rid of possessions that I have had for years will be tough, but necessary. Putting them into a rented storage facility would be the same as not having them, at least to me it would be.
 
I bought an 850 sq ft 2/2 condo on the Alabama coast last spring as a 2nd home. Doesn't sound big but plenty of room for a couple. The bathrooms are small, but I'm only in there for a sss. I'm single so plenty of room for me and my dog. And for guest visiting. I could easily adjust to full time living there.
 
Lon said:
Selling my 2,000 sq ft. home and moving into a two bedroom two bath apartment was a good financial move.I live alone and what I have saved by selling my home more than pays for the rent that I now pay for my nice apartment.No more property taxes, no more home owners insurance, association dues, gardener. I live in a gated age restricted community with swimming pool, Fitness Center etc. :cool:
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Making me jealous Lon. I'm trying to think of a move like that sometime down the line. .. get tired of home and yard maintenance all the time. ..would like a little leisure, but I just haven't wrapped my head around it YET.
 
I remarried a few years after my first wife died in 1989. I sold a 3,000 sq ft. home and my new wife sold a 4,000 sq. ft. home. We obviously had a lot of stuff to deal with. Children were the recipients of much of the stuff as we down sized at that time. We wound up with a home in New Zealand and a home in age restricted active adult retirement community on a golf course spending half the year in New Zealand and the other half in California where we had children and grand children .

Now after 23 years my second wife will be living in New Zealand to be close to one of her daughters and two grand daughters and I will be in my new apartment and close to my daughter, grand & great grand children. One might say that I have become expert at down sizing as well as life style adjustments.

Getting rid of stuff is no big deal and sure simplifys living as well as cutting down on dust.:cool:
 
I glad it worked for you. At this stage of my life it wouldn't work for us. I'm only 72 and like to garden and have the freedom of living on my own property. Our taxes are minimal here and there is no homeowners assn. or landlord to tell us what to do.


If I get to where I can no longer do gardening and maintenance then I would probably look for a condo to buy. I can't get it in my head to ever pay rent.
 
Lon said:
Getting rid of stuff is no big deal and sure simplifys living as well as cutting down on dust.:cool:
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Getting rid of "stuff" has never been a problem for me. I do that on a regular basis, but the big picture of changing lifestyle is something I would have to think about.

Like Larry, I do enjoy gardening and outdoor activity too much at present. And I have dogs that need their backyard play area too.
 
Age and life style are important. Seems like only yesterday that I was 72 years old Larry. Believe me. The years go fast. I love the out doors but hate gardening or any kind of home/ yard Maintainence. I prefer playing sports/swimming/Pentanque/long walks
 
Lon said:
Selling my 2,000 sq ft. home and moving into a two bedroom two bath apartment was a good financial move.I live alone and what I have saved by selling my home more than pays for the rent that I now pay for my nice apartment.No more property taxes, no more home owners insurance, association dues, gardener. I live in a gated age restricted community with swimming pool, Fitness Center etc. :cool:
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Good for you Lon, I can't imagine needing more then that but that's because I have gotten used to having very, little. I do realize how much better "less" is for me though;) I'm going to stay with my sister until I can get my own place after December. Her place is huge, I get lost in it, lol, and wouldn't want it or the responsibility. That is what she is used to though, and she has quite a bit of things she's gathered over the years. I can understand someone wanting that, being more comfortable with that.

I think the 2 bedrooms is nice, for either a guest room, or office, good for you and congrats on your new home:) denise
 
Another advantage of downsizing to apartment is cleaning. I just finished changing and washing the bed sheets and pillow cases, vacuming the floors, cleaning two bathrooms, empty the dish washer, mopped kitchen floor, dusted furniture, folded and put away towels, straightened closets, time? one hour and it's only 7:30 AM and time for a swim.
 
LOL, sounds wonderful! I love swimming, used to swim a lot when I lived in NW Alabama, lots of good weather for it in the pool at the complex I lived in:) Happy for you Lon, denise
 
Lon said:
Age and life style are important. Seems like only yesterday that I was 72 years old Larry. Believe me. The years go fast. I love the out doors but hate gardening or any kind of home/ yard Maintainence. I prefer playing sports/swimming/Pentanque/long walks
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Gardening, yard maintenance, along with sports, is all good for the body and soul. :) .. I walk a brisk walk almost everyday, and I swim laps in my own swimming pool daily.. weather permitting.
Have had a large backyard swimming pool for years, and make good use of it down here.
 
I'm interested. Where are these condos? I would love to hear from others who have condos. I think this is the way I want to go.
Charlotta
 

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