ElCastor
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern CA
Here is a good web site devoted to the tiny home.
https://tinyhouseblog.com/tag/paul-mittig/
https://tinyhouseblog.com/tag/paul-mittig/
Recently, our son and GF moved very close to us. He now has a garden that we may get to play in. Last summer he didn't do anything with his garden, THIS, year will be different.Yeah, I up-sized recently. After about 6 years of tiny apartment living, I really needed a yard to play in.
I think you and my wife would get along nicely.So would I. We are, no we are not, she is, hinting at downsizing. Look, I know that there's only the two of us, no kids means no grandchildren, but we need a big house. It's not a mansion after all, just a humble pile with five bedrooms, two of which have en suite bathrooms. It has an entrance hall and a gallery landing but hey, come on, it's not that big. OK so it has a double garage and gardens front and rear, so what? I love it, it's just that the stairs have copulated and now they are double the height they were when we moved in, but we still manage to get up them, even if we do have to rope ourselves together in case of a fall. Smaller homes are for height challenged people, we gave up on the idea of a motor home, given that space was so limited. We need to talk my dear!
Every 1st of November I used to drive 15-minutes away just to prune my daughter(in-law)'s 5 rose bushes.Recently, our son and GF moved very close to us. He now has a garden that we may get to play in. Last summer he didn't do anything with his garden, THIS, year will be different.
In theory this would be a good option for me at 71 and now single. But my 3 bedroom and larger home is still used. I'm a musician so One bedroom is a recording studio, I'm a retired Systems administrator so the other bedroom is a Computer Lab and my 2 car garage filled with my power tools that bring me great joy. I still mow my lawn and do upkeep on my older home built in the 80s but I can see it becoming a burden one of day as I age.My wife and I are thinking about downsizing. I'd like to hear from anyone who has done this into a house under 1000 square feet. I'd like to know the good and bad issues that you've ran into.
Well I'm just one person so it is probably different for a couple, but I downsized from a 3 bedroom + 2 bathroom house (+ 2 barns) 10 acre rural property to a 1 bed + 1 bath 965 sq ft condo (with an enclosed sunroom/balcony) in a highrise surrounded by walking paths and a golf course in a retirement community. Also there are assigned storage areas in the basement level, and for people willing to pay more there are also full size room storage areas down there.My wife and I are thinking about downsizing. I'd like to hear from anyone who has done this into a house under 1000 square feet. I'd like to know the good and bad issues that you've ran into.
Sounds real nice. Did you stay in the same town?Well I'm just one person so it is probably different for a couple, but I downsized from a 3 bedroom + 2 bathroom house (+ 2 barns) 10 acre rural property to a 1 bed + 1 bath 965 sq ft condo (with an enclosed sunroom/balcony) in a highrise surrounded by walking paths and a golf course in a retirement community. Also there are assigned storage areas in the basement level, and for people willing to pay more there are also full size room storage areas down there.
For me there are no bad issues only have good issues so far. My house was too much to keep clean and maintained and I actually get just as much walking outdoors now, and it is more pleasant because before most of my walking was behind a fume-producing dust-creating mower or a trimmer, and now I just enjoy nature while I walk (including seeing deer, fox, geese, ducks, squirrels and regular little birds). At my old house the darn gopher things (voles?) ate any flower bulbs I planted, but here I am seeing lots of intriguing green shoots popping up so I expect to enjoy daffodils or hyacinths or something.
Before I had to buy my own tools and worry whether I'd injure myself accidentally and not be able to get help, but here there is a community woodworking shop (I haven't been to it yet, just seen the pictures on the website), and before I had a garden but here I have joined the garden club and rented a nice sized garden plot and there are sheds with shared tools, wheelbarrow, hoses, etc. Before I had to worry about snow removal but now I don't need to do any more shoveling. Before I had to find tradespeople and now I can hire the community ones (or hire outside if I prefer).
And here there are lots of clubs of all sorts of activities that appeal to the range of ages of older people. So I can find stuff to do whenever I can motivate myself enough to do so. And most things are just a ten minute walk away (though a lot of people drive to the clubhouses). And I've seen two trips advertised (bus + package deals for hotels to travel to different states tourist destinations) so maybe I'll join one of those sometime. Oh and a couple nights a week there are activities in the party room in my own building (for when a person is too old or lazy to go to a clubhouse).
I'm finding 965 sq ft a little much, I would be happy with 600 sq ft instead I think. It takes me 30 steps to go from my bedroom window to the kitchen sink (the apartment is laid out in a way that I have to do a lot of S shape walks).
Lots to think about. It's almost overwhelming. I think we have one more move in us so we have to get it right.@NorthernLight wrote an excellent summary of things to think about.
If you want to make this your last move, consider location first. What we did easily at 55 isn’t so at 75.
Look at the reality of how you like to live. Do you like lots of cupboards in your kitchen? A huge fridge? W/D on the main floor. Lots and lots of cupboards. What are your hobbies.
What are your bare minimums. 2 beds, 2 baths? Do you need a garage? Do you want to maintain an exterior.
No, my house was in Nebraska but my condo is in Maryland. I used to live in Maryland a long time ago though, so kind of like coming home. I can remember driving past this retirement community when I was in college, never knew anything about then, certainly had no idea I'd ever live here.Sounds real nice. Did you stay in the same town?
We did about 950 square feet but have big garage, 2 out building, and a very dry basement...Smiles it's good easy to keep up.My wife and I are thinking about downsizing. I'd like to hear from anyone who has done this into a house under 1000 square feet. I'd like to know the good and bad issues that you've ran into.