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This is a real puzzle for me too. Currently we live in a farmhouse built in 1900 on 5 acres with many big trees that shade the house. It's a ton of work and with a full time job it's wearing me out. But at retirement I'd have the time but who knows how much energy I'll have as I age.
So the plan is to move south and downsize. But I gotta tell you after living here for so long the thought of having neighbors close to us will be a huge adjustment that I'm not anxious to make.
Dave, I can relate, we're going from 10 acres and neighbors that are 1/4 mile away to five acre lots. I am looking forward to not having to mow a hilly two acre yard.
Our oldest is only fifteen, but yesterday my husband and I were talking about where we are headed when the youngest is done with high school or college. We currently have the big woodsy house on two hilly acres in a small rural/suburban town. It's great, but we don't see ourselves taking care of this property as we age...it's hard enough to do it now chauffering four active kids! The kids do well here, but occasionally I wish they were in a bigger school system where they could interact with more people and have a little more diverse experience.
So when hubby asked where we are going, I named two nearby cities that many people consider dumps. Both have some struggles but things I like too. I told him I wanted a postage stamp sized level lot and while the taxes might be high there, the amenities and services would work for me. He knows I'm tired of living without sidewalks and having to drive fifteen minutes for take out or groceries.
I'm curious if anyone ever moved to a small city or a starter neighborhood when they retired.
It sounds like you want to downsize, but you still have kids, so how is that possible? You're probably locked into the area you live in now because the kids don't want to switch schools. But when the kids are done with school, will they still be living at your home, or do they plan to move out?
If this is long term planning when the kids have moved out, then maybe you have to decide if you like the winters in Connecticut. I hate the Minnesota winters, and have put up with them for six decades. I have four more winters to suffer, then I'm done with cold and snowy winters. Maybe you have family and friends that will tie you to Connecticut. If you want to stay in the snowbelt, you might consider a place without a sidewalk in front of your home, unless someone else takes care of it. A sidewalk in front of your home is a liability. Many cities will fine you if you do not clear the sidewalk within 24 hours of when it snows. You also have to clear the ice. Who wants that hassle when you are getting older.
Some people don't have much money when they retire, and need to find a lower cost of living place to live, which might be another consideration. You might also think about being a snowbird, but that isn't cheap to maintain two homes.
We're going from ten acres on a hill and a two story that is not manageable anymore in a rural setting that is twenty minutes from a convenience store and forty five minutes away from the big box stores and hospital to five level acres and a one story that ten minutes away from everything.
We had our fun in the country but realize we're not getting any younger and it's getting to be too much now.
I hate to break the news, but if you have five acres and you didn't have to pay several million dollars for it, you are still in the country.
Yes, ER, we will still be country, but I will be able to walk or bike to a large grocery store in ten minutes instead of a forty five minute drive. Big difference.
It sounds like you want to downsize, but you still have kids, so how is that possible? You're probably locked into the area you live in now because the kids don't want to switch schools. But when the kids are done with school, will they still be living at your home, or do they plan to move out?
If this is long term planning when the kids have moved out, then maybe you have to decide if you like the winters in Connecticut. I hate the Minnesota winters, and have put up with them for six decades. I have four more winters to suffer, then I'm done with cold and snowy winters. Maybe you have family and friends that will tie you to Connecticut. If you want to stay in the snowbelt, you might consider a place without a sidewalk in front of your home, unless someone else takes care of it. A sidewalk in front of your home is a liability. Many cities will fine you if you do not clear the sidewalk within 24 hours of when it snows. You also have to clear the ice. Who wants that hassle when you are getting older.
Some people don't have much money when they retire, and need to find a lower cost of living place to live, which might be another consideration. You might also think about being a snowbird, but that isn't cheap to maintain two homes.
You got me pegged. The plan is to go with the flow and preferably be near the kids. Who knows where they will end up, but I'd imagine at least one of them will stay in CT. If the winters remain like the one we are getting over, then I'll be thinking south. I lived in MN at one time and understand the desire to not deal with those winters! We will wait and see. We definitely aren't going anywhere at the moment with two in high school, one middle and one elementary. They are all doing well in their schools. Wherever we go though, I don't want this much land or my insane driveway that I currently have.
I lived all my adult working life in Manhattan (NYC), pop. about 8 million. I moved to reduce my expenses and to have more spacious living quarters for considerably less money.
First I lived in a city of 100,000, but it was so cut up by mountains that its various parts were considered by the locals as separate small towns...and that was how I experienced the section in which I lived.
Since then I have lived in a city of 37,000 and longest in one of 20,000. And I have lived in the countryside with only a very small village nearby for supplies and medical assistance.
Where I live now is on the seacoast with thinly populated hilly countryside behind it. There are supermarkets, pharmacies and two hospitals. I am happy with having tried out various places, and like the place that I finally settled in.
That's the weekday daytime population of Manhattan , at night it's more like 1.6 million. NYC has a total population over 8 million.
Our oldest is only fifteen, but yesterday my husband and I were talking about where we are headed when the youngest is done with high school or college. We currently have the big woodsy house on two hilly acres in a small rural/suburban town. It's great, but we don't see ourselves taking care of this property as we age...it's hard enough to do it now chauffering four active kids! The kids do well here, but occasionally I wish they were in a bigger school system where they could interact with more people and have a little more diverse experience.
So when hubby asked where we are going, I named two nearby cities that many people consider dumps. Both have some struggles but things I like too. I told him I wanted a postage stamp sized level lot and while the taxes might be high there, the amenities and services would work for me. He knows I'm tired of living without sidewalks and having to drive fifteen minutes for take out or groceries.
I'm curious if anyone ever moved to a small city or a starter neighborhood when they retired.
I think you have a great plan. This is our plan as well. We are currently living 30 minutes out on two acres. Our youngest graduates in two years. We are already looking for our retirement home in a modest nearby community where taxes are less than half of what we pay now. We have targeted a certain area of that community where we can walk to restaurants, the library, church, a grocery store, the pharmacy, town green, and a beautiful walking trail along the river. Our neighbors think that we are crazy because the town is not ranked as "desirable" as our current town. Location is our primary motive as I will be retiring soon and the new location will be 10 minutes from my wife's job. We currently average 25,000 to 30,000 miles of driving a year. We will be able to buy a nice home for half of what our current home is worth. We are very excited about the move and look forward to spending less time in the car and more time being active. The big bonus is that this move will allow me to retire 5 years earlier to pursue other interests.
We moved from a suburb of a large city to a rural property and loved it about the first 5 years. It was a beautiful lake/mountain view, a custom-designed (by us) home, quiet and peaceful.
Then several things happened - we realized that we were tired of having to get into the car and drive 45 minutes into town, that my health issues made living that far from medical/emergency care iffy. The problem with the drive is that you try not to do it on a regular basis, meaning you spend a full day of errands and feel beat at the end of the day, having done pretty much nothing.
Also the nearest town, hit hard by the recession, was just not recovering. The good restaurants had closed, the single department store had closed, much of downtown closed down, the county, struggling with funds, pretty much cut the sheriff's department back to one deputy M-F 8-5. The longer winters - not really heavy snow, but cold and windy - also got old fast.
So we moved from the rural county and very small town to a nearby city (about 2 hours away, but in a different climate) and bought a small ranch/bungalow less than a mile's walk from downtown, shopping, doctors, dentist, vet, parks, trails, etc. Sure it was a trade off from the silence of the rural property on acreage (and I miss my 10' ceilings and HUGE kitchen), but we have made a lot of friends here of all ages and, after a little more than a year, have a fairly large circle of friends and interests.
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The plan is to go with the flow and preferably be near the kids. Who knows where they will end up, but I'd imagine at least one of them will stay in CT. If the winters remain like the one we are getting over, then I'll be thinking south. I lived in MN at one time and understand the desire to not deal with those winters! We will wait and see. We definitely aren't going anywhere at the moment with two in high school, one middle and one elementary. They are all doing well in their schools. Wherever we go though, I don't want this much land or my insane driveway that I currently have.
, at night it's more like 1.6 million. NYC has a total population over 8 million.
