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Chair lifts do not have any real effect on our power bill. They use a small 90 volt D.C. motor with a transformer that changes the AC to DC., and use very little electricity, which is only used when someone is going up or down the stairs. You can also buy battery power chair lift, that recharges the batteries between trips with a trickle charger, but cost to replace batteries is very high.
They swivel at top and bottom, so you can just sit down, swivel to travel, press the switch which can be on either arm rest, and away you go. Safe and comfortable.
It is a TOTALLY valid argument. This comment ignores issues the rest of the US has to face, and which are encountered by over 90% of the people on this forum.
Issues like ice storms, where ice freezes the doors closed in winter, and you can't even get in. Snakes or mice nesting under the hood, and chewing on the wiring. Hail stone damage. Burglars breaking into your car and stealing things. Weathering of the interior plastics due to wide temperature swings, not to mention summertime temps and having a steering wheel too hot to touch. Waiting while the AC cools off the interior (Tucson, AZ) wastes gas and $$. In the cold, the car has to heat up for proper operation (Bangor, ME, again wastes gas and $$)- compounded by the issue of having to chip ice off the windows and mirrors just to go anywhere. Then there's the pain of having to unload groceries in rain or snow instead of a nice dry garage...the list goes on.
I have lived coast to coast, from San Diego to Maine, and have encountered every one of these issues; I will never leave a car outside again.
I agree and admit to being a bit blinded by the mild weather out here . I have lived elsewhere and experienced both extremes of blazing hot and freezing cold so know what you are talking about and certainly if you’ve got a garage in those environments then it should be used for storing a car if at all possible to alleviate these potential issues. The “protection” thing as in the value of the car, not so much.
If we lived elsewhere where the elements presented a challenge, a two or even three car garage might be something I would place more value on. I know many guys value that huge garage as much or more than anything else about their house. I’m not one of those guys.
As it is we have a tiny one car garage that barely could fit a Mini (you might still have to climb out of the sunroof) and a driveway that is all of 6’ long from curb to door, so the garage gets used for storing bikes, laundry and other items. At least it is connected directly to the house, rare for a 90 y.o. place, which give it more flexibility in its usage. In a small house and a city lot I value that square footage for other things than my hunk of metal that can handle the (mild) elements just fine. I am garage and driveway poor yet garden rich and that means a great deal to us. Square footage cost huge bucks out here, if you can afford it to have your car occupy it more power to you, but I value my location, historic house and terraced garden on a canyon more than a boring tract house in the burbs with a big garage.
My 2002 Subaru (bought in late ‘01) has never been garaged once, parked on the street every night (and all day in the sun when I’m not working) and the paint and trim are holding up just fine.
I downsized to a small place that doesn't have a garage or a fireplace. So I don't have to pay for heat that leaks out into an uninsulated space or disappears up a chimney. I've encountered no problems keeping my car outside. There's a parking space right in front of my house. The climate is fairly mild here in the PNW. The only ill effect of keeping my car outside so far has been scraping a little ice off the windshield this winter (my first year in the place).
The heating expense in my space place is a small fraction of what it was in my former oversized home with a three-car garage and three fireplaces.
I've been downsized for 10 years now, since my 90 (almost 91) year old home has only 2 bedrooms and I bath and only 2 closets for the whole house. I do have a garage and a large shed though; both are full of mostly antiques. My problem is that I still love antiques. Although I am purging stuff right now (have a bunch of stuff ready to go to charity), there are antiques I still want to buy. For example, there is a HUGE estate sale tomorrow I am trying to talk myself out of attending. Why buy more stuff I might have to purge later? But then, some of it would look so good in my house. Oh, the quandary....
If some things are hard to get rid of due to their sentimentally, yet you won't have room for them when you move, start making a memory album. Take pictures of the objects, write something about it, and put it together in a scrapbook. Then, get rid of the bulky object. I've been doing that, a slow process, but no regrets so far
I know many folks downsize when they retire and I know I will have to so I've been looking around. One problem is every thing small I see I hate.
So currently I'm in a 3700 sq foot town home. The reality is it is not a house to grow old in. 4 floors, a bunch of stairs and I've got osteoarthritis with 1 knee replacement under my belt.
I decided to start looking around and have a realtor helping me but everything I've seen seems tiny and claustrophobic inducing.
lol, I haven't even tackled getting rid of 1/2 my crap.
anyhoo, has anyone had problems adjusting to a smaller house/condo/apartment? Did you eventually come to love it?
I still have a bedroom filled with items there seems to be no place for...yes, I miss a larger place a bit. If I can get rid of even more things, perhaps I'll have a useful bedroom. I do feel more peaceful as I give more away...
1000??? Are you a lending library, or do you refer to all these books? I maybe have 50 left around my apt and I'm 79...the landfills are filled with books. I found over years in books that I didn't pick up and open etc,, nice little bugs who love to be in that paper. Unless technology goes away, all the info we need is in this machine....At this older age, I'm working to save my eyes and reading is not a huge part of my life anymore....
I've probably got 500 (free) books on my Kindle now ... and can adjust the size and light to match the ambient light and whatever my eyes are doing (70). All these books take-up little or no space on my laptop or tablet ... and I can also access whatever other magazines, newspapers and information I desire. A formal 'library' seems like an outmoded concept designed to impress others, rather than for function (How many times does one re-read the same book?)
In terms of downsizing, we moved to the Condos about 16-years ago and are now in our third ... all of which have been slightly over 2000 sf. - We pay someone to clean and the HOA takes care of the yard, pool and outside amenities, maintenance and upkeep ... and use an elevator to get upstairs.
I get it that computers and other electronics are getting smaller, but, this 'tiny house trend' seems like only a silly fad. What's the point?
I have 3K electronic books, and I'm still always borrowing more from the library.
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I've probably got 500 (free) books on my Kindle now ... and can adjust the size and light to match the ambient light and whatever my eyes are doing (70). All these books take-up little or no space on my laptop or tablet ... and I can also access whatever other magazines, newspapers and information I desire. A formal 'library' seems like an outmoded concept designed to impress others, rather than for function (How many times does one re-read the same book?)
Some people - like my husband - collect books and DO read them over and over. Many of his books are out of print and are actually worth something because of what they are. Having a library has nothing to do with impressing anyone! He READS!!
He has ZERO desire to read books on a device. He spends all day in front of a computer for work. His eyes need a break from screens. Most people probably could use a break from screens!
Ok we have a 1800 Sq. Ft. House with Mortgage. The main reason we don't leave is because my wife works close by. We still owe 5 years on this place.
We also have a 440 Sq. Ft. Cabin we have considered moving to and the way it looks we would really enjoy it. The only problem we would have is my Animal Mounts.
If we was to move we would just Auction all our stuff off.
brushrunner
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. I have lived elsewhere and experienced both extremes of blazing hot and freezing cold so know what you are talking about and certainly if you’ve got a garage in those environments then it should be used for storing a car if at all possible to alleviate these potential issues. The “protection” thing as in the value of the car, not so much. 
