[StuBeeDoo]

For twenty-odd years I have been trying to persuade my wife to consider moving to a smaller property - on a single level.  She has always come-up with multiple reasons why she either couldn't or didn't want to.  It got to a point, a few years ago, when I said something along the lines of "Right!  That's it!  We stay here and make this place as OAP-friendly as possible."  Which is what I've been doing in the fourteen months since I retired.

So, now I have committed to spending the rest of my life here, she has started making noises about finding a bungalow to live-out our lives in.  This is going to mean an even more concerted attempt, by her, to downsize.  I'm not convinced that when push comes to shove she will actually be able to do it.

I think I'm just going to sit tight until she finds a property she really wants, and worry about it if/when it happens.

However, I have decided than once 2025 lands I'm going to start offloading all my duplicate slot cars - because if I'm not actually using them, what's the point of keeping them?

[Kevan]

I'll keep an eagle eye open for your forthcoming sales... ?

[StuBeeDoo]

I'll keep an eagle eye open for your forthcoming sales... ?

There will be bargains to be had.  I don't charge inflated auction-site prices.  

[roguejackal]

Any heads up of some of your doubles?

[munter]

Moving house is up there with the most stressful times in ones life...I like your attitude though.

I have various similar conversations with Mrs munter and we are always interested to see what properties are currently available.

Criteria is something like ...smaller floor area, smaller ground area, larger garaging/shed space, close to amenities, two bathrooms, etc.

Good luck and dont sell off your doubles cheaply just to get rid of them.

[GT40Racer]

We like it where we live now. Our house is split level - most of the living is on the upper level - which goes out into the backyard - stairs are to the garage and the slot room and rumpus room. - Kids are all grown up now so rumpus room has our exercise stuff and is storage for things that don't fit in the kids places.

I am not keen to leave - but the stairs do make it a challenge from my parents to visit. However if I moved from here I wouldn't be downsizing LOL if I am keeping it all on one level I am looking for a larger rumpus room (or a big shed out the back) and plenty of storage space. Some stuff will go but as we all know when make your self some space by clearing out some 'junk' its only a matter of days (if not minutes LOL) that something will find it way to fill that space

[mickey thumbs]

With 20 years of lobbying for this change, I’m sure you have had plenty of time to refine your downsizing plan. So sit back and enjoy watching her trying to figure out how she can pull it off.? 
We did it several years ago and it isn’t easy. Especially for me, not a hoarder but definitely one of those “hang on to it for a while it might come in handy” kind of guys. Brutal rules were established and followed, but I rarely regret tossing/selling all the stuff I did.

[Henk]

I guess that we all face the same dilemma once we get old(er).

My wife lived all over the world before we married so she has friends all over the world as well. And she wanted a house big enough to have guests who come for two or three weeks, it doesn't make sense to travel from far and visit us just for the weekend.

And because one doesn't want to sit on each others lips all the time we bought a house big enough to have visitors and still have some privacy (and a room for a track  ).

Now we and our friends are getting older so they don't visit us that much anymore, but still we need to keep the house clean so we're looking for a single level living space as well. We prefer a bungalow over an apartment because we like to have a garden, also for the cats, but that means moving to another area of the country since where we live now prices are ridiculous.

That's a big step that is why we are not sure yet if we want to make it. We both are still working, my pension starts in half a year but my wife still has to work a year longer. That gives us a total of one and a half year to think things over.