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I want to sell my home/property

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
But the lovely Mrs_Bob does not want to move :hammer:

Lots of work to maintain this place, I'm too lazy to keep doing it. Add to that the fact that my arthritis is taking a toll on me and I'm just tired of doing all the work.

Oh I do love our house, it would probably be great if it was on a 1 acre lot. But I wouldn't mind a smaller house on a FLAT 2 or 3 acre lot. Trade all the equipment for a big ZTR mower. Heck 2000 sq ft and 2 acres sounds pretty ideal. A nice garden, maybe a pool (but maybe not!), and less work all around would work for me.

... I guess its just a dream right now :hammer:
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I'm with you Bob ... sometimes at least.

When I hit 70 in March I started asking myself, "How much longer can I keep doing this?". I got rid of the pool maintenance a few years back, after 30-years it had become a real chore, but it's still a full time job keeping up with everything else outside and inside. Fair enough, it keeps me occupied and busy but, I'm afraid to admit, I'm not the stud that I used to be. What used to be fun is now just WORK and hard work at that.

Then again, on an evening like this evening, I sit outside on the back deck with my wife, sipping on a glass of wine, and look around. I look over the yard, beyond the fence and the pasture to the lake and it's beautiful. Besides, what would I do in a condo or a zero lot line house? Where would I park an RV, 2 tractors, a big honking diesel front mount mower, a Gator and 4 vehicles and that doesn't include all the other "stuff" that I've accumulated in the past 20-years.

I guess that I'm stuck here so I may as well get another glass of wine, sit back and enjoy it. I'm just going to be working until the day that I peg out but it is nice to think about now and then.
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
im ready to scale down sell off the house and live off grid in an rv on a small chunk of property out side city limits. with taxes and utilitys I cant seem to put any money away. this way all the kids who are now adults would have find jobs and get their own places.
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Start shopping around and see what you can find on your own. If you find something you really like show the lovely Mrs Bob and maybe she'll come around. From what I've seen you already have a very nice house but if you can find one with an out of this world kitchen or an amenity that your current house does not have maybe that will help sway her.

Or find the right piece of property and see if she'd be interested in building and designing exactly what she wants in a house now. Decisions like ths should be made slowly anyway ..so either she'll come around or you will find that it's worth staying where you are and keeping mamma happy. Good luck.
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
When my son changed companies a couple of years back his new job came with a honking pay increase. His first thought was to buy a bigger house. His wife said NO!!! Her reasoning was that the time for a bigger house was when they had 4 kids at home and now they only had one and he'll fly the coop soon. Also, she said that the house was bought and paid for and all her memories were right there in that little house and she wasn't leaving them. My son said "OK" and went about his business. We didn't raise many fools in our family. :clap::clap::clap:
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I think about doing the same from time-to-time but like Frank, I like my place and regularly sit outside and just admire Mom Nature.

Like you, I sometimes feel the chores do get to be a bit much. I've been working on things to reduce maintenance which has helped greatly. Some examples:

Big backpack blower (I use a Stihl BR600). With that, I never touch a rake. It'll clean whatever you point it at. It can actually blow gravel out of the lawn back into the driveway for Spring clean-up after winter plowing of the driveway. Also works great for cleaning gutters.

Mulch and perennial flowers. Although I have a good weed eater, putting in mulch and flowers cuts down what needs weed eating.

6" River Rock. I have some steep hills in the lawn that are too steep for mowing and just suck to try and weed eat. Cover the area with 6-mil plastic then cover the area with the rock. I did one hill about 15 years ago and haven't had to touch it since. Looks good too.

Tree pruning. I got sick of cleaning up sticks or branches after every ice storm or high wind day. Had a guy come in and prune the trees. Huge help since it removed 95% of the clean-up work.

ATV with accessories. Can zip around easily. A trailer in tow is handy for picking up sticks or whatever. A lawn sweeper for grass clippings or leaves. A York rake for grading driveway or trails.
 

deand1

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Zeriscape

Or, you could go the way I did; 5 acres in the hills above town with all natural trees and shrubs. I do have a few ornamentals around the house that are watered by an automatic drip system.
 

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pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Zeriscape

Or, you could go the way I did; 5 acres in the hills above town with all natural trees and shrubs. I do have a few ornamentals around the house that are watered by an automatic drip system.

Holy moly!
That's paradise.
:biggrin:
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Zeriscape

...Like you, I sometimes feel the chores do get to be a bit much. I've been working on things to reduce maintenance which has helped greatly. Some examples:

Big backpack blower ...
Mulch and perennial flowers...
6" River Rock...
Tree pruning...
ATV with accessories...
I have motorized much of what can be motorized.

I should probably look at hiring someone to do some extensive pruning.

Got a good Stihl blower, not a backpack, but its easy to use and powerful ... and my wife uses it most of the time.

River Rock ... done. Mulch ... done. ATV, nope but other easy to use stuff. I think maybe a good brush fire and a flash fire in the woods to take down the scrub stuff but leave the real trees might be easier ... if that wouldn't take down the house too :ermm:




Or, you could go the way I did; 5 acres in the hills above town with all natural trees and shrubs. I do have a few ornamentals around the house that are watered by an automatic drip system.
That would be nice, but thinking more like beach or canal front with less land.

Or maybe someplace where its not arid, like Southern Indiana, KY, Tenn, Georgia or Florida. Not too far from a decent size city, but just far enough. I want enough flat land to garden.
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
Next time, I'm just fencing the land in with a small island for the house and a small nice lawn. The rest will be goats, chickens, and a few Grand Pyrennes.

I'm not even 50 yet and I'm tired of the maintenance. ;)
 

tiredretired

The Old Salt
SUPER Site Supporter
Well, I would say if you are struggling with chronic pain and losing the desire to slog it out being a so called happy homeowner, I would say it is time for the rubber to meet the road. One thing I have come to grips with is the fact that as I get older and older with much less time left in front of me, there is just simply no time left to be unhappy. Screw that. Life can throw us enough breaking balls without asking for more.

I would say it is time to either downsize or come to grips with Mother that it is now time to hire out contractors, landscapers to pick up the slack.

For me, there will come a day in the not too distant future that I will be doing just that. That time has not arrived for me yet, but I am not immune.
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Ahhh I didn't realize you were considering a big move ....by that I mean away from your current location. www.zillow.com makes it easy to shop homes all over the country from your computer or device. Easy to see what you can get for your dollar in various areas of the country.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
We'll be looking to upsize within a couple years. Something about 10 or so miles out of the city. Twice the house and property and half the taxes. I'm going to keep all this in mind. Only have enough grass that I can easily mow with a ride on mower. I'll probably keep the old ford and put a plow on it and get a newer daily driver.
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
OK, we've all pitched in and given our advice and anecdotes but the thing that we are all ignoring is, "Mrs Bob wants to stay where she is".

End of discussion!!!! Close the thread and let's move on. :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
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