Full timers

[Tomo3090]

The C&CC will insure your house for an absence of 180 days and it's no dearer than an "ordinary insurance company". But you have to be a member.

[vindiboy]

I would always keep a base home in England personaly, but I know of several people who sold up completely and lived in their vans permanantly.They have now reached an age where they want to become land based again due to age or ill health , and they have been given very nice appartments in housing 21 facilities where they will get their rent and taxes paid due to low incomes . So being without a home at the end of your fulltiming life is not as bad as some may think. Housing 21 is an over 60 s housing scheme I believe; similar schemes exist via the British Legion I'm told. 8-)

[Brian Kirby]

Selling your house is surely unnecessary.  Why would one need to do this?

If you have an income (pension or otherwise), and can afford to buy the van of your choice, do you really need to sell the house?

Where in Europe is so distant, or inaccessible, that you need to travel for more than three months to reach and explore it?  Then ask the question, but substitute six months.  Nothing stops you returning home between longer trips.

If you have the income, but need to sell up to finance buying the van, you probably shouldn't consider doing so, because you'll lose money on the van and, even if house prices don't keep up with inflation (which I think unlikely over the medium term), selling and buying cost money, so you'll lose again.  If you're a couple, one of you will conk out before the other: what does the other do then?  Housing 21 may be a fine institution, but your choices will be very limited and, if you don't like what you can then afford - tough!

If have the capital to buy the van, but are selling the house to supplement your income, much the same applies.

However, I have recently spotted a few adverts for holiday properties for sale.  Some developments, it seems, have been permitted with the proviso the property can only be occupied for 10 months of the year.  For this reason the prices are quite low - for example I saw one for £65,000.  They are obviously small, but might suit someone who wants to travel for extended periods but retain a UK base.  The restriction on occupation shouldn't present any difficulty, and although there are maintenance charges, so the exterior is kept looking good, and renting out for a few weeks should cover the cost.  However, where you would put the balance of the  capital from the sale of your "proper" house, I know not - Iceland? :-)

[Tomo3090]

Mines' going into National Savings Income Bonds! 100% safe and my 150,000 from our house will get me £500, that with the money from my fire service pension will give me £1,400 a month to live on. And the cash is there for when we get back. There is only the two of us so we can easily find a reasonable home for that. We wouldn't have to come back to NW England, so our money might go a bit further if we wanted to live elsewhere.

 

I suppose somewhere along the line real life will interfere though and we'll have to settle for less than paradise but hey ho! At least we will have had a go!

[Guest peter]

Brian Kirby - 2008-11-12 6:17 PM

Selling your house is surely unnecessary.  Why would one need to do this?

If you have an income (pension or otherwise), and can afford to buy the van of your choice, do you really need to sell the house?

Where in Europe is so distant, or inaccessible, that you need to travel for more than three months to reach and explore it?  Then ask the question, but substitute six months.  Nothing stops you returning home between longer trips.

If you have the income, but need to sell up to finance buying the van, you probably shouldn't consider doing so, because you'll lose money on the van and, even if house prices don't keep up with inflation (which I think unlikely over the medium term), selling and buying cost money, so you'll lose again.  If you're a couple, one of you will conk out before the other: what does the other do then?  Housing 21 may be a fine institution, but your choices will be very limited and, if you don't like what you can then afford - tough!

If have the capital to buy the van, but are selling the house to supplement your income, much the same applies.

However, I have recently spotted a few adverts for holiday properties for sale.  Some developments, it seems, have been permitted with the proviso the property can only be occupied for 10 months of the year.  For this reason the prices are quite low - for example I saw one for £65,000.  They are obviously small, but might suit someone who wants to travel for extended periods but retain a UK base.  The restriction on occupation shouldn't present any difficulty, and although there are maintenance charges, so the exterior is kept looking good, and renting out for a few weeks should cover the cost.  However, where you would put the balance of the  capital from the sale of your "proper" house, I know not - Iceland? :-)

Well said Brian. Bang on. :D