ohmydaysohmydaysohmydays A NEW HOUSE

[reservoirdawg]

It's not new, it's seven hours away from home, it'd be a second home boohiss until we retire, it needs a lot of work. It's been on the market for a year and has no kitchen. It's so remote we'd need a starlink to be able to work or call an ambulance.
I have the visual equivalent of a tin ear when it comes to decorating and I'm so excited I could cry (I did cry when we visited)

Wonderful op!!

You are living the dream for a lot of us! Congratulations

Ugh to die for!!!

This isn’t a second home in a coastal village it’s in the middle of nowhere, empty for a year.

logically a 2nd home is a 2nd home regardless of location surely?

Looks beautiful. I know it’s boring and I’m sure you’ve considered this but how is it going to work when you retire? Medical appointments, shopping etc? Will the house be warm enough? Just asking because my in-laws live rurally in Wales and it’s a big worry for us. Your DC are already put out. Will you be expecting them to visit and help you out? Apologies if you have all this covered.

Personally it’s way too remote for me although I understand others love that. I just think no one will hear me scream!

I know it’s boring and I’m sure you’ve considered this but how is it going to work when you retire? Medical appointments, shopping etc?

that’s actually a really good point. What happens when you’re older & may not be able to drive?

I live in Cornwall surrounded by second homes.

My money is on you keeping it as a second home and letting for holidays part of the year.

Once reality sets in that makes the most sense for most people. You get to enjoy it but with some time away back in the big city/town/village you currently live in.

It looks beautiful, but being so cut off from emergency services would worry me.

Certainly not a place to retire in as per pp.
Having had two recent dashes to hospital, completely out the blue in my fifties, I wouldn't fancy your chances with any kind of medical emergency.
Not worth the risk, even for those stunning views.

We’re mid 50’s now and plan to work until 67- rewarding jobs with lots of wfh, so we’ll get a lot of use before retirement. We have family in South Glasgow and will eventually downsize from family home in zone 2 London to a mansion flat centrally.
It’s definitely not liveable in if you can’t drive. But looking at our parents we’d have 30 years of use of it.

This is the problem
My dad lived similarly remotely in Scotland,he was a shepherd so his life & work were there & he was very fit & agile. But then he retired & after a few years things began to get really difficult for him. A doctor appointment was a real ordeal, miles to drive when not feeling well,, & they wouldn’t visit of course. No neighbours to turn to or just chat to.He was referred for a hospital visit & I had to go & take him, it was miles & miles of a trek, a long long day for a half hour appointment
Internet & mobile phone signal was non existent so relied on a landline which sometimes in winter went down so then completely cut off , a real worry.Winter in general was really hard & the regular snow made things even more incredibly difficult, no nearby shops & no supermarket deliveries would venture there even if there had been internet to order. Then in summer there was the infinite joy of the midges. Eventually he was forced to admit defeat & moved to rent a little place to be near us, still rural but not cut off in Cumbria.

Oh yes, retiring to a house half an hour away from anywhere is a brilliant idea OP! 🤔

How's that bitter taste in your mouth working for you?

And ha ha, as a PP says - dya nay ken the midges?

We're in a similar position. Both in our 50s and moved to a very remote (further north than you) place a couple of years ago. We're fully aware that at some point it won't be practical but that's fine, then we'll sell up and move closer to facilities. In the meantime we have amazing views, peace & quiet and wonderful wildlife around us.

God people are mean. There's plenty of room in rural Scotland. And hopefully the OP won't have any health crises for many many years, that is possible you know.

It looks lovely OP, I wish you much joy there.

Life is short. Enjoy what you can while you can. Ignore the naysayers and enjoy life.

It's looks beautiful and I love your decor ideas. Part of the reason it has been on for over a year could be because it won't be mortgagable

How often do you think you will get there?

We have a 2nd home, which is a 4 hour drive away. We go every other weekend for a long weekend, and it's tiring, and that is all motorway driving. Yours is a lot further

Enjoy the journey, I would love to see pictures once it's completed

The views are stunning

Do you know someone locally who can keep an eye on it when you’re not there?

Yes, hopefully. That would be lovely. But statistically? There's going to be a fall. Or a stroke. Or a bad reaction to something. And there they are, in the middle of nowhere.

You can love it while you’re fit and healthy and sell it when you’re not. I’ve grown up in v rural Scotland and now see my parents struggling in their v rural house and wish they had sold in their mid 70s when they still had the energy to move and capacity to get things done. It looks like a great project though OP and you’ll learn a lot!

House looks lovely!

ObvIously don’t know your situation, but are your children likely to get on the housing ladder? I’m a similar age to you, and our generation had it so much easier when it came to buying houses.

I’m just about give my kids my pension lump sum towards deposits. One of them is in her mid 30s and has worked since she was 15. Her husband is a teacher. They can’t afford to buy a house.

If you’re going to own two houses whilst they can’t even dream of owning one, I kinda get why they’re upset.

But you can't live your life according to "what ifs". Well you can but you'll miss out of things you really wanted to do. You have to take risks in life sometimes. It's called living. As the book says, feel the fear and do it anyway.

One DC in Glasgow and yes we can help out. The other two are in London saving for a deposit and yes we’ll be able to help. They’re all mid 20’s and the London ones are not sure whether they’ll stay here. And wfh and office jobs means we’re all quite flexible.