To ask at what age you bought your "forever" home?

[Daisypop89]

Myself and DP bought our first home last Spring (at 29 years old). We had DD1 already when we bought it and DD2 arrived at the end of last year. The house is a new build in a nice estate, about 30 minutes from my hometown. I just don't know if it's our "forever" home. It's in a nice quiet area, schools etc. all around are lovely.

I'd like to know what age you were when you bought your forever home? Perhaps I just feel we are still so young to be tied to the same property for the rest of our lives, and maybe one day we will want something bigger/better.

I don't get the concept of a "forever home".

Our needs change so much over our lives- what is a perfect home at 30 is usually a completely different home at 50.

I have had five homes so far, all chosen to meet the needs at that time.
Ranging from a Georgian flat in the city centre, a cottage in the country, and now a large semi as we are a big family, but no younger children.
In a few years it will be my OH and I again I want a smaller place that will be cheaper to run, a bigger garden as I will have more time.

The house I am in right now perfectly suits the needs of my family, but it won't forever.

I was 39 and my children were 8 months and two years old when we bought it. I'm now a widow, and in 5 years time both my children will be at university and I'll be rattling around it on my own. Since my husband passed away, a few people have asked if I plan to move as it's such a big, old house that will always need lots of maintenance. But I love it here and am fortunate that I will always have the funds to maintain it and I want my children to always have 'their' home with their own bedrooms when they come and visit, however old they are.

I also dont get the forever home, its always seemed so final, as if to say thats it nothing else will change in my life and we will just live our days out in the forever home. And I have moved many many times

I would feel quite sad and suffocated by that

We bought what we described as our forever home when we were 29 - lovely big four bed detached.

When our first DC came along 7 years later we realised the area wasn't quite right so moved to the house we have now. A large 4 bed semi in a perfect area. We've been here about 12 years now. The move to get here was so stressful I said I would never ever move again so I think I'm in my forever home now

Totally agree term 'Forever Home' is just totally meaningless, as a couple, we have have owned three different homes, staying about ten years in each. They were all 'perfect' for the time, we now own a lovely, big house in a nice area, but I have no wish to stay here 'forever', I am really looking forward to the next stage of our life which will (hopefully) involve downsizing and moving to a new area.

'Forever home' for us means the place we will raise our children, it might change years down the line but we are both on the same page that we will be here for a long old while yet.

......unless we divorce, but even then we joke we'd still live in this house together as we love it so much

Ps we were both 34

So a 'forever home' that's not forever It really is a nonsensical term.

I was 32 when I bought what I saw as being my forever home.

At 39 my now ExDP bought me out and im in a pokey 2 up 2 down which O dont want to ne my forever home, but if it is then so be it.

At the end of the day its warm, dry and safe, which is more than most have

33. We didn't know it would be, but 16 years later we're still here with no intention of moving.

28 when we bought our period, 5 bed that needed renovated (just about done 5 years later). I'm happy but would like to downsize when there's just the 2 of us here - DH loves it and says he wants to live here forever. Obviously if we ever divorce it'll not be my forever house - I'd get somewhere smaller

I was 23.

We bought a flat first and then moved to our 3 bedroomed house, it needed modernising so we did that, wasn't sure at the time how long we would stay, but we are still in it 20 years later. Thought about moving to a bigger house but decided to stay so that we don't have to extend the mortgage.

Don't think this will be our forever home, but was fine as DC's grew up, will probably move out of London at some point in the future.

30. Then again at 39. Then 50. We’ll sell and buy again no doubt in 10 years or so! I don’t want to be living in a family home as an empty nester!

What is a "for ever home" - an ridiculous idea thought up by TV programmes. Along with the "making memories" and other vacuous statements.

I’m 55. I’m currently in the 5th home I’ve bought. 14th place I’ve lived as an adult. I’ve been here 3 years and expect to be here for probably another roughly 10 until the kids go to college. Then I’m hoping we’ll buy something smaller and more central. 10 years or so after that we’ll hopefully look for a place with better facilities for seniors so we can stay as independent as possible as we get older.

I can’t think how one home would serve all the purposes I envision wanting from somewhere over the course of my life.

Bought my first and only house at 24. 32 now. Might stay here forever, might not. I have absolutely no ability to see into the future and foresee my circumstances.

Didn't the phrase originate from Location Location years ago?
It puts far too much pressure on both people and houses imo. What happens if circumstances beyond your control mean you have to move? The bricks and mortar you surround yourself with can't prevent life quite literally ripping the rug from under your feet

Bought ours when I was 43 btw. I hope life allows us to stay in it.

I really question the idea of a "forever home".

It equates with the idea of having shit written on the wall- " Live laugh love" and crap like that.

Most of us will hopefullly live a long time and go through many phases in life, and housing needs will change surely?
Even when we "settle down" , and have children housing will be determined in part by the needs of our children, near schools. a garden, local amenities and parks. We may choose that home because it is near work, other relatives, grandparents etc.

But family needs change, children grow up, they will go to University, move away, grandparents die, we get new jobs, we don't need to live near a school, we don't need so many bedrooms, we may have more time to invest in a renovation property.
And as we get older we may want a bigger garden, consider moving to a village, closer to bus routes, local shops, a pub.

Why chain yourself to an "idyllic" forever home that no longer serves a purpose? Walking through empty rooms remembering all the times you have spent "making memories"

I live in a 5 bedroomed house close handy for the local secondary school.
Once everyone leaves home there is no chance I will be staying here paying high bills and council tax so I can enjoy the memories contained in all the empty bedrooms.
We will sell up, buy something smaller and enjoy the cash.
And even that next property won't be our "forever home". I shudder at the concept.

Bought our first at 22 (inheritance) and are looking around with the idea to buy a family home when we're 28/29. We don't believe in forever homes as if we come into more money we're likely to move to a better area (we live in C London so it's a push to get a nice house)

You never do. My pil in theory had one in their 70s but hate it as too big and struggle with stairs so looking for a smaller house. You have the house for each stage in your life

29. We were lucky though - through doing up houses we managed to buy the one we’re in, which also needed doing up and has been since extended into our forever home.

Err, never as I live in London & it would cost me 3m

"Forever home" is one of those phrases that makes me cringe; like "living my best life" and "soulmate".

If you're lucky, and you can afford a house big enough for all eventualities while you're relatively young, then great, you've got your 'forever home'. But plenty of us are just about managing in houses which don't actually meet our needs and with no real hope of changing that situation, so are stuck in 'forever homes' that we'd love not to be in!

We bought out family home when I was 36. This is where we will raise our children. It's not a forever home though as it will be too big and the staircase too steep for our declining years. I'd hope wed move into our retirement home before we are 70.

It's a poor choice of expression but I think what OP is trying to convey is the point at which you are able to buy a house because it's exactly what you need, rather than a house that's a bit of a compromise because you can't stretch to exactly what you'd like.

We're in a house that I'd be happy to live in forever - we didn't overstretch ourselves but we did pick an area where we knew we'd be able to afford the sort of space and facilities we wanted. It's worked out well. We might move again and I guess my priority is to ensure that we're in a house that we'll be able to stay in if our mobility is compromised - i.e. enough room on the ground floor to have a bedroom and bathroom and still have decent living space, whilst having family to live/stay if they need or want to. I have a number of relatives who've lived in beautiful but impractical houses that had to be substantially modified or sold. It's easier if you like newbuilds as they tend to be built to be reasonably accessible (which I do although obviously not everyone on Mumsnet does )