'Sell up, go traveling, just rent a room as a base' - or that was the plan...

[Keyryder]

So I finally decided to take the plunge and sell up (partly because I want to do some traveling). I love my home. But I recognised I was stagnating here.

Was planning on just renting a room somewhere for a while. But oh.my.gosh - one week left to go and I have messaged 35+ people about a room (seen hundreds of adds but many were just for students ect) over the last 2 months and only had 4 responses! 2 didn't suit me (and trust me, I was not being picky haha) and the other 2, i didn't suit them.

So, instead of an adventure, I'm now faced with a horror I never even imagined - moving back home with my parents, at 34 years old. In my childhood hometown, which, I hated and couldn't wait to leave. Adventure? More like a horror story!

Anyway, I just wondered if people thought it might pick up once the students stop looking for rooms? Any words of encouragement to help stop me freaking out that I've fucked my life up, more than welcome xD

Why don't you go travelling now?

Buy a flight to India or wherever you fancy going and crack on.

Why do you need a room? A storage locker for your stuff, change your postal address to you parents. AirBnB of you need somewhere to stay when you get back.

Well it's more for things like booking the trips in the first place. Im skint until the flat sells too xD But also, I was only planning on traveling maybe 1/3 tof the time as I need to be in the UK part of it for some stuff I need to do here.

Maybe I could just say 'fuck it' and go all in though. But the money would run out pretty fast if i did that. Especially seen as I'm more of a 3 star hotel sort as opposed to hostels and tents.

But air bnb is a good shout!

Housesitting/petsitting?

Workaway may suit you if you want a cheaper trip, staying with hosts and helping them out with oddjobs

Have you really thought this through?

Sounds crackers given the World's economic and political instabilities.

Of course not. It was a spur of the moment decision xD or I would have realised there were no rooms before deciding to sell up lol

As for the travel plans ect...I've not been able to plan much as I've been too busy fixing the house up for sale, showing it, putting my stuff in storage and flat viewing ect... plus the money isn't through yet so that makes it hard to plan things.

I'm focusing on the hard part and I'll plan the fun part after. If I ever get there 😄

Take your flat off the market and rethink the entire 'plan'.

Probably! But I figured if I found a room that was fixed rent then at least I'd not have to worry about the electric bills for a while.

Have you exchanged contracts already? If not, stop the sale. If you have, then get all yr stuff into storage and cast your net wider for a room to rent. Actively put adverts out saying what you're looking for.

Wouldn't it have made more sense to keep your flat and rent it out? So you would have a steady income while you are travelling?
You could still use your parents as a base or just do short term air bnbs etc when you're in the country, but with money still coming in while you did so?

Too late! It's sold.

I can probably afford to by another down the line, if I'm careful and don't over spend, but the problem will probably be houses for sale shortages too :/

What do you want to do? You say travel but then you want to stay here?

Don't sell your flat. It's the roof over your head for your future. You can always sell it if your future lies elsewhere....

Can you rent it out, with an agent who will deal with it all while you travel? Or even with a temporary rental, like 3 months or whatever.

Put your stuff in storage, at your parents if they have the room,

Don't buy a ticket spontaneously without organising your life here beforehand.

Lonely Planet forum has a section for each country in the world to get tips on where to go (Haven't been on it since Covid hit, but have travelled during it....).

Go for it. You won't regret it. But don't burn all your bridges behind you beforehand!

If you've not got the money, you haven't completed, surely? I'd back out and rent out the flat while traveling.

Oh, just seen you've sold your flat...

The world is your oyster then. 😊

I wouldn't have made much renting the whole flat but I did realise that i could have made a fair enough amount with 2 lodgers if I stayed. But I don't really want the hassle of that tbh (plus it would defeat the point of a fresh start).

Don't really want to be worrying about people trashing my house whilst off traveling lol.

I do think it's just time for a change so I don't regret selling. I just wish I could find a bloomin room!

Thanks, I'll check our lonely planet :)

Well it's more for things like booking the trips in the first place. Im skint until the flat sells too xD But also, I was only planning on traveling maybe 1/3 tof the time as I need to be in the UK part of it for some stuff I need to do here

So you’ve sold your flat to fund a few holidays?

Both

I want a base in the UK to book things from and to do things in the UK. I also want to travel more. But i done mean travel as in trecking ect...I mean more like just taking lots of trips and holidays for the next 6 months or so. I'm writing a book atm so thought it would help with the inspiration to see lots of new places :)

Not exactly haha. Im writing a book and just want to get away and see new places and experience new things. Get the old creativity glowing. It's not about taking holidays it's about finding joy. Security for joy is a big thing to risk of course.

I think you should have gotten the lodgers, gone travelling, then sold and bought somewhere else upon your return for that fresh start. But that ship has sailed now so no point thinking about it!

Good luck with the book and hope the inspiration comes.

And I do get it, this need for getting out of your comfort zone, really living life and finding joy. I'm definitely not saying you are doing the wrong thing, you need to follow your intuition. It will all work out!