Co-housing projects for women only

[Spooky2000]

Inspired by another thread in relationships.

TBH, if I could set up something like this and have the buy in of other women who wanted the same I would totally go for it rather than buy my own place: Home - UK Cohousing Network There's some inspiring case studies there and I have to say I will be looking into more detail at this.

Anyone else here that loves the idea of living in a co-housing community? 😀

The older woman one in London sounds quite cool but the Cornish farm is not somewhere I'd personally want to live- that sounds more like a commune really. I think for me it's about life stage so as an empty nester I wouldn't want to go back to being in a small community with a lot of young children. I'd also love to know how they deal with people who turn out to be "dead wood" for want of a better word.

On reflection it's probably not something I would consider unless a lot older and widowed but I can see the appeal and that it might take off, mainly because people who are very community/ collectively minded probably find it increasingly difficult to live that life in wider society because they just get taken advantage of so this would be a good opportunity for them to live like that and reap the benefits

Friends (women and men) and I have seriously discussed the idea of pooling our resources in retirement and buying a large property to convert with some shared amenities, where we can live in separate apartments but with the benefit of a supportive community around us and the ability to provide some level of care and support to each other. I suspect that if it worked, it would be because we are friends in the first place; though we’ve identified several potential areas for issue or conflict, even then.

I imagine that building a community from scratch with people you don’t know well or necessarily share the same values with, or entering a pre-existing one as an unknown quantity is complicated, and probably doesn’t work out equally as often as it does. The network you refer to very probably doesn’t publish the case studies of their failures!

Hello,

I am looking for a community like the one you are describing, but I was hoping to be in the south of Spain.

Hoping to move to Spain February 2026 the latest. I have a family home in Malaga that would be available for 4 mums in total.

i am totally serious about this because i want my daughter to have a community and learn from other people on her life. Unfortunately, life has not been very generous when it comes to family and love.

hoping to be able to provide her with a community to support her.

Thanks

I'm in

Just to say a friend was raised partly in a commune, of the 1970s variety. It was awful for her having to share everything including her mum. Sounded all a bit hippy dippy though, may be not what you are looking at.

same @ComtesseDeSpair ! I've a number of long term single friends and no doubt by the time we're retired others may also be single either through death of partners or divorce. We've only half joked a number of times about buying a large property where we can all have own room and bathroom but with shared cleaner, carer if needed, and communal living space. It seems to make a lot of sense. I know there's retirement apartment complexes but that's living with strangers and activities that are centrally organised by someone else's idea of fun!

I would definitely like to do this.

No thanks.

Then why comment?

I think that you would have to seek support from some of the places I mentioned above on how to set this up. I'd join. I've just bought a house, but as my son has died, there seems little point in owning it as I only got it to leave it to my kids.

Sorry for your loss.

I looked at the website. Interesting info for sure! I think more people will come together through motherhood or retirement.

I love the idea of my own little space but also having like minded women living all around for company! A life without men and all their associated clutter as I get older sounds increasingly attractive! In my version there would be cats, maybe a shared dog, some gardening and lots of walks and wine!

It sounds idyllic...but someone will pass and then that part of the property sold....or move into care...or, God forbid, find a partner.....

I guess we should be more open to ideas not out of a box though.

ah - regarding one of the projects, permission has to be sought for a stay of more than one night and partners aren't allowed to move in - you are expected to then move out and free up your space for someone else, if you plan to live with someone.

If people are genuinely interested then we could set up an online group to look at how to go about things and liaise with others who have done this to pinch their ideas...

I would be very very much up for a commune type or the above set up. I would be extremely interested in moving to Spain also.