How about this for an elderly couple with less than perfect health and decreasing mobility?

[OrmRenewed]

www.primelocation.com/uk-property-for-sale/details/id/SMWE6007218/

I have sent this to my parents who swore they couldn't find anything in the centre of Wells with parking and a garden. I think they may well tell me to mind my own business .... but I think this looks perfect. Walking distance from the places they like to be, near shops, ground floor, flat garden.

They are currently in a 4 bed house in a 3acre garden with a massive slope. Dad had a heart op last year and mum has horrible arthritis and other problems.

Waddya think?

If I was looking in that area for a property with similar requirements I would snap it up!

Yes, me too!

I want my parents to move. They love their garden but it's too much for them and it will break their hearts to see if go to wrack and ruin.

But I can't force the issue...

I can see the attraction of the location & v small garden, but Orm, it's fucking hideous from the outside!

Oh I don't mind it. I quite like odd looking houses. But so many in the centre of Well as old terraces with steep stairs and no garden or parking.

Would it involve a move away from their friends? I know my mum and dad are v v close to a lot of their neighbours and have tons of friends in the town, are in clubs etc so it would be a huge wrench for them to move in their late 70s.

Maybe they don't really want to move?

TBH most of their friends have died or moved away They were very involved in the church but don't do much now and are starting to resent the fact they are relied even more heavily for things like cleaning rotas as fewer younger people come on board. Wells is only about 10 miles away and they are heavily involved in voluntary work there - their social life revolves around that mainly. They are also quite keen on being able to pop to the shop etc instead of having to get the car out all the time - they used to walk everywhere but can't do that as much now.

Well, you never know, they may like the ugliest house in Wells attractive compact yet bijou pad you've picked out for them

They may indeed!

Orm - it does not look very pretty which I suppose they might not like but TBH if your parents are anything like mine - DONT EVEN GO THERE!

Sorry to shout but I lost years of my life trying to persuade my parents to move to somehing more suitable when they sold their farm to retire. Somewhere with three beds, period chracter property, pretty garden about 0.5 acres for my Mum. Edge of a nice market town so views over countryside yet only walking distance from a railway staion, shops, etc. Only a few miles form where they had their farm so they could still see friends

Nope, not good enough. Had to be 5 acres, and 6 bedrooms and 7 miles from anywhere. Of course now my Dad can barely drive and they are isolated.

I feel your pain but really why do old people do this to themselves?

beenbeta - I have no idea. The place has been their life for years - they spend most of their waking hours in the garden. But they can't do it anymore. Thankfully mum has stopped saying they need lots of bedrooms for visitors (ie my DB and family).

I wouldn't have even looked if dad hasn't mentioned they had thought about it - and they have checked with agents apparently which is how they came to the conclusion there was 'nothing with a garden and parking'.

I don't know why they do it to themselves, but there are tons old people like that round here and their gardens are going to rack and ruin.

Not to mention, you should see the inside of those houses.

You could film 'Pyscho' there and it wouldn't be far off the mark.

But they want £300,000+ for their pile.

I just say 'Best of luck!'

I know some 60-year-olds who are about a hundred years old in real time, sadly.

Well my parents are 79 this year so I think it's reasonable to expect them to be a little infirm

I'm so grateful to my ever-sensible folks.

They've always lived in a bungalow. Garden just the right size.

3 bedrooms.

They decided to modify it rather than move. So they've had it all adjusted to meet their needs should these change - shower room with sloped floor, raised worktops, wider doorways, etc.

Orm - unfortunatley, I think you are describing what I fear will happen to my parents. They were 63 when they moved to their great lunk of a house so at 79 they will have been there 16 years and am sure totally unwilling and unable to move to something more suitable.

Its my Dad who is the problem, I suspect my Mum would be persuadable but Dad was adamant there nothing suitable that was smaller and more manageable.

It is even bigger than the house they used to live in when we were children and so is the garden. Madness.

My grandparents loved their home and garden too as they bought it off plan over 50 years ago. my Grandpa died a few months ago and Grandma is 90 but the garden is no problem as she now pays a gardener to do the hard bits and she loves spending her time 'pottering' in it.

Ok then since you lot thinks it's so ugly (I quite like it as it happens), find me a 2 or 3 bed bungalow, with a small garden and parking within walking distance of Wells Cathedral. Up to about 300k. BTW there are loads of conversion jobs that look lovely but are on the outskirts of the town or in the countryside.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-28070093.html?premiumA=true

www.look4aproperty.com/property/00807081

www.look4aproperty.com/property/1087326

www.look4aproperty.com/property/1243675