Travel & Holidays A Different Lifestyle

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by TAJ, 15th Oct, 2018.

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  1. TAJ

    TAJ Well-Known Member

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    By chance, met with an elderly couple today who last year (pretty much to the day) auctioned off their home in Caringbah (Sydney). They gave most of their furniture to their 2 sons and purchased a new Landcruiser 70 series and had a canopy put on the back allowing them storage areas for swags, tent, fridge, crockery, cutlery and the like. They have no intention of ever owning a "Home" again.
    Their desire now is to continually travel within Australia chasing the sun.
    On occasion they stop in country pubs or motels if they seek additional comfort for a change.

    Sounds very appealing. I forgot to ask them where they have their mail forwarded to for the likes of rego, insurance etc. I suppose they could always have it sent to one of their sons' address.

    Interested to hear if any others have considered doing this.
     
  2. willy1111

    willy1111 Well-Known Member

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    I believe there is a service for this. Ie for a fee a company will provide you with a mailing address to have your mail sent to, and then they scan and email it to you.

    Most things these days can be sent via email.

    The only challenging thing perhaps may be a physical ATM or Credit Card. Maybe it could be organised to be sent to a branch?

    Also all the info share registry's send out when a purchase is made, I don't believe it can be stopped. Yes bank details and future info can be amended/obtained online via the registry portal, but the initial info I don't think can be stopped which is annoying.
     
  3. bmc

    bmc Well-Known Member

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  4. Car tart

    Car tart Well-Known Member

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    There is an alternate one that a few of my friends use.
    They buy a house within 30 mins of an international airport in Italy, say Milan.
    Then holiday for 6 warm months in Europe using their home base when tired of travelling. Then spend 6 warm months back in OZ.
     
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  5. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    with winters in Canberra, that certainly appeals.
     
  6. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Good on them - really doesn't appeal to me and would rather travel the world via house sitting (does anyone remember Katherine from Canada?).

    Approaching retirement does make you think of your options tho. Our latest purchase was 5 mins walk to the beach - 10 mins walk to the ferry that takes you into the CBD and the local supermarket/shops - 20 mins drive to both a major hospital and international airport.

    Will rent it out until we're ready to move there - and then reno - and then travel
     
  7. Morgs

    Morgs Well-Known Member Business Member

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    I like the idea of something like this.... live aboard a high end luxury around the world cruise ship... everything you would ever need is on board these things!
    How To Retire On A Luxury Cruise Ship
     
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  8. TAJ

    TAJ Well-Known Member

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    Good on your Dad for doing that. Obviously it is not for everybody; but those who choose to give it a go and step into the relatively unknown I admire.
    The couple I spoke with would never tow a van or trailer as they said the additional fuel costs were prohibitive. They much preferred the tent scenario (which pretty much erected itself apparently).
    Which island is your Dad on? Magnetic?
     
  9. TAJ

    TAJ Well-Known Member

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    You’d probably end up the size of a house eating around the clock! Only downside to this is if a cruise is full of d#ckheads you are stuck with them for the duration of the cruise.
     
  10. Peter_Tersteeg

    Peter_Tersteeg Mortgage Broker Business Member

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    My parents migrate north every year for about 5 months, they just got back last week. It's a great lifestyle and I can see the appeal of it. Many people do the math and realise selling their house will give them many years of this type of lifestyle.

    The problem is it doesn't really work when you hit about 80. At some point it gets difficult to hook up the caravan. Driving the landcruiser safely becomes a problem. What happens then?
     
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  11. TAJ

    TAJ Well-Known Member

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    The underlying message I got from them was that they had no rates, home insurance, home maintenance issues. All they really had to pay for was fuel, food and the odd nights accommodation.
    They had holidayed internationally many times and said while it was interesting mixing with other cultures they simply preferred home soil. Each to their own I guess.
     
  12. TAJ

    TAJ Well-Known Member

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    This couple I believe were in their early sixties, so they have plenty of time to select a place to spend their latter years..... beyond 80. They would never tow a van for economic reasons and also stated it was restrictive on where you can actually travel to.
     
  13. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    I agree - was just listening today to a story about a homeless 80+ yr old.

    Her and her husband never bought - rented and traveled. Now that the husband has passed on, and she's on the single pension, she cannot afford to rent and had been living in her car until picked up by a refuge.

    If they had owned something - even if rented it out ... it's tough when the life outlives the funds
     
  14. Casteller

    Casteller Well-Known Member

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    This is my plan eventually, bouncing between Barcelona and Byron Bay, holiday let my place in Byron when I´m not there. At the moment more time in Barcelona until kids older. Other advantage is tax residency in Australia, much cheaper than being Spanish tax resident.
     
  15. TMNT

    TMNT Well-Known Member

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    I personally think, its possibly a "living in paradise" type of dream,

    once you live in paradise, the novelty wears off,
    I personally wouldnt want to be that age, having aches and pains from age, and living in one of those,

    I enjoy camping now, Id do it a few times a year, but tell me to live in a luxury tent, no matter how luxury, id say no
     
  16. TMNT

    TMNT Well-Known Member

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    being blunt, they spent an entire lifetime of the difference of rent vs mortgage repayments on whatever they wanted,

    had they planned a bit better or made different choices, they would nt be in that situation
     
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  17. TMNT

    TMNT Well-Known Member

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    so how much does she actually pay, the most expenisve is $300k
     
  18. Morgs

    Morgs Well-Known Member Business Member

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    Didn't read specifics was more the principal of it... last cruise I was on was years ago around the Mediterranean and for the two of us in a nice enough room on one of the top 5 biggest liners in the world was about $1500 for a week. All you'd need is $2m of assets as a retirement nest egg returning 4% and life is paid for... plus I'm sure you could negotiate something better if you're booking a full time fixture :)
     
  19. Fargo

    Fargo Well-Known Member

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    Living in paradise does get old and the novelty wears off quick. The people I know who have tried dropped dead after about 10 years mostly from alcohol , or an enlarged heart from too much Viagara. But if you have limited funds it is best to suffer in luxury if that is all you can afford. I bought a free hold Luxury Condo in the middle of Clark Philippines entertainment district for $ A300,000. The cheaper ones on lower floors where less than $200K, but still give the same yield of $120/day. But the more expensive one should give more in CG (min 10% pa) There is a 30% management fee if you pay some-one to manage it plus $2/sqm/month holding cost ( BC and maintenance fund) . Even when I don't live there it can give me the funds to live somewhere else It is located near everything you could want , seconds from roof top infinity pool, bar restaurants and gardens, and $million views, where you can see the sun set over the mountains and night lights. There is a huge SM Mall 300 metres away. Subic Bay beaches, parks and diving 30 minutes away, Manila 90 min drive by car or bus and will only be 55minutes on the bullet train when it begins 2years . Mountains Bagiou 2hrs, Banaue about 4 hrs. Airport is 5 minutes and 2 hrs from much of Asia. Can fly to some where like Alona Beach Panao island (Bohol) for breakfast than have lunch cruising down the Luboc River through villages. Never a dull moment in the Philippines as something weird always seems to happen, But it can become very unfulfilling and depressing after awhile and is easy to fall into a rut and get the feeling that "is this all" I much prefer to be busy and do something that gives a sense of achievement at least for about 5 months of the year.
     
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  20. Angel

    Angel Well-Known Member

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    My bestie does nomading and my BIL is developing 100 acres of land to live off grid near a regional coastal town. We are learning how to do both. I have already decided that long term nomading is not for me, but I would be happy to travel like that for several months at a time. I want to buy a modest house in a country/coastal town as a base and do seasonal trips - Tasmania/New Zealand in Summer and everywhere else in Winter. The Besties are my age, late 50s, and have a fully paid off unit to return to when they are over the travelling. This is their fourth year and they haven't covered 50% of the country yet. I also want to wander OS for at least six months before our bodies get too creaky.