Are you living in your "forever home"?

I had this discussion with my wife the other day.

While I REALLY like our house (1000sqm block, Carlingford, quiet street, close to shops, I've put a fair bit of blood, sweat and tears into it, close to the in-laws, great primary school), neither my wife nor I want this to be our forever house.
There are a number of reasons but here's what we want from our forever house:

• Bigger block. I've really gotten into my gardening and want to grow lots of food, while still having enough grass to kick a ball around
• Good local secondary school: Given that our son is not even 3 and number two isn't even on the way yet, we've got a few years before this becomes an issue
• Closer to a nice (non-city) beach. Ideally water views, but not necessarily. Needs to be within 15 minutes though.
• Pool. That's my wife, not me, I don't really want one, but it's not a deal breaker.
• Big shed/garage! I've got way too many (also "not nearly enough") tools and things, so I need a bigger space to keep them.

Obviously what we want isn't easily achievable in Sydney, but I wouldn't actually mind leaving in the next decade or so.
This might also mean that our dream home won't be substantially more expensive than our current home.

What about you? What are you missing, or are you content with what you have?

 

I accepted decades ago that there is no such thing as s forever home ... for us anyhow

Each home has a purpose at each stage of our lives

 

Ive had several forever homes. But things and feelings change, so I have given up on the concept myself

 

You are absolutely right, I bought what would be my last property just over 4 years ago. It's not my dream home [cant afford] but it is a house with little maintenance required, solid brick, upstairs and downstairs living areas, large rooms and high ceilings, but what is more important 3 mins to shopping centre, doctor/dentist/hairdresser and lots of cafes plus the walk around Lake Macquarie, shopping precinct with Good Guys/Office works etc, as well as being 10 mins to Kotara & Charlestown shopping centres and private/public hospitals.
It is exactly what I need at this stage of my life ...
PS Its also wheel chair friendly , huge main bathroom with easy access from bedroom. Something I would never have thought about until my husband was diagnosed with Parkinsons.

 

Forever is a long time.... forever for now perhaps.

We've tried most options. Inner city, first ring house, near water, suburban McMansion, down sizing, rural, and now semi rural.

Feel like this one could be a rather extended stay.... whatever that turns out to be.

 

Seems almost fantasy these days, think l'm just about ready to give up that idea it just doesn't seem to want to be. Or maybe l'll just always be restless , or maybe l expect too much, or or or!
There's been a few forever dream properties l could've or would've over the years. The one that always comes back to me, l could never afford now but l could've had this incredible place for 140k 15yrs ago, and l'd probably have been there forever l'd say .
Must admit l'm a bit torn these days. My place is not flash at all nor my town , but it's big and roomy , got a lot of character , gorgeous views and it's just beautiful to just exist in, it's just that sort of place , you can just exist, live, so peaceful in this crazy world of these days, which is rare and hard to find for me.
Lotta moves over the years and 3 states , and dream locations, so it's bs that here l am in this funny little town. Divorce, to stay close to my daughter until she's older , you know.
But my main town is lovely, so relaxed, comfortable to just be around, pretty, beautiful beaches too, that's an easy 20mins up the road, and then there's the Great Ocean Rd,all the towns and spots, 20mins too.

l planned to finish this place and sell end of yr, now covid, who bloody knows , it all could be down the toilet by then. Thing is supposing it still sold ok , where too. Gf says ahh , we just keep this one, make it nice, the views, the peace, our main town and beaches 20mins away,why move. And what could l afford better anyway, don't wanna sell my other places, and they give me a nice little rent , don't want a new mortgage , not big anyway.
The thoughts crossed my mind too , and it'd mean leaving the coast if we did sell, because l couldn't afford the coast somewhere else. Although there's a gorgeous little coast town 1hr 30 up , still affordable too , but it's pretty isolated , not sure how we'd go with that over time.
So forever house ha, who knows , maybe l'm just a gypsy , don't know.
Funny really , when l knock on someones door or meet someone, in some lovely house and spot , that have lived there 30yrs, probably die there , l envy them , how lucky some people are, or maybe they're just smarter than me haha.

 

I'm not investing in nursing homes yet

I'm with @Lizzie, @Terry_w & @balwoges - there is no forever home but a 'stage home'.

Stages in life (for some):

• Parent's home/childhood home
• Share house/couch/crash pad
• Rental (unit/townhouse)/pre and post-family
• Young family home
• Teens family home
• Empty nesters/downsizers home
• Retirement house (SEPP 5, communal, self-care unit, Villa, nursing home)
• Funeral home

The home can be anything from a lean-to in the bush, a room in a boarding house, student accommodation, studio etc up to the island shanty filled with household help & concierge.

 

We have been living in our PPOR for 41 years......

 

Nice thread

Dream home is in the eye of the beholder....

We purchased our dream home about 12 years ago.

We walked through it and fell in love.

Its been the best thing we ever did. At the time it meant making some sacrifices and I did not think we could afford It, but we made it happen and all the stars lined up. We sold our primary residence at the time within 1 week and managed to secure it even though there was competition.

 

I should have added that my bachelor son lives with me [he's downstairs] and does the lawn mowing, gardening etc. I couldn't live here without him, atm my daughter is also living here and she helps out as well.

I also have to admit that being a REA I took a cold hard look at the value of the house and what I thought it would be worth in a few years with the view of what I could leave my children. The agent who sold me the house gave me a figure of what he thought it would be worth in a couple of years, been here over 4 years and am very happy with the increase in value..

 

The REAL forever home!

 

We are in our third forever home!
I'm also with @Scott No Mates @Lizzie, @Terry_w & @balwoges - there is no forever home but a 'stage home'.
Our last three houses were fantastic for us at the time, first for work, second for high school and current one, just for us - no children living at home!
We have achieved all we have by actively investing in and trading residential property.

Our current home may not be forever, however its an anchor home - we will never sell it and we may move out and live elsewhere for a while, but I think we will always return to this house. They just don't make anymore absolute waterfront land!
Unfortunately this has been our worst performing property ever! 10 years in and we would loose money if we sold!

Ist we built with a boutique builder, in Melbourne. Still love Federation houses.


2nd we built with a volume builder, in Melbourne


Our current home, in Darwin, we just brought for the view

 

buying a dream home is great for your psyche/mental health And can make the property investing journey easier. Its like rewarding yourself for your hard work just my opinion/experience

 

Same here bought 12 years ago as downsizer and moved for better private schools but much more expensive area and property. Now have adult kids but still love to live here.
Environmental zone, great ambiance, great locals and local shops or necessities, love gardening, proximity to many aspects, great friends, views, fireworks, new buildings like Brangaroo with lights, lifestyle.
So to us it wasn't just about the house but rather more about location and our way of living, our lifestyle.
Even on a cloudy day like today just enjoy living here.


I think I must feel contempt with life and knowing what I want or desire makes this an ideal home for living. Love where we live now and probably will stay here forever....?

 

Er, um, do you think the attitude will change for the better?

 

Lol. Content.....

 

We are living in our forever home. Just bought it towards the end of last year, and now plan on living in it until I die or am shipped out to a nursing home.
We moved interstate from a capital city to a regional city in order to be able to do so. We had tried upgrading where we had been living, but were finding ourselves under too much financial constraints. Sacrificing too many things that were only our 'desperately want' list, and making too msny compromises, and looking at a massive new mortgage at the very top of our servicability in order to have any kind of upgrade at all. Basically, were were being priced out of the market for what we wanted in that location. Moving has been an allround lifestyle change, and one of the best decisions we have ever made. And we now have a home that tick all of the boxes, and it cost less then the current market value of the small house we had been living in (now an IP).

The only thing I would possibly change about this house is swapping our (big) bathtub, for another big bathtub that was just a foot or so longer, so I can lay down properly without my knees sticking out. But I can live with that. Everything else is perfect for our large family now and completely adaptable for our family in the future as our dynamics evolve.

The lifestyle and the house go hand in hand though. We are so much more relaxed and less stressed, because of where we live now. We can enjoy the house even more, knowing we haven't been financially stressed servicing to the mortgage, and that we have a more laid back lifestyle yet still get all the things we wanted in our dream home.

 

I am still loving my home.

Though, I reckon I could move up to my Birkdale Qld place later on in life. No winters ever!

 

How does living in Darwin compare to Melbourne?