Would really appreciate peoples thoughts on a housing situation !

[randomxx]

Hi to all.

lt's an unbelievable time in life to find myself stuck in this position, just don't know how to look at it, or what to do about with it, if l can anything at all. 

Problem is, at almost 60, yeah l've mixed up details in other threads just a bit concerned some l know may also be here and haven't wanted any connection here that l might know, butttt, yep.

Thing is l didn't get anything out of my last house, the people l went into the property with as it was a big place, went broke.

Well , sort of lucky although maybe a curse , not sure anymore but l do still have a 1ac country property, 18yrs now, from back when l was married.

l can't work anymore for mh reasons but if l took care l can survive until l can get the pension- living at the 1ac place- it only has a small over nighter atm but l could extend and it'd come up quite nice .

Problem is, it's in a ting town, 30mins to the main town which is a really nice place and there's also a couple of tiny ones in between before that main buttttt, out where this place is, is tiny and out on it's own .

l always planned selling it about now but problems are now that for 1, even if it did sell, it's just a cheap little country block it'd only be a good deposit on something closer in- but circumstances now that'd mean a new mortgage and l'd have to keep working too, don't think l could stomach either of those especially the stress in trying to make it happen.

2nd thing highly possible it doesn't even sell anyway.

l know l'm lucky to at least have it and all , with the housing crisis and so many in worser positions , l just never dreamed l'd be living on it though and honestly, just don't know but it looks like l might be forced to.

l grew up in the city and have lived in some of the nicest places in the country but to have to settle on this place out there now- look the property itself is a really cute block and in a nice little back street- if l could put it on a truck to somewhere else it'd be really nice - but this town.

rx

[white knight]

RX

20 pages, yes it is a sign you're indecisive, to and fro on this topic, its why we are here, to help you through the process.

I personally, if I was in your shoes, to minimalise stress, put it on the market and see what happens. If sold then I'd live in a caravan park until something comes my way, bank the equity in superannuation for high interest (you can withdraw nowadays) and move around caravan park to caravan park until an area or town takes your fancy. If its that large town near you then stay there until you are ready when you find a place thats near perfect.

But thats me, being you. lol

TonyWK

[randomxx]

Thx a lot for what you've said Tony, v appreciated the help and thoughts and of yours to er , your struggling enough as it is. Hope your ok.

Probably a good idea Tony tbh, real concern the way l'm still just all over the place about it, not a great sign. l mean even if l did go ahead it'd be trying to over look big things and just praying all would be well. Bit scary how that'd work out.

lf l wasn't gonna be living here though it'd be a dream to just be rid of the place finally tbh actually. lt's been so much stress over the yrs even just having it and now all this, but especially when it's rented out.

Going the way you've suggested l reckon l could find something else eventually l'd reckon, it'd just take time.

Ironically, would you believe l just finished the Pergola and moving that over today. Bugger turned out to be a lot more work than l thought.  looks much better though even if l didn't build place looks much nicer, so that's something. Quite enjoyed it to in the end.

Thx again anyway Tone

rx

[white knight]

Rx

Thanks for asking, I'm doing quite well for a few reasons-

Removing toxic relatives over the years has been completed, now I only have half the family members but pure quality, no more dramas.

A new addition in our first granddaughter early last month has buoyed us.

Ive just completed building a fold out mini camper with swag on top. Saves the knees. 

Ive been following this thread watching and waiting if you'll suddenly make a decision. However Im a decisive person so its really part of my obligations to extend my empathy to understand what it'd be like to not be decisive. Those pondering thoughts took me to realise that selling a house is a big move, one of the biggest in ones life. Then there's the financial commitment as its likely to cost more in a bigger town with facilities.

I was indecisive once, it involved buying an fj Holden 1956. It was a bargain in 1983 for $800, was resprayed, chrome new but needed assembly. A 76yo friend said "what is the worse case scenario and can you absorb that emotionally if it happens"?. That made my decision easier. I bought the car thinking worse case was losing $300 (lot of money then), reassembled most of the car including all chrome and sold it 3 months later for $2800. Now worth maybe $100,000 lol

So decisive people can be indecisive through fear. Its an uncomfortable, stressful position that often leaves us in a position frozen, not doing anything because that position is where there's no gamble, no change, no moving and youre living in the devil you know.

So 20 pages is indeed justified and I hope we can sort it out over time. Please, dont feel guilty mate.

TonyWK

[randomxx]

Eh Tone, and thx so much for everything. Wouldn't wish following this thread on anyone tbh though, take my hat of to ya.

Your lifes so sorted, lucky bugger, once l had a life like that, and you have your marriage.

Have to be honest though, with myself !  As l was saying to Eagle Ray here, in all honesty, l just couldn't do some new place now, the thought of starting so from scratch again now, be bloody 2-3yrs coz l'd hav to build to, couldn't afford a unit or house, all makes me physically sick.

Couldn't do it, lifes just been too much. l could build here, stay, do this place, that l could manage. The pergolas been a test run and l've been marking out for the house, collected windows and materials, same again, as a bit of a test run and yeah, it's been ok, l've wound up actually enjoying it tbh.

Couldn't go through all the crap of selling searching rebuying and starting over, somewhere else though- just couldn't do it.

There's no super either mate, all there is is a little bit of savings and a small centrelink special benefits thing to tie me over until l can get pension. Thk God a lady there got me onto that bc l couldn't get disability.

l can actually still manage to save a bit of that to here at the cabin bc l live free her so l've actually been topping up the old acc a little more to by staying here so that's been great.

Think you said somewhere, late 50s though, you just couldn't work any more, well same here so, that's all l've got to work with now.

Brother said to me the other day, 4-5mths, not long, give it a bit longer, maybe he has a point, l dunno. l have to stay anyway can't go anywhere atm sooo, we see what happens for a bit more first.

ln all honesty though, if l didn't stay though, been thinking of applying for a social housing unit or somem alternately instead.Couldn't do another place.

Really enjoyed staying up at gf ex's unit in Sydney, after all the properties l've done over the yrs, her unit living was damn nice. Waking up to "no" mile long list of jobs for once. Just enjoying ourselves in snstead,life, was bloody nice. So l know l could handle that life again if l didn't stay here and so l think l'd do somem like that instead.

Apparently being this age l could get one, might take 6mths on a list but if l did it'd be stable, no getting kicked out and they lock the rent to an amount of your income. Be better than buying one even if l could l reckon listening to Eagle Ray's body corp drams and expense at hers.

There'd be none of that renting a social housing place soo, l dunno.

Could put the van somewhere and still take off any time l wanted, wouldn't be bad l reckon.

Couple of things with applying though to is that you need an actual address, so l'd need to stay here while waiting.

2ndly , l wanna help my daughter later on to get her own place so keeping this one or selling it later, could put that aside for her.

At any rate , dunno if any of that's gonna make much sense T , but somem like that's alternatively if l didn't stay here, what l've been thinking. 

Whole thing is, l have to be really careful about this at ths stage in life bc there ain't much to work with bar what l've got now, don't wanna end up homeless or somem at this stage if l stuffed it up so, yaknow.

rx

[randomxx]

But eh, l'd love to see your camper Tone, fantastic mate sounds like a ripper. Didn't you build an actual caravan to yourself back when?

How that trike shaping up to btw ?

Funny thing about that fj, yaknow up Mildura the other wk l saw one in a car park. There's someone up there building cars bc l also saw an old vw beetle built by the same mob , could tell.

Man, they were magnificent. Both these cars were built into the modern version , upholstered beautifully, God they were nice. They both had all the mod cons of a new car, no doubt they did all the front ends and running gear to the same too,  but yeah, entwined into these beautiful old cars.

They were like on some of those American car building shows, dunno if you ever watch those.

But man, if l had the money l'd pick up and old Merc, take it to this crowd in Mildura and say build me a car.

But bloody hell , you aren't wrong about the prices these days to though l know. l dunno if anyones actually getting those prices though, what do you think ? 

You know the two in Mildura l mentioned, any idea how much it'd cost to get them to build me an old Merc- say if l bought the car and took it to them?

Dreams eh, gotta havem right.

rx

[white knight]

Rx

No idea the cost to get someone to restore a car. Maybe $150,000. Personally, as I've restored an old mk3 zephyr its hard work. Those days are over for me. In fact the day my trike was finished I retired from doing projects. The body cant got on doing it.

Yes Ive built 2 houses and 2 caravans and cubbies and a locomotive built on top of a ride on mower with two carriages and a red caboose. Took it to shows. Circa 1995.

The first van was 11ft long, tare 450kg loaded 748kg. We towed it around Australia with an i30 diesel cost $2100 for fuel!!. Even had a toilet/shower. 2nd van was 16ft, ensuite, round porthole windows. 750kg tare 998kg loaded. Very lightweight.

My trike is still at my brake bloke and hes real busy. Then the engineers. I designed a small camper based on a 1 metre x 900mm flat top trailer which came up for sale on gumtree. When I enquired, it was located in the next street lol. Lift up top. So the challenge was to buy a swag 900mm x 2m. Build an alloy top frame that folds up. But I wanted to be able to lift the lid up with the swag and the top tarp all going with it to access the storage area. It worked. 

The rig is in fact taking the trike world by storm. Few have a roof that look any good. The front fairing, I installed a wiper lol. 

All I want to do when registered is visit car and bike shows. Sleep in free camps if I want. But not be away too many nights. Wife and I are close.

You are right, ive got my life in order and it took some hard decisions with family and friends. Much happier. One has to control your life for emotional protection. 

TonyWK

[randomxx]

Yeah, staying here wouldn't be doing much for the emotional/MH protection unfortunately, l'm amazed at the sort of feelings being here.

l wouldn't even be here and this situation but well, as l say earlier, my house didn't do well, divorce earlier and other properties. But tis what it tis now shame though bc even with all that could still have a beautiful place here and some savings and living Scott free, it's perfect really buttt, gotta wanna be here is the only thing eh.

l'm thinking put it up for sale though and if it sells may still buy something else if the right situation came up but yeah as l say to though sick of property too on the other hand so the rent things just an idea, have to see what happens 1st of all. Do reckon it;s best l move on from here though.

Anyway , camper sounds v cool , the trike to. Funny, brothers got a roof top camper said to him actually gees you could make a base for a small trailer and do a really nice little set up with that. He's thinking about it and playing round, doesn't like it on the car roof.

Had a string of trikes pass me the other day with trailers, pretty sure at least one was some kind of camper.

l use to build not caravans as such but living quarters within horse floats, was my business.

rx

[randomxx]

Well, l'd say we have a decision.

Last few wks, the drives to shops- 34k small shop,don't like the town at all, or 55 to the main town. The thing is the roads to both are just open barren farmland - that's the worst part. You'd have no idea wth you were could be anywhere and they just take forever, can't stand them.

Although it's quite pretty around my little town, there's just absolutely nothing outside of it in-between to the others. 

My brothers place is 25k over from here but in a kinda different triangle of towns and so just 10k out from shops and 20-30k to 3 other towns, nice ones too. Makes all the difference in the world he can be at the pub- he loves a counter meal- or shops, in 10mins and others in 15.

lt's a massive difference compared to here, massive ! Not only but bc his so close to his town and the others, there's a lot more going on and a lot more people scattered everywhere.

They're all the things l really really struggle with over where l am bc there's just nothing near by, no other people either, just absolutely nothing going on at all anywhere near the area.

And the drives to anywhere are all just as above and more nothing. l'm really really feeling those lately l'd just love and need to be closer to stuff, people, things goin on. 

Reckon l'll do something like what you've suggested Tone. Put the place up for sale and if it sells bide my time somewhere while l look for the right place. lt'd change my life. 

Been doin sums last few wks on the side as well as browsing property for sale and if l sold this place, l could still manage something else in a much better spot without borrowing. They're few and far between in my range but there has been a few and there'll be others.

l think l would still like to go with another property, might change my mind but atm from being here, there are things. l could get chooks, some parrots, a dog, l'd still like that, and have far more freedom than renting something.

lf l could get the right buy there'd be enough left to plonk something off a truck onto it, find a bargain, rather than build if l didn't feel like that.

Thinking l might go that way.

rx

[randomxx]

Such a bloody shame though.

Lovely little property this one, so much potential, lovely spot, l'd be set for life just staying put.

Damn it.

rx

[white knight]

rx

lol, thats the swinging I was eluding to. Anyway you'll work it out. The beauty of selling and waiting for the right property is there's no pressure and pressure you dont handle very well. In the meantime you'd be able to supplement your income with interest especially if in super. Nowadays you can use super with easy access to the money but with good interest.

TonyWK