We’ve begun the long process of house-hunting for a place suitable for us in our future old age, which sadly now doesn’t seem very far away. We want to downsize from the 3-bed house we now have to a 2-bed bungalow or a purpose-built retirement flat, and have picked the location of Diss – yes, the town of the unhelpful book shop owners.
You get more for your money in Diss (American buddies… it’s not as bad as it sounds!). It has a nice high street full of shops, a lake and a park to walk around, a library, a swimming pool, 3 big supermarkets, a GP surgery, a bank, and a train station. There’s no big motorway or hospital nearby however, and so probably that’s why Bury St. Edmunds’ prices are higher. To drive to the hospital where I work from Diss would probably take me around 45 minutes.
On Saturday we braved Storm Dennis and visited 4 estate agents along the high street. One made my day and told me that retirement properties were only for people aged 55 and over (we’re both 62), but all 4 stated that bungalows didn’t come on the market very often. We said that we weren’t in a rush, and just to contact us when one did.
The reason we’re not in a rush is because we have 30 years of junk that has filled up two loft spaces, and it’s going to take ages to get rid of it all or sell it. After our sons have climbed up there and claimed anything they want, we’ll probably have to rent a skip and pay for half our home to be carted away. It’s heart-breaking, but to downsize of course means that only a certain amount of furniture will fit inside a smaller home.
Neither of us are very enthusiastic about moving home, but we know it’s got to be done. We’ve seen too many of our relatives struggling up stairs and trying to cope looking after a large garden. We want something on one level with a very small low-maintenance garden. The one bungalow we were offered needed much work doing to it, which we weren’t keen on. We want to move while we’re still hale and hearty enough to do it.
I wonder how long it’s going to take us to find somewhere suitable?
cordis01 said:
I usually don’t comment on blogs, but your articles are so interesting that I never stop talking about them. You did a great job, mate, please.
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for your comment.
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katiegirl06460 said:
i wish you luck on your adventure. I was planning on moving from the home I have been born and raised and lived in all my life and just recently decided (again) that I wasn’t going to do it.
The decluttering was daunting and I did a lot of it but decided that I would rather stay where I am.
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Stevie Turner said:
Hi Katie, thanks for your comment. The house-hunting has paused at the moment due to the virus, but will resume again asap. Still haven’t found anywhere suitable though.
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Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. said:
We said all of that when we packed up in Madrid after 17 years… and ended up in a 7 bed b&b in need of much repair… nearly four years later and the work almost finished we have uttered the words… ‘we must downsize this time!’ We shall see….. hugsx
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Stevie Turner said:
Lol. Sounds like too much work for me!
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Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. said:
It was worth it and thankfully D loves a project…xx
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Russel David said:
Usually I never comment on blogs but your article is so convincing that I never stop myself from saying something about it. You’re doing a great job Man,Keep it up.
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Stevie Turner said:
Thank you!
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Phil Huston said:
The stuff we accumulate… Ow! I wonder why my wife’s many boxes of post graduate work are in the attic, unopened for many years, but moved several times. Why do I have computer monitor stands for monitors I haven’t had for? A box of lengths of wire, plumbing and electrical widgets, empty buckets! Small parts for cars I no longer own. remotes for long gone media devices. A bucket of power supplies…The best thing that happened recently was my old shed was collapsing. I rented a trailer and most of what was in the shed was useless. So…good luck. Finding a new place is the easy part. Wondering why your children don’t want your grandmother’s china and there’s no room for it? Ow.
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Stevie Turner said:
Amongst the detritus up in our loft is our son’s first pair of Wellington boots. He’s 37 now and has size 11 feet… he’ll never wear them again.
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Phil Huston said:
Ahhh, cherished memories. Broken jewelry boxes, baby clothes and blankets…piano lesson books no one will ever use…
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tidalscribe said:
Don’t downsize too much – leave room for your walking frames later on ha ha! My daughter is a community physiotherapist. Also retired couples need a bit of space to not be getting in each other’s way! But Diss sounds a nice place to be.
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Stevie Turner said:
Cheers for that depressing advice! I still have my late mother’s walking frame in the loft just in case…
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Phil Huston said:
You’ll want a newer model with softer hand grips…And that tripping over each other thing is called part time job/volunteering.
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Stevie Turner said:
Ha ha, you’re right. Many retired secretaries in my hospital do volunteer work around the wards as soon as their husband retires.
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dgkaye said:
Good luck my friend. I hear you! I’ve downsized 4 times and still need a de-clutter. You’ll know it when you see it. 🙂 xx
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ditdot71 said:
This is very exciting to hear about congrats on your new adventure. I moved 2 years ago for that very same reason. Best thing I did. Downsizing is great, purging isn’t. Good luck !
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Stevie Turner said:
Thank you. I wish it was all over before it’s even begun…
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Jane Sturgeon said:
Good luck, Stevie…you will find somewhere and there is a feeling of liberation that flows through a big de-clutter. Step by step, you’ve got this. Hugs Xx
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Clive said:
Good luck with your search and the large task ahead of you. I’m sure you already know this but in case not: be very careful about specialist retirement homes, as they sometimes have restrictions on future sale and occupancy.
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes we found that out. Some of them have an annual fee for services too. Also with a few of them some of the profits (about 30% I think) on re-sale by our sons after we have departed this life would have to go back to the owners. Sam says “Well, they can whistle for that!”
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Clive said:
Thought you’d have done your homework! They aren’t the good deal they’re marketed as, are they?
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Stevie Turner said:
Is anything? If I knew how to make a sad face emoticon I would…
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jenanita01 said:
One will come along when you are least prepared for it, so I would start clearing the loft now…
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes we really do have to make a start…
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jenanita01 said:
I have promised to sort out the shed this year!
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Darlene said:
Good luck with your search. I´m sure the right place will show up. I know all about downsizing as we had to get rid of so much when we retired to Spain. We didn´t through much away but donated a lot to charity shops. It took us the better part of a year to cleat it all out and we were already living in an apartment. Diss is a funny name and makes me think you are speaking with a lisp or accent. (This) Diss is a nice town. LOL. We have funny names for towns in Canada too.
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Stevie Turner said:
It’s such a huge undertaking. I’m not looking forward to it at all.
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Darlene said:
I know, it is daunting. But you will find some surprises!
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robertawrites235681907 said:
I have visited Diss, Stevie. We stayed at a lovely family hotel in Diss in 2018. I remember that lake and it is very attractive. Good luck with your house hunting. You have time, 62 is still young.
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Stevie Turner said:
Didn’t know you’d been to Diss, Robbie. We could have met up! Did you stay at the Park Hotel? We go there for Sunday carveries sometimes.
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robertawrites235681907 said:
Yes, that is the one, Stevie. It is really lovely there. Great service and food. I had a very nice cider there. I’ll let you know if we ever come back, we may as my mom’s sister lives in Bungay which is close by.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Unhelpful bookshop owners aside, it sounds like a lovely town Stevie. And Diss isn’t that odd a name, Here in the US we have:
Satan’s Kingdom, Massachusetts
Hell, Michigan
Ding Dong, Texas
Booger Hole, West Virginia
Big Bottom, Washington
Santa Claus, Indiana
Beer Bottle Crossing, Idaho
Scratch Ankle, Alabama
Coward, South Carolina
Accident, Maryland
Boring, Oregon
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robertawrites235681907 said:
You really have towns called Coward, Accident and Boring. Wow!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Yes. Yes we do.🤦🏻♀️ And those were just a few.🤦🏻♀️
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Stevie Turner said:
Diss seems positively tame by comparison…
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I thoughts you might feel that way!😏
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Stevie Turner said:
Lol! Whoever thought up ‘Ding Dong’? Was he/she drunk? Seriously though, I wonder whether some of these were named by native Indians way back when?
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
A lot of these are small unincorporated communities. Ding Dong got its name when two brothers who settled there opened a store. They hired an artist who painted a sign for it with two bells and the words Ding and Dong under them. Over the years the name was officially adopted by the residents.😁
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parkermccoy said:
Diss is an interesting name. Haha. It sounds pretty nice though. Good luck with your move, Stevie!
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks. Yeah, it’s a nice town, and you get more for your money as regards properties I think.
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