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Post by Firefox on Feb 1, 2015 17:38:29 GMT
How about fulltiming and renting out your house, just using the house for landlord's post and maybe keeping some storage there? You could live off the income from the house and wouldn't have to work if you didn't want to.
If you wouldn't consider this, what would stop you?
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Post by robmac on Feb 1, 2015 17:51:18 GMT
I would love to full time between the van and boat.
Julie wouldn't!
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Post by billieblue on Feb 1, 2015 18:11:08 GMT
I could full time for a while but I need a base that I know I can return to. I think I'd need a bigger van too....so looks like the answer is "No"
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Post by Firefox on Feb 1, 2015 18:51:13 GMT
Your van would be your base billieblue! Actually I am thinking woodland would be a good base. Although I can't live there all the time, I could store bulky stuff and tools, I can have water on tap, I can hang washing out to dry, and I could have a composting toilet and waste disposal. It "wood" make all the difference to just life on the road I wonder what would put other people off. Would it be washing and drying of clothes, storage, the cold winter, or something else? Perhaps a solution would be to rent rooms out in one's house while retaining a box room for oneself (or a double) for sleeping/storage and access to the washing and cleaning facilities. One could realise some of the rental potential for income while still maintaining a foothold.
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Post by billieblue on Feb 1, 2015 19:27:17 GMT
Without sounding too weird I think my needs are more emotional/psychological than practical.......I actually live very minimally, if you ignore the clutter. My needs are basic......
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Post by Firefox on Feb 1, 2015 19:33:37 GMT
It's not weird Everyone has different emotional and practical needs. That's why it is an interesting subject because there are many different answers and also solutions.
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Post by millie on Feb 1, 2015 20:04:52 GMT
This has been my/(our) dream for the past 6 or so years - pay off the mortgage, let the house out and travel round the UK in a camper. The best thing we did was buy our first camper at the start of this dream and have already had several happy years travelling. I have never been emotionally attached to any of the houses I have lived in and believe 'home is where the heart is'. I am a free spirit and my heart is with my family so I would never be able to travel too far from them, or for too long. As the years go by the reality is getting closer and I have been offered voluntary redundancy at work Our Daughter will be heading off to university in 18 months time so this will probably be when we take the plunge.
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Post by n brown on Feb 1, 2015 20:20:27 GMT
the way we lived was a bit fragmentary,we had no base,so the only income was work we picked up along the way, so sometimes we'd stay in a place for a while, make a camp or rent a house or house sit,then move on. this was pretty much all in europe,so reasonable weather,the anonymity of being a foreigner and flexibility made it very interesting nearly all the time. there'll always be house sitting,30-40 euros a night, fruit picking and markets for making a few quid, and without something to do,it can get boring , even on a beach in the sun !
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Post by penny13 on Feb 1, 2015 23:10:42 GMT
Would never look back love every minute
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Post by billieblue on Feb 1, 2015 23:21:55 GMT
the way we lived was a bit fragmentary,we had no base,so the only income was work we picked up along the way, so sometimes we'd stay in a place for a while, make a camp or rent a house or house sit,then move on. this was pretty much all in europe,so reasonable weather,the anonymity of being a foreigner and flexibility made it very interesting nearly all the time. there'll always be house sitting,30-40 euros a night, fruit picking and markets for making a few quid, and without something to do,it can get boring , even on a beach in the sun ! Yes Nigel, that was when you were young, but would you do it now?
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Post by n brown on Feb 1, 2015 23:45:20 GMT
well we were doing it till about 8 years ago,but maybe i appreciate having power ,a roof and running water more than most !
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Post by campervanannie on Feb 2, 2015 2:09:15 GMT
I would live to do it, but what happens when you become old and unable to take care of yourself or your van gets old and you don't have the finances to replace it which is why I like the freedom I have now I can come and go as I please Bill is happy staying at home in the colder months and coming out with me in the summer and I don't have restriction on how long I stay out for so best of both worlds for me
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Post by edina on Feb 2, 2015 5:26:34 GMT
I would love to full time between the van and boat. Julie wouldn't! You've hit the nail on the head there Rob. We've done it for several years and met lots of people who have tried it and then given up. With couples, in most cases the reason was one of them had "gone along" with the idea because their partner wanted to do it and after a while they started missing their old way of life. IMHO both partners have got to really want to do it. After a while, you can usually recognise the ones who will not do it for long, especially on the boats. A common thought when planning to fulltime is "we'll rent the house out, that'll cover all our costs"; I've heard this so often and heard the tales of woe that follow it. In a nice rose coloured world that would be the ideal, but in practice I've rarely seen it work for long. Having said that, the people who have been full timing for a few years nearly always seem to be easy going friendly folk who always have time for a chat or to help someone out. That's started me off thinking about when we can go back to full timing ahhhhh.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 2, 2015 11:33:24 GMT
Do you think it would be a problem financially for one person, Chris? I was hoping to get about £10,000 a year from the house rental. Full timing costs for one we worked out at £8,000 to £12,000 a year or even less. For two it would be may be more because of the extra food so that may be different. Do your tales of woe come from one person or a couple trying it.
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Post by cardmaker on Feb 2, 2015 12:40:27 GMT
Much as I love being in the van and travelling about I could not full time my need to craft is bigger than my need to travel and there is not a van big enough to carry all the stuff I need to craft.
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Post by robmac on Feb 2, 2015 12:52:38 GMT
Much as I love being in the van and travelling about I could not full time my need to craft is bigger than my need to travel and there is not a van big enough to carry all the stuff I need to craft. Big trailer Gina! I see Ronnie's boys got there own back on us last Saturday!
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Post by edina on Feb 2, 2015 13:05:45 GMT
Do you think it would be a problem financially for one person, Chris? I was hoping to get about £10,000 a year from the house rental. Full timing costs for one we worked out at £8,000 to £12,000 a year or even less. For two it would be may be more because of the extra food so that may be different. Do your tales of woe come from one person or a couple trying it. Without sites, we allow £1k max a month for all costs, but this is a very rough figure cos it depends a lot on the country, climate and how much travelling you do. If you're careful, don't roam about much and want to make a bob or two as you travel, you can bring the cost down a lot. Re tales of woe:- Overwintering on the boat in the med there were lots who had rented out houses and planned to cruise there indefinitely. All that we spoke to had got problems with the arrangement, with some even flying back to the UK to sort things out. Living on the boat in this country, the story was the same, lots of people basing their future on a rental income, without allowing for repair and maintenance costs. A couple we met had rented to members of their family, who seemed to think if they couldn't afford the rent they needn't pay it! Over the years we have rented out properties and, with one exception, have always had problems; these range from cannabis being grown in the greenhouse, burning fag ends thrown in plastic shower trays, selling cars from the drive, generally wrecking the place and of course trying to get the tenants out when it goes wrong or you want to return there yourself. The deposit taken never covered the cost of repairs and replacements. Most would say it was down to us picking the wrong tenants and they would never do that, but they were all respectable, working people with good references. Before renting it is worth remembering that the tenant nearly always has more rights than you and any clause you put in a contract re garden, pets etc, will probably be ignored. Another thing to bear in mind is that a landlord trying to get rid of a tenant will do almost anything and that sometimes means giving them a glowing reference so they can move into another property. I know people in this country who rent out property near to them and have no problems, but when you're not nearby to keep an eye on the place, it's a different story. You will probably have noticed I'm not a fan of renting property!!
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Post by robmac on Feb 2, 2015 13:24:10 GMT
I'm lucky enough to have secured a reasonable pension, which I have been taking from the age of 50, and only have 2 more payments to make on the mortgage, and can take a modest salary from the family business. So, although Julie is against full timing, we plan to do a lot more touring together over the warmer months, and I can take long weekends etc on my own in the winter. Julie can't go on the boat due to having Menieres disease, so that will just be the odd weekend for me as well. Fortunately, this means that we can keep the house and travel, although I would like to buy a smaller one and give the kids some money. Julie is not too keen on moving just yet, so we will see.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 2, 2015 13:30:42 GMT
Thanks for heads up on those aspects, Chris. I would intend to do it via an agency with a rental guarantor in place etc. And on short term tenancies up to a year maybe. I would also be living in the same area most of the time, not going off abroad or anything. So I would be at most 50 miles away from the house. All food for thought though!
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Post by seanrua on Feb 2, 2015 15:16:46 GMT
A wonderful thread with some very interesting points, imo! I did try to comment earller, but all that I wrote just vanished.
Here is a shorter version of the salient points:
Imo, ful-timing hinges entirely on the wealth, health, and attitude of the participants, within the constraints imposed externally.
As a life-style, I remain convinced that the best times are behind us. Even given unlimited wealth and health, I don't think we can bring back the spaces that were once available. So much is now controlled by "others".
I traced the problem back to the legisaltion of the Sixties in the UK. Certainly, the freedom to roam has been greatly restricted or at best grossly regimentated. Sadly, I'd say that the dream, rather than getting nearer every day, is getting further out of reach of most people. But, to finish on a less negative note, I'd agree that private woodlands could be a great help to some , as could rental income. Personally, I don't believe much in rental income so, though I have a 4bed ken with no mortgage, it hasn't done much for my pocket bar empty it. I hate the place and, in theory, should have made a killing when all the Poles were here, but that wasn't my way. A greedy, materialistic, wealthy couple with no kids went to "red" China for twenty years. "Friends" of mine, but greedy tax-dodgers nevertheless. They DIDN'T RENT OUT their big bungalow at all, but actually paid a gardener and maintenance man for he duration! There must have been a reason, imo.
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Post by seanrua on Feb 2, 2015 15:20:01 GMT
Forgot to mention the detrimental effect of increased traffic plus spread of private ownership of moreorless everything not nailed down by the "State".
We're up a certain creek without a paddle, imo. Scarborough froont, anyone, or should we try Skeggy??
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Post by Firefox on Feb 2, 2015 15:30:28 GMT
Scarborough and Skeggy would not be on the menu! Although a lot has been talked about Scarborough, Hutoft, and other coastal locations, in the grand scheme of things, I don't believe they are that important. They have been abused by people parking up for weeks on end who demand a "sea view." So the locals and councils react. For me a sea view is not essential. I love the woods and the hills and am just as content on a wooded track with no view at all other than the trees. I thus have a much wider choice of places to stay and thankfully, all those other inland places are little used and still to be discovered by the masses, if indeed they ever will be
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Post by n brown on Feb 2, 2015 21:45:32 GMT
that's the spirit Vern.in my experience most' wildcampers' need to be near 'civilisation' and all its amenities. i'm not scared of the dark dark woods or drinking water from a stream,i don't panic if there's no Lidl nearby!. as you say,there's other sea views to be had apart from on some promenade in a seaside town which has zero appeal for me .
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Post by caz on Feb 2, 2015 22:43:47 GMT
Having had some bad experiences renting out the granny flat at the back of the house there's no way I'd rent the house out to anyone. I'd sell it. Money in a high interest investment to be retrieved for new much smaller house purchase when/if needed.
But the kids are still here at the moment so it remains a dream that may never happen.
In some ways it is nice to have a base to return to - but whether I would think that if I lived in an inner city, I don't know. I do like the area and the village I live in.
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Post by stonedaddy on Feb 3, 2015 12:10:22 GMT
Having had some bad experiences renting out the granny flat at the back of the house there's no way I'd rent the house out to anyone. I'd sell it. Money in a high interest investment to be retrieved for new much smaller house purchase when/if needed. But the kids are still here at the moment so it remains a dream that may never happen. In some ways it is nice to have a base to return to - but whether I would think that if I lived in an inner city, I don't know. I do like the area and the village I live in. Hmmmm that Granny flat Kath. I don't suppose I could rent it off you for Jose could I?. She is house trained and brings the paper if she is passing the letterbox. I would need to make a few small alterations like bars at the windows, outside locking doors only, and a small gas leak near the bedroom. Under these tight financial years of restraint I thought a small income would benefit you towards diesel and let you get out a bit more to meets in the van. Also it would give your kids something to do training her from snapping and biting. Do give it some thought and let me know. .... Tom ....
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Post by caz on Feb 3, 2015 14:51:36 GMT
Having had some bad experiences renting out the granny flat at the back of the house there's no way I'd rent the house out to anyone. I'd sell it. Money in a high interest investment to be retrieved for new much smaller house purchase when/if needed. But the kids are still here at the moment so it remains a dream that may never happen. In some ways it is nice to have a base to return to - but whether I would think that if I lived in an inner city, I don't know. I do like the area and the village I live in. Hmmmm that Granny flat Kath. I don't suppose I could rent it off you for Jose could I?. She is house trained and brings the paper if she is passing the letterbox. I would need to make a few small alterations like bars at the windows, outside locking doors only, and a small gas leak near the bedroom. Under these tight financial years of restraint I thought a small income would benefit you towards diesel and let you get out a bit more to meets in the van. Also it would give your kids something to do training her from snapping and biting. Do give it some thought and let me know. .... Tom .... Tom!
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Post by X on Feb 7, 2015 21:11:45 GMT
We are ! Too soon to say how it really is yet but all this I get plenty of solar power ? Not a chance in this power hungry egg box . we do not use TV and yes all led . we did a campsite for the first time in this van I think we cost them more in power than we paid even used the electric ring on the hob for the first time ever ?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using proboards
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Post by X on Feb 7, 2015 21:15:14 GMT
Forgot to say all this you can do your washing at launderettes cheaply not a chance you need a mortgage ! I can see why my mates that full timed on their boat fitted a washing machine for that very reason well that and the walk from the marina only to find an out of order sign .
Sent from my Nexus 4 using proboards
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