The house is sold and I'm having a wobble

Thank you all for your encouragement

Moved after 38 years in the same house - never regretted it!

So many positive messages - as I posted above I've had experience of moving to new areas, takes courage particularly on your own as I had to after DH died. My experience has been positive, love my new home, not perfect yet but "work in progress" as is the garden.

I am naturally friendly although I can be a little shy with new groups of people. Be open to meeting new people, try joining in with activities & explore. Those of you planning to move within the same area don't have to worry about that.

It's natural to feel apprehensive even fearful when facing a move but look forward - it's an experience, stressful but worth it in the end

I agree with everything that's been said. Just go for it - you wont regret it. Think of all the negatives about the place and the reasons why you wanted to leave if in the firstplace . . Memories should be about the people not about bricks and mortar.
Exciting times - we moved up to the Lake District from the Midlands after 32 years in the same house bringing up the boys . If is so beautiful and quieter up here and we have a modern wArm home easily mai rained home now, instead of the draughty and chilly place we had before. Go for it - exciting times - let us know his you get on. ?

A year ago we sold our home of 31 years and moved from Scotland to Redbridge, London. The house was on the market for 3 months and we were eager to sell but I was still gutted rather than elated when we got the offer. We are really glad we made the move as the weather is so much better and our son and his wife are only 15 mins away rather than 400 miles away. It has ,and still is, a bit of an adventure!

I lived in the same village for 31 years in 2 different houses and moved 170 miles to a more modern, easier to look after house in the smallest town in Wales with a smaller garden so more suitable for us as we get older. The bonus is our son and grandchildren are only 25mins away, the sea just 15mins, Snowdon 45mins and it has been like an eighteen month holiday so far. There is so much to discover, we have friends to stay, we have joined lots of groups in the town and made new friends. I had a bit of a wobble a couple of weeks after we moved as I missed my friends dropping in but now we are both so glad we moved and, I hate to say this, we rarely think of our old house and life there, though we loved it at the time and were very involved in village life. I think when the time to move on comes the brain adjusts.

Our house is really too big for us now and logic tells me it's time to declutter and downsize, but my problem is that despite continually searching online I haven't found anything I want to move into.
We have lovely spacious rooms, a good set of shops close by (essential as I don't drive) our GP and dentist 5 minutes walk away and excellent public transport. We face south so all the rooms are filled with sunlight, and we have good neighbours too.
I search but find nothing - one lovely bungalow was not near a bus route or shops; I think we will be here till doomsday, but I do keep looking, maybe one day I will look and think, "that's the one, I've found it..."

If solicitors and estate agents weren't at the top of my hit list, I would move more often.
I've been in this bungalow 2 years, the flat before this, 6 years, the previous one 5 years etc etc. We love a new project.

Don't worry. We lived in our cottage for 42 yrs: Moved just over 2yrs: ago to a new build .Central heating , double glazing, what a joy.Much more suited to our needs .DH had18mths here and settled in just like that .You wont forget your old home ( we loved ours) but it became the past very quickly.Hope all goes well and don't think about the miserable surveyor .

Don't worry. We lived in our cottage for 42 yrs: Moved just over 2yrs: ago to a new build .Central heating , double glazing, what a joy.Much more suited to our needs .DH had18mths here and settled in just like that .You wont forget your old home ( we loved ours) but it became the past very quickly.Hope all goes well and don't think about the miserable surveyor .

Don't worry. We lived in our cottage for 42 yrs: Moved just over 2yrs: ago to a new build .Central heating , double glazing, what a joy.Much more suited to our needs .DH had18mths here and settled in just like that .You wont forget your old home ( we loved ours) but it became the past very quickly.Hope all goes well and don't think about the miserable surveyor .

Don't worry. We lived in our cottage for 42 yrs: Moved just over 2yrs: ago to a new build .Central heating , double glazing, what a joy.Much more suited to our needs .DH had18mths here and settled in just like that .You wont forget your old home ( we loved ours) but it became the past very quickly.Hope all goes well and don't think about the miserable surveyor .

Don't worry. We lived in our cottage for 42 yrs: Moved just over 2yrs: ago to a new build .Central heating , double glazing, what a joy.Much more suited to our needs .DH had18mths here and settled in just like that .You wont forget your old home ( we loved ours) but it became the past very quickly.Hope all goes well and don't think about the miserable surveyor .

Don't worry. We lived in our cottage for 42 yrs: Moved just over 2yrs: ago to a new build .Central heating , double glazing, what a joy.Much more suited to our needs .DH had18mths here and settled in just like that .You wont forget your old home ( we loved ours) but it became the past very quickly.Hope all goes well and don't think about the miserable surveyor .

Don't worry. We lived in our cottage for 42 yrs: Moved just over 2yrs: ago to a new build .Central heating , double glazing, what a joy.Much more suited to our needs .DH had18mths here and settled in just like that .You wont forget your old home ( we loved ours) but it became the past very quickly.Hope all goes well and don't think about the miserable surveyor .

I have twice had moving 'wobbles' and my experience tells me that it is not only normal - it is to be welcomed! It shows how much you have loved your house, how happy you were in it; it doesn't mean you made the wrong decision!
I realised that after watching a close relative leave the house she had lived in for 40 years. She went with not backward glance, no tears or wobbles. 'thank goodness' she said 'At last I'm leaving this place'.
There were reasons she had been unable to leave previously, but it made me welcome my 'goodbye' tears.
I often visit the area where we lived happily for over 30 years, and I smile at our old house, like an old friend, glad to see toys in the garden & kids' stickers at the window.

Please don't take any notice of the surveyor, maybe he didn't get his oats the night before!

When we moved two years ago, as I packed away our things, it sort of changed the home to a house, IYSWIM. We had been there 13 years, from me getting divorced and I know what you mean about it being your sanctuary, and I loved that home. It is where my children grew up, I got my freedom and had lots of new friends in, had a wonderful relationship and lots of wonderful memories. But I had to move on. I went round the house and kissed the walls on leaving (I have never told anyone that) and said thank you to it. I now love the home I have now though. It suits me better, although a chair lift and downstairs toilet would make it the best.

I have lived in a couple of houses which I have hated. We bought our second married home after being married seven years, really bad mistake. It was one of those houses which, no matter what you did to it, would never feel right. I was glad when I moved out. One when I was "at home" too was a bit cold and distant home, not warm and cuddly. But my mother wanted it so she got it. It probably didn't help though as she took us away from the area where we had grown up and all our friends were. Out of order imo.

If you know in your heart that you are doing the right thing, then as you pack up, the warmth and love with travel with you and your belongings. I wish you all the love and luck in the world in your new home. X

It's horrible when a stranger comes into your house and examines it coldly and dispassionately without any of the basic courtesies. He'll regret it now, though, with Anya's curse!
Could I give you a list, please, Anya.....?

It's only natural you feel attached to your home after such a long time there. But what makes it your home is your family and belongings not the bricks and mortar and those you love you will take with you.
I have also been back to look at houses I have previouly lived in - and felt no connection whatsoever.

Mixed feelings about moving are natural - and appropriate. You don't want to kick 32 years away but once you've made the transition, you can appreciate the benefits of downsizing especially if you don't have to make a new life and friends at the same time
Bonne chance

jollyg

We have been in this house since 1972!!!!!!!!

With Himselfs hoarding, I cant see us moving anytime soon.

It is handy for a supermarket, busses, there is a 'nursing' home at the end of the street, and a short walk away is the Crem.

Whats not to like

Gosh ! you are a brave bunch to move after so long in one house ....I suppose it is nice in a way - something I have never known, having left home at 18, moved to London, Cambridge, Romford, Chelmsford, Nottingham, Baslow, Spain (twice) France (twice) ....downsized after husband had second stroke but now finding even the bungalow too difficult to manage. What now ? dont know ...would love a flat overlooking the sea but he refuses to get rid of anything ...his tools, his workshop, his shed (he is 84 soon) whereas I would just get rid of the lot like I did when I moved from the UK (second marriage) ...he has moved the original dining table around Europe at great cost, along with all the rest of the ancient stuff he had at his house in the UK so we are now at an impasse .....there is no flat we could afford which would be large enough for all his stuff......and larger retiremen flats are far too expensive ..so YES if you have the chance ...go for it and don't look back at what you once had ....you will still be in touch with friends and family and an easier life ! Good luck !

loopylu ,I'm much the same ,I dont get attached to houses or things ,we put our house on the market at the beginning of the summer ,we've been here 28 years and I looked forward to the "new" house though it needed a fortune spent on it to make it liveable .Our house sold to the second family who saw it THEN ,the owner of the house we were buying decided not to sell after all and took it off the market.After 3 weeks of frantially looking for another house we decided that as we couldn't find anything we really liked we'll stay put.Felt so sorry for the young couple who had set their hearts on our place,but no point in moving for the sake of it,I'll wait until we need to downsize now,maybe when we retire.

I am in the same position at the moment, actually waiting to hear from agents today to find out if there are any offers forthcoming. We have been here 34 years but have now decided to move to a one level house which is much smaller. I am torn between excitement and misapprehension-are we doing the right thing, moving away from all our friends! I have the same feelings every time viewers plod around my house. And when one couple said they didn't like it at all I felt gutted! I feel like pulling the plug on our move but unfortunately we will lose our £9,000 deposit paid on the new place. I'm hoping this Is just a minor wobble!