Aspiring to Fulltiming! (1 Viewer)

[Anna]

Hi All

I'd like to introduce myself!

Hubby and I have lived here in the Dordogne for 12 years now, where we do Summer lettings in our 3 holiday properties. Originally from Perthshire, we've been married for 45 years. Our son and family live in Scotland, daughter and family in Australia and youngest daughter and her French boyfriend here in France and we have Roqui, our big black adorable rescue Ibizan Hound (aka Podenco) and 2 cats.

We've done a fair bit of camping and caravanning in the distant past but have at last realised our dream in buying a MH. The idea is that, now our family have flown the nest and hubby retires this year, we aim to sell up and go full time in our MH, with our dog!

Our daughter and her partner have recently bought their first home near here and, luckily for us, they have a huge basement and garden....so, yes, we'll be able to use their house as a base when required. She will also take the cats, which were actually her's originally! We're very excited at the prospect of fulltiming and, of course, until that actually happens, we aim to go off in our MH as often as possible. I've been reading lots of the info on here with interest and hope to glean lots of tips, especially from the full timers and those doing European tours. We bought our MH in Scotland and drove it back to France and are now in the process of changing it from Uk to French reg, which is not for the faint hearted I might add! Actually, due to the age (1998) of the MH, it's proving to be a bit of a nightmare but we will get there eventually! Well, think that's about it for now. Oh, except I think we're probably not far from Hollyberry and I see she also supports Twilight for old doggies, which is run by an amazing couple who have committed to taking in and looking after old dogs, who have mostly either been abandoned (probably due to their age), I'll treated or ones which have been left after their owners have died and cannot be found new homes, due to being old and these folk care for these dogs so that they can spend their remaining life with love and comfort. Please take a look at the Twilight Website. Sure that's it this time and I look forward to hopefully meeting some of you on our travels in the future. Best wishes Anna and Alister

 

[f6c]

welcome

Welcome aboard

 

[Gromett]

:welcome:

I am a fulltimer and wish you all the best on your new adventure....:thumb:

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[mondo]

Welcome to the site...we too did fulltiming for just over 2 years we sold up to fund a move to Tenerife where we are currently esconced..however we haven't ruled out a return to full timing..Enjoy it and once again welcome..

 

[hilldweller]

The idea is that, now our family have flown the nest and hubby retires this year, we aim to sell up and go full time in our MH, with our dog!

Wisdom round here says reverse this. Go fulltiming and once you are sure it works for you then sell up. It's probably better to rent out your property rather than sell anyway because one day you'll not be suited to full timing.

 

[yodeli]

Kikou, salut, bonjour....!!!!Après 12 ans sur le territoire français, je suppose que tous les 2 , parlez quelques mots de français maintenant !???

Bienvenue....

And may be we'll meet sometime , before you leave for the big adventure!!


Amicalement

Frankie

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[scotjimland]

Wisdom round here says reverse this. Go fulltiming and once you are sure it works for you then sell up. It's probably better to rent out your property rather than sell anyway because one day you'll not be suited to full timing.

100% agree with this... . have an exit plan

We sold up in 2006 and went on the road.. three years later decided it wasn't for us, but no home to go back to.. We had no exit plan simply because we never envisaged not liking it ..

Full time isn't one long holiday, you soon tire of touring and sightseeing. It's a life style change.. and one you cannot envisage until you try. So have a plan, a purpose, and a way out.

Good luck

 

[patyogi]

Yeah

100% agree with this... . have an exit plan

We sold up in 2006 and went on the road.. three years later decided it wasn't for us, but no home to go back to.. We had no exit plan simply because we never envisaged not liking it ..

Full time isn't one long holiday, you soon tire of touring and sightseeing. It's a life style change.. and one you cannot envisage until you try. So have a plan, a purpose, and a way out.

Good luck

+1.. Lotta truth in this. We were c/site wardens for 10 years, Devon & c/wall, we found we were staying longer and longer away during the off season. Eventually we upped sticks and moved to Spain, after, living for a year in the m/home, we bought a place in Murcia. Spent 7 years in the sun and went back to wardening 2009/2010 in the UK. Reason .. got bored, lost contact with friends & family, although made dozens of others but not the same as family & g/kids.
Great to travel full time for a reasonable time (you choose) better to.. as said, do it before you commit.
Now, we live in the UK as a base, spent 3 months in Spain this year, to revisit, just got back from France & off to Germany for the summer.

The old saying that 'living the dream' is only real if you back off occasionally and realize you are taking it for granted. Why did we leave Spain, friends were turning into pee artists, cos that's all there was for them. Not for us!

Back on the road when we choose and loving it.....:thumb:

 

[vwalan]

i can only agree with jim and brian . been there tried it . prefer long terming .
seen many get themselves into a poverty trap . only takes a turn in interest rates and house prices . may not happen for a while but in 99 till now houses round here have quadruppled in price .glad i never sold mine . but i first noticed it in the 70,s .saw loads of my parents friends try it . they were ok in the 60,s but the 70,s many got into difficulties . doesnt take much to tip the balance.

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[Anna]

Thanks to everyone for the welcome and yes, Frankie, I can now speak some French but not going to embarrass myself on here! Suffice to say, my French improves with the vin rouge, mdr! When we find ourselves in the Toulouse area, hope we can meet up for a glass or two!

Thanks also for all the good advice re fulltiming.

We have thought long and hard about it. We are definitely going to sell up and not let as we would be too worried about what could go wrong in our absence with renting out our house with there also being 3 holiday properties and a large pool in the grounds. So our other option would have been to downsize. We haven't ruled out that option completely but have decided that, using our daughter's place as a base and to store our stuff, we're going to give the fulltiming a go, hopefully, for at least a couple of years. If we discover it's not for us, then we can rethink.

I think we should manage ok financially without, hopefully, eating into our capital. Hubby is a retired mechanic so maintaining our MH shouldn't be too expensive.

It does concern me as to what we'll do all day, every day, to fill our time.

After all, I don't want to lounge about all day, visit endless museums or walk the dog off his legs lol!

It would be great to hear from any full timers, who are in their retirement, to know how they fill their days.

One thing I do know for sure is that we have no wish to go back to the UK to live as we love our life in France too much!

Anna

 

[vwalan]

as you do it more the time just flies away. you wonder after awhile how you found time to do somethings . you will do things you dont do now . possibly appreciate things around you more as you have more time to view what many take for granted, or, just so much of a hurry dont see. have a good time .just keep your wits about you.

 

[Gromett]

Finding stuff to do is never a problem...

Learn the guitar, write a book, learn a language, play on the internet. The list of things to do is endless. You will soon wonder how you managed to find time to hold down a full time job

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[Kipntig]

Full Timers

Hi Anna and everyone,
We are also new to motorhoming. We have just sold our house to our son, but we will still use the house as a base (after all he has used it as a base for some years now) . We have bought a motorhome but it will only arrive mid May ....can't wait. We hired a motorhome in France for a month in March this year and loved every minute of it. We are well aware that the novelty might wear off, but in the meantime we are going to make the best of it and enjoy ourselves, and chill out, while we still can. I don't think we will be full timing just yet, but hope to spend most of the time away. Enjoy yourselves, relax, read books, or just sit and watch people go by and most of all - Take care.
Barbs & John

 

[Anna]

I guess, in any case, whether you live in a house or a MH, when you retire, you have to find things to do to fill your day!

The only differences will probably be that it won't take long to do the housework and there'll be no grass to cut, which doesn't really sound too bad :thumb:

Possibly more time to socialise too....with likeminded souls

 

[vwalan]

you might laugh but i have seen several fulltimers with a little lawn mower even if wilding they create a nice patch to stop in . or on a site keep it nice just like a home . you can if you want to. not so sure on the white plastic chain fencing and plastic flowers put out . you laugh . but i have seen that done . also seen green grocers grass put out in maroc to look like a garden . you do have to laugh .

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[yodeli]

Thanks to everyone for the welcome and yes, Frankie, I can now speak some French but not going to embarrass myself on here! Suffice to say, my French improves with the vin rouge, mdr! When we find ourselves in the Toulouse area, hope we can meet up for a glass or two!
Thanks also for all the good advice re fulltiming.

We have thought long and hard about it. We are definitely going to sell up and not let as we would be too worried about what could go wrong in our absence with renting out our house with there also being 3 holiday properties and a large pool in the grounds. So our other option would have been to downsize. We haven't ruled out that option completely but have decided that, using our daughter's place as a base and to store our stuff, we're going to give the fulltiming a go, hopefully, for at least a couple of years. If we discover it's not for us, then we can rethink.

I think we should manage ok financially without, hopefully, eating into our capital. Hubby is a retired mechanic so maintaining our MH shouldn't be too expensive.

It does concern me as to what we'll do all day, every day, to fill our time.

After all, I don't want to lounge about all day, visit endless museums or walk the dog off his legs lol!

It would be great to hear from any full timers, who are in their retirement, to know how they fill their days.

One thing I do know for sure is that we have no wish to go back to the UK to live as we love our life in France too much!

Anna

That would be just perfect for me ... Love vin rouge, more than the Pink one and vin Blanc which usually gives a headache!!
Just drop me a line when you fancy to come down south .... be my pleasure to provide the elixir. Not in August though ... I'll be touring Portugal with JJ:Cool:

Amicalement

Frankie