Like lots of other people of our vintage, we've been thinking about and discussing our "next step" for a while now. We've loved living in our little country house for the past 16 years or so:
... but were getting ready for a change, before we really had to. If something happened to one of us, neither of us would want to be on our own here.
Luckily we had options to consider. We knew we didn't want to go full-time RVing, as we like a home base, and don't want to travel in something large enough to live in full-time. We looked at various alternatives that would free us up from yard duties, and make it easier to travel more spontaneously. Various types and locations of condos were considered and discarded. Of course cost was sometimes a factor!
Then, thanks to a mention in Al's Bayfield Bunch blog in late 2018, we came across the Bayfield Mews. It really clicked with us. See Bayfield Mews link for their web site. After short consideration, we plunked down a deposit in Dec 2018 for a unit to be built in 2019, and "poof!" there went our winter trip money.
Digging started for the block containing our unit (there are 4 bungalow units per block) just this past week:
In February we put our house up for sale. Not knowing what action to expect that time of year, we specified a closing date of the end of June (subject to change). Well, the house sold in 3 days, and the sale will be closing in early June. So we've been busy packing, and selling and giving things away we don't need anymore. Our new home will be about the same size as the main floor of our current house; however our current place has a full basement and 2 oversized garages and a couple of sheds, while the new place has a single car garage and no basement. Lots of accumulated stuff to shift. Almost like an estate sale, but we're both still here to do it.
A bit ironically I guess, we'll be "full-timing" with our van for a few months this summer, as the new place won't be ready until the fall. The things we're keeping will be in storage over the summer.
Time will tell if it's the right move, but it feels right to us so far. If something happens to either of us, the survivor will be able to manage the new place on his/her own; meanwhile, snowbird and other travel will be easier. It's a home base in a village environment. We've never really been "city people", and that has only strengthened as we've aged.
