Well now I’m coming to a BIG decision. Some of you may know I’m upping sticks from Yorkshire to move back to the Wirral - plenty of reasons including being with family, a flatter area, not being house bound - yippee! The Yorkshire house is now sold.
I am always trying to stay one step (or push) ahead of this ‘tricky’ MS thing. I have saved, and saved all of my now ‘defunct’ working life and now have a choice.
a) To use all my savings and buy a bungalow that will need updating over the years but should be settled for life?
b) Straight swap and get a house - it won’t use my savings and I can update and adjust it. Stairlift, decorating, ramps etc.
I’m a part time ‘wheels’ user and cannot go out by myself. I’m still ‘youngish’ - very early 40’s! I’m a bit of a ‘furniture hugger’ indoors - for balance. I know I have and will carry on deteriorating if I look back over the year(s) and use that as a gauge.
It is difficult to let you know my full personal circumstances. But you, my friends, at least know about this condition.
So what would you do? A or B? Deal or no Deal?
Take care.
Yours
Marty
UPDATE FOR EVERYONE BELOW:
I have got a report back from my parents that the bungalow needed a lot of work - too much to even move! So I have bit the bullet and my house is sold at £83k and I have my offer on the new house at £82k accepted! It is worth so much more as well. I will look at getting my downstairs toilet. The saving are now intact and will help to adapt and can be used for the future. I’m soooooooooooooo excited. I will be able to get outside and see people. Some of my old life (from a different time) will be back!
I’d definitely go with option A. I have a stairlift and transferring is becoming increasingly difficult also it means that you have to have a wheelchair downstairs and another upstairs so it complicates everything. If I could move to a bungalow I would but I live in Yorkshire and they are mining coal under my house so I’ve no chance of selling it and even when they have completed and the house has stabilised the value will have diminished so I won’t be able to afford a bungalow.
Good luck and I hope all goes well for you - a sad loss to Yorkshire though.
Hi Marty, are you currently in social housing… council housing? If so, I’m assuming you mean you can swap your current council house for another house in Wirral. Yes? If yes, then it might be worth your while to find out how many bungalows Wirral council own. My thinking is that you could swap for a house in Wirral and then immediatly put your name down for a bungalow (very unlikely you will be able to swap for a bungalow as they are for disabled people so would not swap for house). There might be a wait, even a few years wait, but you would eventually get one and with a bit of luck you might not wait so long.
This would mean not spending your savings.
On other hand, have you any other plans for your savings? Working on the theory that ‘you can’t take it with you’ (although you are still on the young side!) if you have no other plans for the savings then why not buy a bungalow? Better than having the money sitting in bank although these days there’s no guarantee that the property will increase in value.
What I would advise against is getting a mortgage. Landing yourself with a huge debt when you’re disabled is not a good idea… no idea what the future will hold in terms of govenment paying interest on mortgages if you’re on income support… but also and most important, is you will be responsible for ALL repairs and maintenance. Everything from leaking tap to blocked toilet to new roof. That is a hell of a responsiblity when you’re not well and on limited income.
Bit of a ramble… sorry… but I did have a mortgage and moved back into social housing (sheltered… I’m much older than you) and very glad I did. Huge weight off my shoulders.
I’d buy the bungalow - at least you would know that you’re not going to be moving house again, and even if you do have to do things to it, I’d imagine that it will need less adapting than a house. It’s a very personal choice, especially given the difference in price between the choices, but personally, I would definitely go for the bungalow - I absolutely detest moving house, and I would want somewhere very long term.
Hi Marty, I understand your dilemma, without knowing your full financial situation it is impossible to know everything but I think I would use the savings and get the bungalow, do you have any other plans for your savings, is it possible that you can save again after the move? At least there would be no stairs in the bungalow and that would be good. Wherever you move may need work, I.e. You might need to decorate, new carpets anyway with either option. So not an easy decision. I have also sent you a pm. Cheryl:)
I guess though it is a hard decision to make, my gut reaction would be to make life as easy as possible for myself. Have a placce that will meet your needs now and even in the future. I hope the choice becomes easier by thinking and talking with those closest to you.
i would definitely go for the bungalow, i would love to live in a bungalow. the stairs are hard work for me and if i moved i would like to be amongst older people because even though im 48 i feel like 68 so would fit in well with more mature people, which is what you’re likely to get in neighbouring bungalows.
i live in a 3 bed house at moment and its already very difficult to maintain it but we cant sell it yet as there are lots of jobs half finished due to ill health of my partner.
like others have said if you move to a bungalow you wouldnt need to move again at a later date and any savings that you have will probably penalise you when applying for benefits etc.
I took the big decision a couple of years back, and moved from a house and stairs to a bungalow… at age 38. A great decision…
No stairs, all rooms close to each other and a good sized, easy to maintain garden.
Loo near to all rooms, Nowt to fall down…
Car parked near front door, quieter area as not many kids running around.
Local council and government departments will recognise your disability easier if you live in a bungalow. Sounds daft but true. Found it easier to get help.
But I chose to stay a Yorkshire… Can’t leave here.
Whilst the convenience of everything already being on one floor makes me think A my Scottish gene tells me that B has miriad advantages. With B you get to hold on to the nest egg, invest it for a while longer and use bits of ot when you need to adapt the house.
I am going through a similar thought proccess at the moment as I want to move to a property more disabled ‘friendly’ than my current terraced hovel! I thought about bungalows but realised I have more clobber than a bungalow can hold and I have friends abroad who decend on us every few years so having room to house Americans is also important so house wins!
I have just moved from a house into a bungalow and I can’t tell you what a difference it has made.
I’m no where near as exhausted. Yes it’s smaller and not as lovely as my house but everything is so much more convenient that I am sure it will be easier to maintain my independence.
One thing you said struck a chord with me: “I’m a part time ‘wheels’ user and cannot go out by myself”
Is this because you need someone to push you? I think you should factor in some funds to get a powerchair. It wold drive me mental if I couldn’t get out on my own.
Just to let you know that I would struggle with my double vision as well as balance, strength and mobility. I really would be a pirate with a stick and eye patch!
Still I have bought the house now and there will be plenty of people to help. Hurray!
Dear Marty, I would be ijnclined to get a wet room,work out how you will trundle around and think about where the buggy will live and any ramps that you/it will need etc.
I’m moving into the down stairs of my beloved Suzi’s house next year and we’ve got it all planned.If anybody wants to buy one bedroom flat that is a cross between Steptoe’s yard and Stephen Hawking’s shed let me know.The best thing about it is the new garage door.
A wise move coming home, as it is ‘easy’ to go about and get off our little penninsula.
I am using an electric wheelchair almost all the time, as my secondary Ms has reached this stage although I am still able to drive. I am just about to move and the house is going to be made to suit my needs. I do not need to use a hoist to get in to bed or to get into the shower but should I arrange to have one fitted for the future, I dont know. Do I make it future proof or do I say the future might not happen.
Well we see you went with a house. I would have gone for the bungalow. I was in rented accom, 2 bed house and stairs were becoing difficult. As was getting a wheelchair in and out of house. Landlord made some changes. But last year we were offered a bungalow, which enabled me to move with my partner - we needed 2nd bedroom cuz he is home haemodialysis.
Its smaller, yes, but less is more and we are happy - can get the chair in and out. Flat access doors, wider outside door. Wetroom (hoorah!)
But you have a house now. So I’d get the alterations done while you still have the money. Plan for the future. Wetroom? Ramps? Maybe the front door needs altering to enable a ramp? Stairlift? Good luck, the first year is the busiest. We moved last year!
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However, to have a go at answering you: future proofing is an excellent idea when moving house. However as you don’t need a hoist now, I would think it isn’t necessary at this point. Surely if you find in a few years that you need a hoist for the bed or shower, so long as the house is configured in a way that makes a hoist possible, you can have one/them installed then?
As you say, the future need may not arise, I hope it doesn’t. But so long as you have all that you need now to be comfortable and, most importantly perhaps, safe, if you don’t need it then don’t get one.
Just my opinion. I know that the time may come for me too, but even if I moved house, I wouldn’t get a hoist until I definitely needed one.
Sometimes people call a flat a house - certainly my Scottish friend always does, so Lorraine might be moving to a bungalow or a flat or a traditional house.