Attempting to downsize? Living on my own for twenty years, must downsize, due to financial, retired and chronic health reasons!

[Adlon57]

My present house I have lived in, my parents died and my siblings put me in a house, I have been disabled all my life, I was in a doh! mode then on epileptic medications which considerably slowed my life, memory was on a minimum, with epileptic drugs for a long period, had epilepsy for over fifty years, I am aged 68, but as people with epilepsy know a good natural life with times you can remember have always been at a bare minimum. I have to now downsize as the house is too big, a two story semi-detached, in a nice quiet part of this 'area' was always unrealistic, this was ALWAYS going to happen, I am now chronically disabled [essentially terminally ill] and my pension not viable, the area I live in N. Ireland I have always disliked, that's just MY personal preference, as most people know in this province you HAVE to be of one religion or the 'other', I formed my separate 'belief' in other words 'neither' which has suited me over 40 years. I cannot and never have been able to drive, so transport is at a minimum, and being a claustrophobic does not help matters. I find this 'town' extremely boring and due to my continual bad health have ALWAYS been stuck in it. My house [now all mine] is worth a good price but because of circumstances, will HAVE to find a smaller "dwelling" in a more central part of the area, a shorter distance to shopping and health amenities. I am a loner, a survivor, but now find that I will have to sell, and then wait until I get the money in my hands, THEN actually buy my supposed new habitat, and move in? What shall I do with my acquired furniture over 20 years, I will have to survive , in a hole in the road💀? between getting the money for said house, I cannot afford for any short term rent, for myself and my 'furniture' then I HAVE to wait until a proposed new dwelling suddenly appears out of the blue? Remember procedures in Northern Ireland go dead slow and stop! And people wonder why I don't like the place?

[Vonus5591]

I hope you get new place right next to hospital or doctors or shops pharmacy

I feel you are doing the right thing according to your needs

Good luck

[Adlon57 in reply to Vonus5591]

Thanks Vonus5591 essentially just moving more to the centre of ######## , I will hopefully be making a profit, probably about £20 thousand cheaper, so selling the house and finding a new one pretty sharpish, including house "stuff", it is that period, a complete blank of what happens in that period, no stopgap residency available, and for how long😵😖🙃😩 I should be able to pay AFTER but absolutely no help for this, even my solicitor agrees about my plight! About six months ago I was not aware of ALL the pitfalls, just in this process of downsizing😵 not a happy bunny at present!

[hypercat54 in reply to Adlon57]

No I get that Adlon. But having said that I do envy you having a decently sized house as I have never been able to afford anything more than a 1 bed flat and never will now.

I don't know whether there are any benefits you can claim there such as Attendance Allowance? There is in the UK. Have you looked into this?

[Vonus5591 in reply to Adlon57]

Can you not rent out to someone in need like with disability and share responsibility of bills etc?

[Vonus5591 in reply to Vonus5591]

I know my son in Care Home and they all have Autism and share in rent bills etc

[hypercat54 in reply to Adlon57]

Just looked it up and you can claim this there. It shouldn't be means tested either.

This would give you more money for upfront expenses then you can look to sell and buy at the same time. That's what normally happens in the UK. Its called a chain.

There are times when to avoid losing a sale you might exchange contracts a bit earlier but with more money you could maybe afford interim accommodation for a short time.

[Adlon57 in reply to hypercat54]

That sounds pretty good, surprised my solicitor has not been in touch with me about this? Yes the money is all there, not to good with the small print over here, but on good speaking and email terms with her👌hypercat54

[Adlon57 in reply to hypercat54]

Yes hypercat54 somebody near to me has NOT been very truthful with me🕵️‍♀️ wait for developments💀

[Adlon57]

Everything goes in slow gear, that is my one consolation that I know this house will sell well, just looking out of my mancave, a house just been sold about 100 yards from me, its house next door just sold about three weeks ago, [no I am not a bad neighbour🙄 this is a neighbourhood for pensioners and young couples [who have a couple of kids, then move out] This is about the best time to sell as the kids are going back to school, September. I know I should be getting plenty of benefits, but the civil service over here do not TRUST anybody, they seem to love being very slow, and actually getting ANY benefits extremely long winded, my health is extremely limited, it had to happen as well as being financially limited, care of this house is beginning to show, have not been able to get up to the loft since Jan 2018, broken skull! The garden is beginning to get a 'little' rough. My siblings are either too far away or their health standard is nearing mine!

[Adlon57 in reply to Adlon57]

I'm like a famous artist unfulfilled, giving away my "brushes" my unfinished works of art, over twenty years, my tools I use being given away! My research materials, my books, my maps, my records, now given to charity shops, or trashed for 'paper', people do not appreciate their usefulness, what they can reveal, the artist is too sick, must retire, pushed into a smaller 'hovel' , my brain now passed its useful pass of no return, those chinks of light that were revealed by my tangents of thought, now buried forever, the "wonders of technology 🙄" "it will be there online tomorrow!" it won't be as upgrading marches on, there is ALWAYS a particle lost via its circuits, an obscure avenue 'blocked off' this time lost forever! My thoughts as a retired professional genealogist/historian HAS to downsize, to a smaller, barer residence, without his life time tools of work, I'm not looking forward to this procedure AT ALL!