SargeW
Site Team
Isn't if amazing how retirement and relaxing can be so much work?
Has anyone sold their home to go full time in an RV?
- Thread starter neptune1
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
BoomerD
Well-known member
We might be temporarily full-timing it...it seems we've sold out house...oops! Wasn't expecting it to sell so quickly... 
Lady was driving through the neighborhood, (senior manufactured home park) stopped me and asked if I knew of any houses for sale..."Oh, we're thinking about selling ours." : She made an offer a couple of days later and we accepted.
So...while we decide where we want to land...we're seriously considering trying to live in our 30' Winnebago Class A for a couple (2-4) months. I foresee LOTS of issues with this plan...not much storage room, tiny clothes closets and drawers, minimal cooking facilities, (3 burner stove with oven that...works, but not well, microwave/convection oven that's only been used to warm a couple of things) limited seating, etc...BUT...unless we want to rent an apartment while we look...and most places want a longer term lease, that's not a great option either. (me and my big mouth!) 8)
We're looking at Ocean Shores and Westport, WA to winter...wet and windy, but not usually too cold. There are several RV parks that offer monthly rentals at decent prices for the "off season." I suspect I'll have to find a small storage locker in the area to store things that we will PROBABLY need but won't have room for in the RV.
Me and my big mouth.....
Lady was driving through the neighborhood, (senior manufactured home park) stopped me and asked if I knew of any houses for sale..."Oh, we're thinking about selling ours." : She made an offer a couple of days later and we accepted. So...while we decide where we want to land...we're seriously considering trying to live in our 30' Winnebago Class A for a couple (2-4) months. I foresee LOTS of issues with this plan...not much storage room, tiny clothes closets and drawers, minimal cooking facilities, (3 burner stove with oven that...works, but not well, microwave/convection oven that's only been used to warm a couple of things)
limited seating, etc...BUT...unless we want to rent an apartment while we look...and most places want a longer term lease, that's not a great option either. (me and my big mouth!) 8)We're looking at Ocean Shores and Westport, WA to winter...wet and windy, but not usually too cold. There are several RV parks that offer monthly rentals at decent prices for the "off season." I suspect I'll have to find a small storage locker in the area to store things that we will PROBABLY need but won't have room for in the RV.
Me and my big mouth.....
Off Our Rocker RV
Member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2018
- Posts
- 20
Yes we sold our home and full-time in an RV. Keeping our house caused unnecessary stress and worry along with expenses that didn't need to be incurred. We calculated the costs of keeping our house - property taxes, insurance, snow removal, lawn care, upkeep, etc. and determined that we could have a lot of fun traveling with that money.
Conquest2011
Well-known member
So, if I maintain our home and hit the road and come back once a year, will we be long-timers or full timers with a house?
We are planning the first 6-7 months on the road to see if we are suitable to the full-time life style. We are keeping our house and the rental, which are paid off. When we return to our home in the spring we will decide if we are going to full-time or not.
If we decide to full-time then we will rent our home and use the rental garage as our base to come home to ?sort of speak?. The garage has two bays and has a second floor and most important it is 30 to 40 yards from the rental house and has its own electric meter.
We will stay there for as long as it takes to make repairs/improvements to the properties, visit family and friends and then off we go.
If we decide that full-timing is not for us then we will go out for as long as we wish and return home and make plans for our next long-term adventure. Time will tell, can?t wait to get started.
We are planning the first 6-7 months on the road to see if we are suitable to the full-time life style. We are keeping our house and the rental, which are paid off. When we return to our home in the spring we will decide if we are going to full-time or not.
If we decide to full-time then we will rent our home and use the rental garage as our base to come home to ?sort of speak?. The garage has two bays and has a second floor and most important it is 30 to 40 yards from the rental house and has its own electric meter.
We will stay there for as long as it takes to make repairs/improvements to the properties, visit family and friends and then off we go.
If we decide that full-timing is not for us then we will go out for as long as we wish and return home and make plans for our next long-term adventure. Time will tell, can?t wait to get started.
S
SusanV
Guest
We're selling our 5 bed/4 bath home, buying a much smaller home in an up and coming area near my brother, setting our son up in it, and buying a motorhome for a year or two of non-stop traveling. I thought that meant full-timing, but I'm fine with calling it long-timing. It's just a word.
Exit strategy is, we'll sell the house and motorhome when we're ready and have found an area we love, and our son has his career underway and can afford his own place, and the proceeds from both will go into the new house. I can't bear to part with the antiques I've collected for decades, some of which are family heirlooms.
We've only been in an RV once, for a week, when our boys were younger, but we're not sure that's going to matter too much. The big thing I think we have going for us is that we own our own business and we've worked side-by-side (literally) for a very long time, so we're used to being together 24/7, and we thrive on it. I do wonder if not being used to having your spouse with you ALL the time might prove a challenge for some? Maybe not!
Exit strategy is, we'll sell the house and motorhome when we're ready and have found an area we love, and our son has his career underway and can afford his own place, and the proceeds from both will go into the new house. I can't bear to part with the antiques I've collected for decades, some of which are family heirlooms.
We've only been in an RV once, for a week, when our boys were younger, but we're not sure that's going to matter too much. The big thing I think we have going for us is that we own our own business and we've worked side-by-side (literally) for a very long time, so we're used to being together 24/7, and we thrive on it. I do wonder if not being used to having your spouse with you ALL the time might prove a challenge for some? Maybe not!
brens
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2008
- Posts
- 269
I work for a self storage company. I have been here for 8 years and have met a lot of people that are getting ready to hit the road full-time. So far not one has came back and said they did not enjoy it.
Before they sold or gave away their possessions, they stored what they wanted to keep. They would call each month to pay and I would ask them, well how do you like full timing? They all loved it.
After a year most would come in and tell me their unit is empty and they no longer need the unit. They are hitting the road again! I think it was their security blanket holding on to things they just
ere not ready to part with. I noticed it took a year for most to realize, they were happy full timing and no longer needed to hold on to their stuff. Some would down size their unit on the stuff they wanted
to keep. I can't wait to experience full timing. I'm one that needs to dip my toe in the water first and will rent my home for a year before letting it go.
Before they sold or gave away their possessions, they stored what they wanted to keep. They would call each month to pay and I would ask them, well how do you like full timing? They all loved it.
After a year most would come in and tell me their unit is empty and they no longer need the unit. They are hitting the road again! I think it was their security blanket holding on to things they just
ere not ready to part with. I noticed it took a year for most to realize, they were happy full timing and no longer needed to hold on to their stuff. Some would down size their unit on the stuff they wanted
to keep. I can't wait to experience full timing. I'm one that needs to dip my toe in the water first and will rent my home for a year before letting it go.
rvwanderer1
Well-known member
Here is the best tip I can give you. DONT DO IT.... sell your house that is... Keep that house for say a year...
have someone cut the grass get the mail etc. DO NOT GO BACK TO THE HOUSE. stay out for that whole year. Ifyour then satisfied being on the road, then by all means sell. IF you go back to the house because you miss it , Maybe your just not cut out to life full time on the road. then you'll be happy you didnt sell it.
have someone cut the grass get the mail etc. DO NOT GO BACK TO THE HOUSE. stay out for that whole year. Ifyour then satisfied being on the road, then by all means sell. IF you go back to the house because you miss it , Maybe your just not cut out to life full time on the road. then you'll be happy you didnt sell it.
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
I think whether you sell or not has a lot to do with how you feel about the house itself. If you love the house and really look forward to getting "home" at the end of an RV'ing trip, then I'd agree with hanging on to it for awhile until you're sure the fulltimer life fits you. On the other hand, if you feel disappointed at the end of the trip and are already looking forward to the next trip, then selling may not be a bad idea at all. We sold our house, but kept our small lakeside cottage that's been in the family since the 40's. Right from the start though, our motorhome has been "home", and the cottage is a place we visit from to time. Eventually the cottage will be "home" when we have to hang up the keys, but not for awhile yet we hope.
BoomerD
Well-known member
Well...we're 2 weeks i to our "extended winter camping trip" to the Washington coast.
IMO, this 30' Sightseer is too small for full-time use, but we're making do. HOPEFULLY, the new house will close by next weekend...then we can start the process of carpet cleaning, cleaning the house, then moving all our stuff from the (3) storage units to the new house.
It's REALLY time to go through stuff and get rid of about half of it. I was stunned at how much crap we accumulated since we moved back to Washington only 6 years ago.
We're staying in an Elks lodge parking lot...with electricity and water, but have to breakdown and move to dump sewer in their sewer dump. Inconvenient...but doable every 3-4 days.
We were fighting moisture (condensation) on all the windows, so I picked up 2 pairs of "Eva-dry" rechargeable desiccant chingaderas...and the problem is almost non-existant now.
IMO, this 30' Sightseer is too small for full-time use, but we're making do. HOPEFULLY, the new house will close by next weekend...then we can start the process of carpet cleaning, cleaning the house, then moving all our stuff from the (3) storage units to the new house.
It's REALLY time to go through stuff and get rid of about half of it. I was stunned at how much crap we accumulated since we moved back to Washington only 6 years ago.
We're staying in an Elks lodge parking lot...with electricity and water, but have to breakdown and move to dump sewer in their sewer dump. Inconvenient...but doable every 3-4 days.
We were fighting moisture (condensation) on all the windows, so I picked up 2 pairs of "Eva-dry" rechargeable desiccant chingaderas...and the problem is almost non-existant now.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Gee, Wife and I lived in a 37'7" 3-slide class A for several years before her death.
They key to a happy motorhome/trailer life is the bath and a half floor plan
you see. the length of a minute depends on which side of the door you are on
And with the bath and a half.. 2 holes... No waiting.
They key to a happy motorhome/trailer life is the bath and a half floor plan
you see. the length of a minute depends on which side of the door you are on
And with the bath and a half.. 2 holes... No waiting.
DearMissMermaid
Well-known member
neptune1 said:
I sold and gave everything away. I put a few things in foster homes in hopes I might get them back one day if I ever settled down.
Anyhow, I refused to pay storage fees! I wanted that extra bit of money for RVing.
I spent 8 years fulltiming by myself on a tiny budget.
I had a BLAST!
I also went debt free so that I didn't waste time worrying about money or paying bills, I kept it super simple, NO debts!
Everyone has their own ideas about how best to do it.
I have no regrets!
Glad I did it when I did it because now due to some disabilities, it's super difficult for me to travel alone, so I bought a 5th wheel and an RV lot so I could continue to live the tiny home lifestyle.
Perhaps I will get stronger and get back on the road one day. But I have a ton of pics, a log book and fabulous memories!
BoomerD
Well-known member
It?s been an interesting couple of weeks...weather-wise. When we started this...adventure, it was cold...down into the 20s at night. Since then, much warmer...and a helluva lot of rain. (Washington coast) This morning, windy again...gusts over 50mph. Not quite what the old sign meant when it said, ?If the camper is rockin, don?t come knockin...?
