# Preparing Property for Retirement?



## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

My husband and I are in our mid/late 50s and we're trying to build our homestead for retirement and getting older. I would be really interested to know from those that are retired/older - what would you have done (or did you do) differently regarding your property, home, etc that would make things easier once things get harder physically? 

Right now we are building up things closer to the house so we won't have to trudge through a lot of snow in the winter, etc when we get older. But I am wondering what considerations we are missing - so need expert advice.  

Would love to hear what you are doing that makes things easier in retirement and what you would maybe have done differently.

Karyn


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Lighting at night! You want to be able to see if you have to chase coyotes out of your hen house at 2:00 am. Solar lights that are motion activated at night are my best option.


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## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Lighting at night! You want to be able to see if you have to chase coyotes out of your hen house at 2:00 am. Solar lights that are motion activated at night are my best option.


Wow.. had not thought about that. Makes total sense. And solar ones make even more sense. Thanks, Alice!


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## robin416 (Dec 29, 2019)

If you're on a few acres a tractor. It doesn't have to be massive but one with a loader and some other handy dandy useful attachments. I have a zero turn mower for the lawn areas. I thought it was over kill when hubs bought it but it makes mowing an acre so quick and easy.

I don't have the on all the time exterior lights. Hate them but the motion activated lights are wonderful. Or even lights that you can hit a switch from indoors to light up your world.


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## Okiefiddle (Jan 5, 2021)

One level house. No stairs. Agree with the tractor, get bush hog to mow heavy weed areas and pastures. Also a UTV is very handy. I am 68 and currently retired on 160 acre homestead.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Homesteading is exciting and it is very easy to take on too much. Limit yourself to the things you really like to do whether it is animals or gardening, viticulture or orchards. 

Start cultivating a group of people (similar minded) who can help you out (and who you can help out) if you get sick or injured or just want a vacation. Look for people your age but also young people who are searching for a similar lifestyle in their future.

One thing we regretted was buying property too far out as we still worked in the nearby city to afford the start of a homestead.. And now with age we see how difficult it would have been to keep living there and having to go into the city for everything.


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## doozie (May 21, 2005)

We are always joking about having one exit doorway with a ramp when stairs become too much, if one of us needs to use a walker or wheelchair. We've already done the walker/cane thing for an injury.
A ramp would have been so nice.
We can easily accommodate one if needed later and even pull the car up to one if built. Even a covered walkway would be nice.

Low Kitchen cabinets with drawers instead of getting down on hands and knees.
Laundry on the main level, or as mentioned above, one level living.

Smaller home, less to clean, maintain, heat or cool.


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## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

robin416 said:


> If you're on a few acres a tractor. It doesn't have to be massive but one with a loader and some other handy dandy useful attachments. I have a zero turn mower for the lawn areas. I thought it was over kill when hubs bought it but it makes mowing an acre so quick and easy.
> 
> I don't have the on all the time exterior lights. Hate them but the motion activated lights are wonderful. Or even lights that you can hit a switch from indoors to light up your world.


I don't like lights on all the time either. Would have to be the motion lights. Yes, we are collecting equipment, too - have older small & large tractor with some attachments. Hoping they keep on keeping on!


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## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

Okiefiddle said:


> One level house. No stairs. Agree with the tractor, get bush hog to mow heavy weed areas and pastures. Also a UTV is very handy. I am 68 and currently retired on 160 acre homestead.


160 acres. Must be like heaven  We have about 8.5 acres, but smack in the middle of farm country. Nearest town is about 10 miles. One level house is excellent input. We thought about renovating our upstairs to maybe do Air BnB or something similar. There is a bathroom up there. Right now its been my son and daughters rooms up there, but they are both going to college now. We live on the main floor, but our freezers are in the basement. Thinking when we put an attached garage on, we should move those up to the garage.


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## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

emdeengee said:


> Homesteading is exciting and it is very easy to take on too much. Limit yourself to the things you really like to do whether it is animals or gardening, viticulture or orchards.
> 
> Start cultivating a group of people (similar minded) who can help you out (and who you can help out) if you get sick or injured or just want a vacation. Look for people your age but also young people who are searching for a similar lifestyle in their future.
> 
> One thing we regretted was buying property too far out as we still worked in the nearby city to afford the start of a homestead.. And now with age we see how difficult it would have been to keep living there and having to go into the city for everything.


Good advice regarding the network of people. I currently only know of 1 other couple in the area that might be similar. Should probably start asking around and keeping my eye out for others. 

How far out was your property from the city? Did you sell that and purchase closer?


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## CKelly78z (Jul 16, 2017)

Consider the entrance/exit to your buildings and house...maybe a gradual rise is better than a step, or two to keep from stumbling/tripping. Also consider the size of interior doors so moving around in a (God forbid) wheelchair, or a walker will be easier. A couple years ago I totally gutted our downstairs bathroom, made it slightly bigger, and got rid of the high sided bath tub. I replaced it with a step in 60x36 shower base, and a surround that includes a shower seat that is moveable from one end to the other.









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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Check out local doctor, ambulance, and hospital situation.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

I built handicap ramps from driveway level to deck levels. So glad I did! Also have bedroom, bathroom on first floor, no stairs to climb.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

Don't make it too easy. That will give you an excuse to be lazy.

I would focus on the jobs you really don't enjoy and figure out how to make them easier. 

Get rid of trees that will be a problem later.

You also might consider selling off some of the property if appropriate.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

Pay off mortgage . reduce bills. reduce the amount stuff. Reduce animals. Ya doctors hospitals transportation is a biggie. So are grocery stores drug store. How far are they ? If you cant drive how do you get transportation. Thats huge here. The cost to hire a cab is not doable. Rural doctors seem to hand out more referrals in other counties or even states like here in the eastern panhandle wv. Driving to doctors 1 to 2 hours away is normal. What is winter like? Plowing or backhoe costs to get dug out of a big snow. Back up easy to use power. Wood stoves take a lot of work. Wood heater in basement means up down steps.
If your children are not local they are not available. Dont depend on neighbors and dont volunteer to fix neighbors problem.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

Posted 8/3/21 10:40 P.M. CDST

two things I did to my shack for retirement prep was install the 40 year steel roof and have the gutters removed and concrete ground drains to channel the roof water away from the foundation to the back yard.

What washes off the roof and collects in the drains is easily raked out to go to the brush pile after the rains and is rare and no climbing up to clean gutters and the metal roof will outlive me.

Being retired and with a pantry larder, if it's raining, I am staying inside and if it's raining when I get home, I sit it out in my vehicle until it eases up or use the army surplus rain poncho I keep in my rig to come in and let it dry before stowing it in my rig again.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

One project at a time.


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## Wellbuilt (Dec 25, 2020)

My place is off grid , and all new so I should be good for my life time , I’m 60 now .
I have a plow truck and will get a tractor or back ho. 
my wife will be in a wheel chair so the house has all sliding barn doors and is ground level . 
Big shower and bath room . 
Not many neighbors town is 8 miles but there is not much there . 
There is a b grade hospital and doctors in town but will have to go to the city for any thing
serious .


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

An atv or a golf cart. Trekking buckets of feed, water, tools, etc back and forth from barn to pen, from shed to coop, from house to mailbox, etc. Walking may be good exercise but it can be a hindrance when jobs need to be done and the critters are tapping their watches.


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## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

Okiefiddle said:


> One level house. No stairs. Agree with the tractor, get bush hog to mow heavy weed areas and pastures. Also a UTV is very handy. I am 68 and currently retired on 160 acre homestead.


All great stuff - we are trying to amass what we need while we are still working. We have a two story farmhouse built in the 1920s, but we have all we need on the first floor. There will be a few stairs though.. about 5 to get in and out of the house so shouldn't be terrible. But we may have to consider building a ramp as we get older.


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## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

Evons hubby said:


> I built handicap ramps from driveway level to deck levels. So glad I did! Also have bedroom, bathroom on first floor, no stairs to climb.


Ramps are certainly a consideration! We live in the first floor also, but we've got about 5 stairs to get into the main first floor level!


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## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

CKelly78z said:


> Consider the entrance/exit to your buildings and house...maybe a gradual rise is better than a step, or two to keep from stumbling/tripping. Also consider the size of interior doors so moving around in a (God forbid) wheelchair, or a walker will be easier. A couple years ago I totally gutted our downstairs bathroom, made it slightly bigger, and got rid of the high sided bath tub. I replaced it with a step in 60x36 shower base, and a surround that includes a shower seat that is moveable from one end to the other.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Fortunately, we had to do much of what you speak of when my mother was living with us. We added on to our house on the main floor - all with handicap considerations and a walk-in shower. Thankful she was with us for so many reasons, but as we are aging, thankful that part of our house is complete with what we will probably need!


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## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

Wellbuilt said:


> My place is off grid , and all new so I should be good for my life time , I’m 60 now .
> I have a plow truck and will get a tractor or back ho.
> my wife will be in a wheel chair so the house has all sliding barn doors and is ground level .
> Big shower and bath room .
> ...


We are about the same distance from a nearby town. Our hospital there provides just about anything we would need (hopefully) with specialist docs from larger areas visiting a few times a month. I like that distance from town - close enough to get there in a short amount of time, yet far enough out to really be in the country.


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## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

Shrek said:


> Posted 8/3/21 10:40 P.M. CDST
> 
> two things I did to my shack for retirement prep was install the 40 year steel roof and have the gutters removed and concrete ground drains to channel the roof water away from the foundation to the back yard.
> 
> ...


BIG YES to the roof - we've added on to our house and put a steel roof on that. But the main part of the house still has a shingled roof. At some point we are going to need to put steel on.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

We did not do this when we were in the process of moving to our land but years later we did this in preparation for retirement. If we had done this when we were moving to the land life would have been a lot easier and certainly more organized especially financially.

Make a budget based on the income you estimate you will have. Practice living like this while you are still employed. Your budget should be extensive, covering everything. If you want a garden or chickens you need to account for all the expenses that this will cost you and for the first year (or more) do not count on income from these sources. 

We did this for 2 years ahead of retirement and it certainly showed us where the weak spots were so we were able to make changes. This also allowed us to save a lot of money and also buy things that we knew we would need with no debt. And of course able to shop sales and flea markets and garage sales.


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## Wellbuilt (Dec 25, 2020)

The way thing are going it hard to figure expenses when the price of thing are going up at such a rapid pace , I have a lot of stuff , I don’t really think I will need much after retirement , 
i have 5 more years to go , when my youngest gets out of school I’m done 
maybe before that .
if I live much past 75 I mite have to live in a card board box under a bridge .


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Add 10% for contingencies.


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## Wellbuilt (Dec 25, 2020)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Add 10% for contingencies.


 10% is no wheres near enough . 
It looks like things have jumped 20/30% over the last year or so . 
Had to pay 17 bucks to day at the ice cream shop to day last year it cost14 bucks buttt
the amount of ice cream I got was about half .
The Mickey Dees dollar menu went to 2 for 3 and now it’s a 3for 5 ? 
Steak went from 8 to 12 lb this year . 
I’m 60 now if I live to 80 that is 20 years
my new Ford Diesel pick up cost 39 k 20 years later the truck is 68k or more . 
We are headed for serious trouble


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## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

Wellbuilt said:


> 10% is no wheres near enough .
> It looks like things have jumped 20/30% over the last year or so .
> Had to pay 17 bucks to day at the ice cream shop to day last year it cost14 bucks buttt
> the amount of ice cream I got was about half .
> ...


The cost of everything you mentioned is getting ridiculous - particularly beef. Outrageous prices and the cattle farmers aren't even getting their fair share of that. I priced smoked meat at a local restaurant that also does carry out/catering. A pound of smoked brisket was $18.99!! Really? For one pound? It's crrraazzyyy


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## Our Sufficient Life (Jul 19, 2021)

emdeengee said:


> We did not do this when we were in the process of moving to our land but years later we did this in preparation for retirement. If we had done this when we were moving to the land life would have been a lot easier and certainly more organized especially financially.
> 
> Make a budget based on the income you estimate you will have. Practice living like this while you are still employed. Your budget should be extensive, covering everything. If you want a garden or chickens you need to account for all the expenses that this will cost you and for the first year (or more) do not count on income from these sources.
> 
> We did this for 2 years ahead of retirement and it certainly showed us where the weak spots were so we were able to make changes. This also allowed us to save a lot of money and also buy things that we knew we would need with no debt. And of course able to shop sales and flea markets and garage sales.


We are definitely going to talk about this. Just sending the last child off to college in a week. We could totally practice this. What a great idea! Thank you!


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## snowshoehair (Jul 3, 2008)

My dad used to keep just enough ground open around the garden so that he could run around it with the little tractor and a harrow. Made the garden 'look' huge, but that strip of tilled ground kept the weeds and quack grass from growing in and the garden was a lot easier to keep.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

After some health issues over the last 6 years or so and children not happy about helping. I walled off the sec floor and made it an apartment. For a helper in my old age to tend me. Dont know if it will work out or not. But it was not being used and i had some extra money.


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

We sold our farm house and two acres as it was too big and we could not afford to upkeep it. We have a 10x12 cabin on the part of the farm we kept and garden beds. Used to plant in rows but beds are so much easier to care for. We bought a 1970's mobile home and acre of ground on the main paved road where we are easily accessible if we ever need an ambulance and accessible if we need anything delivered. It is on one floor with one bedroom, bath, storage room and open living room and kitchen. There is a half basement underneath with an outside entrance and stairs inside going to the basement that my husband built. There is a heat pump which works great and in the basement a big wood stove vented to the upper level. If we get where we can't handle wood anymore the heat pump is sufficient. The lot now has a 10 x 12ft storage shed . We have also built two garden beds . The lot is level and easy to navigate. Our farm is all hills and hardly has any level land. We will continue planting there as long as we are able but at 75 and 76 who knows how long that will be. If we live a lot longer we will most likely have to do more planting at the trailer property. Already we could never stay at the farm winters because with the hills there is too much risk of falling.


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