For me, it's easy. I rent so there's nothing to sell up except a whole bunch of stuff I don't need. Whatever doesn't fit in the van doesn't come. It's taken a while to get used to the idea that being a full time GN is not about what you're leaving behind, but what you're about to embrace. From what I gather reading posts from experienced GNs, it's all about where you're going and not where you've been. Memories are portable ya know. They're not locked away in possessions.

We are where you are right now. Except it is him who is clinging to stuff like, tractors, balers, trotting harness, etc. we have packed a lot of stuff in a container, but my thinking is if I haven't looked for it in the last six months, then I don't need it. I have horses and carriages that I would like to keep but you know I could walk away. We are trying to sell, and buy a cheaper place so stuff could go there. I just want to get on with it.

Didn't realise there were so many of us....lol

We are hoping to hit the road full time sooner than later.
Over the past year an awful lot of stuff has been sold,given away or dumped.
Keepsakes,photo albums etc. have gone into plastic storage boxes.
Those boxes and a minimum of furniture have gone into storage in a friends unused garage.
The plan is to go nomad for as long as it suits us.
The culling of chattles has been easy for me but a little tougher for "Madame".
We'll get there.

It sounds good to be free from dept as far as a house is concerned and be on the road full time but for me i like the idea of somewhere to go in later life however long that may be. I have a 44 yr old son at home (yeeeaaaarrr I know , he wont go ) so i have someone to care for the house i think, but it cures the insurance problem and those bludgers that think your gear is there`s , bad enough when you can`t remember who you lent it too in the first place. There are places that have storage facilities but they probably sting through the roof too!Allways a delemer where to put stuff isn`t it.

Hi Jeff,
This is our story, we lived in Perth for 36 years, (RAAF, and stayed on after discharge) we both had good jobs and stashed away the super as allowed, we raised our three kids there.
When we retired in 2001 we owned two houses, the second one bought and paid for, using equity we had in the family home and rented out. (Citibank revolving line of credit did the trick)

We sold both, money in the bank, along with super payouts, and my Wesfarmers shares cashed in, we made some investments with Fiducian to ensure income, we had already bought and paid for our little Jayco 16' pop top, and with the dear old Fairlane towing, one of the happiest days of our lives was to see Perth in the rear vision mirror, and no ties to anyone or anything. We had all of Oz ahead of us, oh what a feeling!

We were never rich, even though this may sound like it, but we truly weren't, those houses were cheapies, we made do with old stuff mostly, and gave away a lot of furniture etc when we left. Stuff we didn't want to keep. The stuff we did want to keep we put into storage with a removalist company, and told them we will probably eventually settle in QLD, and we will tell you where and when to send it.

After seven months on the road and visiting the kids, (Katherine, Capella, Melbourne, ) we found our Paradise in the Blackall Range of the Sunshine Coast, and bought a nice one acre property, settled in and again took off, and have been doing it ever since.

Our wonderful neighbours look after the place while we are away, as we do for them, a fabulous friendly community, a surely refreshing change from the crime ridden Perth we came from.

Yvonne and I believe you need a home base to travel from, it's great to go away, but there is nothing quite like having a home base to come back to. Insurances allow you to be away for two months and not have to let them know, you can get around that by having neighbours come in, or get a house sitter you can trust, but I think it is comforting to know there is always home to come back to.

Jeff, if you are happy to stay where you live and want to keep the house, but go away a lot, I would check with neighbours if they are good people, or search for reputable house sitters, there are people who do this, but you need to be assured they are trust worthy.

Best wishes,
Bevan

Jeff, the secret to us being on the road full time is using the rent from our house that is rented. Being too young for the pension and to old to be employed, this is the predicament we found ourselves in. Unfortunately for some out there it is too late as our plan pretty much started within a few years of starting work once all the schooling was done and dusted. In other words, whilst some of our friends were out there galavanting the globe, we knuckled down and saved. Now we are in a position to reap the benefits.
Good luck,
Larry

Hi, Jeff & Yvonne -

When John & I decided to 'go feral', we had to sell our house - it was the only way we could afford the type of van we wanted: a 25'6" Southern Cross 5th-wheeler, with a Mazda BT-50 tug. We had little time to think after we ordered the van - the house sold within a week, giving us six weeks to get rid of 35 years of accumulated 'stuff'. From looking at different bits and saying 'Oh, we can't get rid of that!' and 'No, we must keep that!', we quickly reached the point where we agreed that it was OK to let go...and suddenly we felt a lot freer, liberated. And after 5-and-a-half years on the road we've not looked back. Even John no longer pines for his shed; if he really wants a 'shed fix' he can usually get it at one of our house-sits.

Life on the road is great. Downsides? Even after a few hiccups: John's mini-stroke in 2012, which left him with double vision (now corrected with a special lens), then a heart attack on the operating table just before the surgeon started on his hip replacement, followed by two sub-dural haematomas from the blood thinners after the stents were inserted...we are still both committed to our current lifestyle. We're still doing property-minding, and our van is just like a small unit...but on wheels!

Whatever you decide, part- or full-time travelling, I'm sure you'll enjoy the more mobile lifestyle.

Cheers -

Andrea & John
(currently property-minding at Beechwood, NSW)

 

 

Good point George but as they are probably managed, "inspected" and under a different policy possibly. Some companies only do it for 30 or 60 I believe so I guess RACV is OK giving a longer timeframe. I am waiting for an answer, in writing, with regard to paying a slightly higher premium for any periods away that are longer.