Informative but boring
by Jim Dickens October 2024
Ok our world changed. The kids left, we stopped working and it was time to spend our savings living out retired freedom. We could live anywhere and do anything.
Lori and I are just finishing up moving our household just 7 minutes away from our old home after a couple of years of evaluation. With all that freedom we are still in the cold, gray, flat midwest. Looking back I have a few insights. There is no right time to move. The earlier in retirement you move the higher the risk and benefit. The move itself is a true paradox of misery and delight.
We choose to move relatively early at age 62. There is a trade off. We get the benefit of the new home for longer. However, we run the risk of significant changes like all our kids have grand kids and they live together somewhere else where we should move. Also, will the home cover all contingencies as we age. The home should suit us when we are very active including hosting guests and events but also needs to be suited for when we become decrepit. Finally will the house stand the test of time as technology progresses and society changes.
We choose to move early and close by for a few reasons. Our children very likely will not live in the same geography. I lived in a location, Reno, with great year round activities but we found we liked being near friends and family more. We have seen what happens when a move is forced on you because of aging and it’s not pretty. So we moved to a nearby home and spent extra to handle our different stages of aging. We hope it’s the right home in the right place but since it’s early there is a greater chance it’s not. Unexpectedly, moving early had another benefit.
We vastly underestimated the effort and time required to move properly. It is so hard. Had we been older it would have been traumatic and done less well. We also probably would have placed a greater burden on our children. Moving early was right for us.
We are very excited about our new home and are enjoying the creative outlet of fixing and decorating. We have already had overnight guests and hosted a party. It’s delightful. Emptying our old home including a crawl space of 20 years and sorting through the detritus for weeks on end. It’s misery. We have lost a couple of precious months.
So no advice on when and where to move in retirement. Just don’t put off thinking about it.
R1T Tour 
Slim & L3: Congrats on the new home! Moving does suck. I moved about 17 times in 30 years…the good news is that every time you move you are forced to get rid of the detritus that Slim found in the crawl spaces and cubbies. Moving can keep you streamlined. Also, if you know you will move in 2 or 3 years, you avoid big or unnecessary purchases – “Not getting that awesome stereo system…might not fit in the new place and the movers will break it.” Teri and I have now been in Pittsburgh 9 years – the longest I’ve ever been anywhere. Now we may have too much stuff. But on the good side of moving – you can pull the trigger on your dream home with a river in your back yard! Enjoy the new place Lori and Slim!
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