Where did you downsize to..why?...what's good, what's bad?

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Where did you downsize to..why?...what's good, what's bad?
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Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 05 9:36 pm Post subject:

We've downsized to Northern Ireland, of course the 'Northern' bit a always puts people off as they expect us to live in an army base, but to honest it's a beautiful, scenic, welcoming and mostly agricultural place.

I met a lass from over here 10 years ago, drugged her, married her and lived happily in my homeland of Wales for 8 years before deciding to move over here.

The reasons, firstly I've grown to love the place and the people, secondly my wife is a real family person whilst mine are all pretty independant so she had been pining for years. And thirdly it was a financially realisitic way to achieve our smallholding dream without working like dogs.

So far things are working out really well, we bought just over an acre for ï¿½40k and our house should be built by the end of August. I'm hoping to rent a few more acres and go into part time organic chicken farming and set up a deli/home cooking enterprise.

Northern Ireland still retains the sense of community that most places have lost, you know your neighbours and the pace of life is noticabley slower, not because people don't work hard but because people take the time to meet, great and catch up.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 05 9:50 pm Post subject:
This is amazing, it's so lovely to hear such interesting stories about people.

roiphil

Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 19
Location: now in southern ireland

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 05 9:54 pm Post subject:
In the proces of downsizing to southern ireland, mainly due to finances and what we could afford, also the pace of life is slower, basically i agree with all that jonnyboy says above.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 05 10:00 pm Post subject:

roiphil wrote:

In the proces of downsizing to southern ireland, mainly due to finances and what we could afford, also the pace of life is slower, basically i agree with all that jonnyboy says above.

Good luck to you! Where in Southern Ireland are you hoping to settle?

roiphil

Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 19
Location: now in southern ireland

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 05 10:03 pm Post subject:
Athea Co Limerick, early august not long to go now

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 05 10:05 pm Post subject:
Excellent, we will be here two years in August. You should have a lot milder weather down there.

roiphil

Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 19
Location: now in southern ireland

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 05 10:09 pm Post subject:
Sound good all we have at the moment is a field full of reeds, hopefully have a house built sometime but for now its a caravan

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 05 9:25 am Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Lovely story Buttery, you can meet some strange people online eh?

are you talking about me or my husband

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 05 9:31 am Post subject:

jocorless wrote:

Buttery - If you love Scotland - then you'll love New Zealand - its very Scottish in its own way ...

If I was going to emigrate - I would definately pick New Zealand as the destination, they are struggling to find people prepared to live out in the countryside as everyone wants to be in the big cities so there are some stunning properties to be bought, the population is very small as well just over 4 million in a country thats as big as the UK - loads of space

Joanne

ooh thanks for that, it's good to know that we may actually have somewhere easier to immigrate too! it's funny but during the LOTR films as i see the backgrounds i think 'my goodness that looks like scotland!' very interesting to know that it's got a scottish feel to it as well

personally i'd prefer to move out to the spacious countryside. i want a big farm house, loads of outbuildings and a LOT of land! and preferrably that land will be at the base of a mountain in one of those breathtakingly beautiful mountain valleys with a stream running through and woodlands backing onto the foot of the mountain. i just love the idea of a smallholding nestled in amongst the mountain and woods...

do you have any idea what the climate is like in an area like that in NZ? i'm hoping to move so that we can grow MORE stuff so the same climate isn't so appealing, not that i mind scotland, i think the weather isn't too bad but i'd like a longer growing season and a touch more heat.

Andrea

Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 2260
Location: Portugal

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 05 6:37 pm Post subject:

Portugal seems to be a popular choice! I'll be heading back in about 5 or 6 weeks

I didn't deliberately set out to downsize anywhere, but when I quit my job to go travelling out there last year it clarified all the thoughts that had been rattling around for a while.

I like Portugal because there is a sense of community which we're lacking here, there's lots of space & silence, and because land is so much cheaper I can afford the start up costs to get myself going. Of course, the sun has nothing to do with it

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