what do you live in?

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what do you live in?
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Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9878
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 12 11:07 am Post subject:

i didn't post on the old thread either

back them we were living in a 2 up 2 down cottage on my parents farm that was derelict when I moved in - instead of rent we put in windows, floors, electricity, heating, a woodburner, bathroom kitchen etc.

We upsized to our present home which in a village, 3 bed attached, with 2 acres and we now have sheep, chickens, ducks with turkeys and pigs some of the time and 9 huge veg beds and 2 greenhouses. We are mostly self sufficient in food and I cover some of our costs with my small craft business based on wool from our own sheep, and selling eggs at the door.

I expect in time to downsize things again as we get older.

Marionb

Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Posts: 5267
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 12 11:25 am Post subject:

Really interesting reading through this thread... a lot of posters I've not heard of and a few who have disappeared... anyone know what happened to Jamsam and Nanny?

I didnt post then but nothings changed, still living in a detached house in the countryside with a small field behind the house, which currently houses 4 hens and 3 sheep

House really needs bringing up to date but its the usual story.. lack of funds. I live in hope though.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 12 11:31 am Post subject:
We're in the same house, but almost have a new, improved wash-house twice as big as the old one. We'll be putting a porch onto the front later in the year too.

bulworthy project

Joined: 27 Jun 2011
Posts: 188
Location: Rackenford, Devon

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 12 11:37 am Post subject:
We're living in the woods where we make charcoal. Our home is made up of 2 touring caravans stuck together with a home made porch. Next month we should be applying for permission to build a house.

Andrea

Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 2260
Location: Portugal

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 12 3:27 pm Post subject:
Now on a 10ha holding in Portugal. Very much a work in progress. Bit of a change from the suburban semi last time around!

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 12 4:13 pm Post subject:

Moved across the valley from inner city with social issues to innercity with students lacking social skills. Nicer area, lots of trees. Obscenely large house not much gard2n. As middleage falls I seem to be assimilated into the residents group, know my councillors on first name terms and the management of wheelie bins takes a large chunk of time. Plot has doubled in size, got a green house. Little behemoth is not so little any more.

Shane

Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 3467
Location: Doha. Is hot.

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 12 4:06 am Post subject:

Still own the same 3-bed semi we had back in 2005, but now have a couple of tenants paying the mortgage for us. We're in company-supplied accommodation out here. It's a three bed villa (sorry!) with a stupid lounge thing upstairs converted into a fourth bedroom. The garden's a good size and this year's experiment is to grow tamarind. I've grown five plants from seed and they've reached a foot high and stopped, but still look quite healthy so I'll keep them going for now. Some of my colleagues have done well growing other things (especially tomatoes), so I've got plans to expand the edible side of things this year! Will have to be in pots, though, as we have a free range tortoise that will probably gobble up any tasty-looking shoots!

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 12 8:25 am Post subject:

joanne wrote:

We moved from a 3 bed mill workers terrace with postage stamp backyard to a 3 bed semi with 110ft garden in October last year

The house needs quite alot of work on it including central heating and a kitchen extension - its only 10ft x 7 ft atm but it will be lovely when we've finished.

Long term plans like many on here is for land and farmhouse, ideally enough land to run a B&B with camping facilities similar to Alison's setup but obviously in Lancashire our main problem being that land with planning permission is extremely expensive around the Lune Valley so currently prohibitive to us unless we win the lottery or some unknown rich relative pops their clogs -neither of which is likely to happen!!!!

Joanne

And nearly 7 years on, with a divorce behind me - the house still needs a kitchen extension and central heating but we have put in wood-burning stoves and I'm gradually re-decorating now I no longer have the ex-husband to say "I don't like that" or "I've got much better things to be doing with my time"

To be honest - it's time to move on - I'm doing the best I can to get it ready to be sold - I can't afford a new kitchen or central heating but I can get it looking the best it can and the garden looking half decent for very little money

lettucewoman

Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 7834
Location: Tiptoe in the Forest!!

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 12 9:04 am Post subject:

I wasnt around when this thread started but back then we were living i a rented one bedroom starter home on an estate in Lymington, with a tiny veg patch...we'd been on the dole for 6 months, then joined a scheme to start our own business which we did in march 2005.
7 years on we live in a large park home in the new forest, owned and no mortgage, a raised veggie bed with more planned, on the lookout for a bit of land to rent, and contemplating a complete change of direction for work...

woodsprite

Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 2943
Location: North Herefordshire

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 12 9:16 am Post subject:
Ooh interesting Meg! Do tell when you can. X

woodsprite

Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 2943
Location: North Herefordshire

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 12 9:19 am Post subject:
It makes you realise just how long some of us have been in regular conversation doesn't it? Even longer for me with those who were at ACL before Downsizer. I wonder how many other forums have been quite as successful, not many I'll bet.

Nature'sgrafter

Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 527
Location: Sanday , Orkney

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 12 9:20 am Post subject:

We have just purchased a small croft on the island of sanday just off orkney mainland. we have just under 3 acres and 4 small barns. I am currently sorting out the poly tunnel that I have built over the last month (in-between the weather). I am also building some dry stone walls to protect what will be our veg patch from the wind and rabbits. The fruit house is completed and planted with the trees we brought with us. My wife "nature'schild" is back in suburbia whilst the kids finish collage and will be joining me soon.

Nature'sgrafter

Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 527
Location: Sanday , Orkney

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 12 9:20 am Post subject:
p.s I miss her very much heaven insn't the same without the one you love

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 12 9:30 am Post subject:

Nature'sgrafter wrote:

p.s I miss her very much heaven insn't the same without the one you love

Awww. Hope you won't have too long to wait.

Sally Too

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 2511
Location: N.Ireland

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 12 11:02 am Post subject:

I wasn't around at thread start either.

However we have been in the same place for almost 22 years now.

We moved in to what had been my gran's 200 yr old stone built cottage with no mains water, a damp problem and windows that were so rotten (at the bottom) that I remember pushing the kids plastercine in to the gaps to cut out the wind. I then "glossed over" the multi-colours and that looked great for 6 months until the colours soaked through!

In the intervening time we have extended the house, sorted the damp and replaced all the windows. We have also expanded the garden into "the wee field" (others are "the front field" and "the back field"

) put up a greenhouse and polytunnel, built raised beds, planted a woodland with a gov. grant (now 14 years old), planted loads of fruit trees and bushes, dug a pond, built a shed and best of all paid off the mortgage!!! (We both work off site as well.)

Remarkably just as we are starting to feel secure and settled the "babies" are starting to fly the nest! Where does time go!

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