So where in Europe would you buy a vacation home?
Gooster
9 years ago
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Vacation of lifetime-could you? would you?
Comments (23)hilltop - So glad to hear it is a small ship cruise. No worries with regard to "Titanic-like" concerns. These lines have ice-breaker hulls that are specifically built to go to places like Antarctica as well as up to the High Arctic. So many of your concerns mirror mine at the time of our trip to the High Arctic. I traveled with my DH's family (MIL & FIL), DH's sibs & their spouses, etc. It really worked out fine and they are a tough group, lol. We were all really only together each evening cocktail hour, wrap up of the day by the various experts who travel with the ship to teach/talk to passengers about the trip, what you can see, etc., prior to dining (French service) each evening. The breakfast and lunch service took place in the dining room for a more formal meal, or a buffet in another large gathering room (cocktail hour/films/group discussion area) on the ship. Yes, we were together at times on the zodiac trips, but many of the on shore trips were hikes and the like, and those are broken into groups by ability levels and/or what you were feeling like doing of what was offered off of the ship on any particular day. Since I traveled with my DD, I chose things that were comparable with her interest/ability, etc. There were things that others in our group wanted to do in an advanced group, so they did as they wished. These small ship "expedition-type" trips are fashioned to give every level of ability something to do through the entire voyage. There is also plenty of "alone" time built in should you wish to do that. The ship had a library on board, as well as other places on the ship where you could curl up with reading material, or just sit on the deck and watch the beautiful scenery. EVERYONE, including a couple in their 90's had a wonderful time. You will be spending time at sea for sure, and there will be areas where you will definitely encounter rough seas. We did as well. No one in our group had much trouble. I visited our PCP prior to the trip for scripts for the ear patch solution to sea-sickness for all 3 of us. We never applied them. DD had an issue one full day at sea, but she stayed in her bunk in our stateroom. Since we were at sea, she really didn't miss much, and the concierge (sp?) was very accomodating in coordinating with me in order that she would be able to eat anything she wished, at any time. Our ship offered 3 meals per day. When we would come back from a hike or whatnot, there would be hot chocolate and warm cookies awaiting our return. The biggest misconception some people have is that if they're nauseous or feeling at all seasick, they think they shouldn't eat. It is the complete opposite. Eat when you start to feel a bit seasick, and it will help immensely. Our ship also provided Dramamine for anyone who needed it. DD used that a few days when she was not feeling great and it worked well. Between eating and using a small amount of Dramamine, she accompanied me on all on shore excursions. The rough day at sea, DD slept thru, but didn't miss anything as we were just moving from one place to the next. There will be days on your trip when your ship won't stop to allow passengers to go out on the zodiacs because there isn't anyplace to go enroute, or if conditions aren't completely safe, the ship will not allow the zodiacs to be put into the water. However, when you can get out, your excursions will blow you away. Your gear is essential. That would be one discussion I wish I had prior to the trip. Don't get me wrong, the travel company provided us with a load of material on what to bring and so on. However, when you are traveling in August to a place that is below 32 degrees most of the time, you need to pack wisely. Layering is key, and since that trip, I've never been cold again. Of course, I over-packed, and would suggest not doing so as it was unnecessary as our ship had laundry service, and anything that was wet (gear-wise) was hung in a drying room in order to be ready whenever the next opportunity to go off of the ship arose. These off ship excursions are planned on a daily itinerary which you're given each evening after dinner for the following day. However, when the weather is right in these areas, you have to get while the getting is good. The announcement would be made that the zodiacs could go and we would have approx. 15-30 minutes to gear up if we wanted to go. It was really fun and exciting to fly by the seat of my pants so to say as I am usually a very "by the plan" type person. It was a trip of a lifetime and given the opportunity to do it all again, I would not hesitate for even a second. I don't have my email linked to GW. In the event you do, and would like to talk off forum about the small ship cruises to destinations such as the Arctic or Antarctica, please let me know and I will send you an email. Alternatively, you can email me at xworkinprogressx@gmail.com if that would work better for you. I happen to sincerely agree with your DS, don't miss this one!...See MoreIf you were buying a home, would you prefer gas or oil?
Comments (28)My first preferrence is natural gas. But if you do not have a gas line fronting your property, you gotta get something else. Propane is more expensive and where I live, it may require a heater during the coldest time to generate enough pressure to work. Oil is messy, but might be my second choice after gas. Easy access by the delivery truck to the tank during winter should be planned. Consider where the snow piles will be. If the tank is in the basement, there should be safety equipment to prevent overfills and oil spillage. If the tank is outdoors, consider oil flow during the coldest times. At my location, it gets cold enough to congeal the heavier heating oils. An in-ground tank helps, but it should have a moisture content monitor. Nowadays, you have to consider EPA requirements for protecting the environment. A heat pump is practical in warmer climates provided one has a good heat source for the coils. Heat pumps are not useful in northern climes. One advantage: heat pumps can be used for both heating and cooling....See MoreWhen buying an old house would you keep...
Comments (42)Gad I knew there was something about you I liked les lol. To be clear on the drapes....I certainly wouldn't keep drapes I didn't love or drapes in bad condition. Even the gorgeous chenille porteriers that came with this house were under debate for sime time. I told the PO that I planned on having them professionally cleaned by a conservator and then storing them as we have cats, a dog and had planned on having our five year old and a pack of toddlers around so I didn't want to see them damaged. We still have the herd but didn't add the toddlers and yet when I restored this rooms I removed them thinking I was going to reproduce them in modern fabric to protect the antiques. Turns out that's danged hard modern fabric to find (it's very very thick...like a carpet almost) and so they sat in their bid...I finished restoring the rooms and something was "off". I hung them again...that was what was missing...the buffers to the hall (which flank six foot entries to each room) so there they hang. They are a faded version of what they once were and are missing a tassel or two at the base but their heavy faded gold presence just seems to go with the house. So I guess they get to stay. I'd approach any textile left in a home the same way. Shredding silk or heavy florals would be difficult for me to keep but historically accurate, quality pieces? I'd keep those if I could. By the way...church windows can have significant value pal (as I'm sure you know) so if you do get the place be sure to research them for insurance purposes. Leah, a seller is under no obligation to sell until they sign a contract with a buyer. The agency contract does not require it. I do agree with Mr Ph up there quite often, and in a modern home still agree...let go of the thing! But when it comes to historical properties I feel quite differently. I would not require that the drapes be maintained because that's something easy to fix, but if I had an inkling they would go and they were antique textiles I'd be sure to get them to a museum verses seeing them in the trash. If I had any knowledge they were going to tear out an original fireplace or the ceiling medallions, etc...the historical value in our home...I'd send any offer packing. We have a responsability to this house that we assumed when we purchased it and as with the sellers before us, we take that seriously. So seriously that we agreed with the city when the put stringent regulations on what can ibe done to the place (which one day may haunt me lol) but at least the original owner won't because he sees how much we love the history in his home. Pal...cut and paste that fir a letter lol. That's exactly the kind of sentimental goober old home lovers like to see. Heh heh...See MoreNeed advice on buying vacation/future retirement home close to be
Comments (21)To clarify some things about our ideas to buy on Isle of Palms - while we're going to hold off on buying, and may not ever buy on the island itself, the area around it seems to be exactly what we're looking for our retirement years. The island is less than 13 miles to downtown Charleston, and only 20 miles to the Charleston Int'l airport. Even closer than Charleston is Mount Pleasant, about 4 miles away (across the Inter-coastal waterway and a marsh), which has plenty of shopping, restaurants, medical care including a decent hospital. In addition to wanting to live close to the ocean, we want to live near good medical care (this is most important), shopping (I'm not going to stop doing DIY projects on any home I live in until my body gives out - it's my hobby), airports, etc. I love the beach - every vacation we can we go to a beach - we've visited many of the east coast beaches over the years - I never get tired of it. My husband loves salt water fishing. We have a boat that he takes onto the Chesapeake Bay all the time to fish, and we go tubing on the Potomac River with our grown kids and grand kids (who are still very little). We've planned on retiring to as close to the (right) beach as possible for at least 20 years and I think it's safe to say that we're not going to change our mind about that between now and when we actually retire. And I definitely don't want to ever live someplace rural again - did that as child and have family still there - definitely not for me. Even if we were young I don't want to live in a place where there aren't plenty of doctors, including all types of specialists, and I don't want to live someplace, where if one of us was in the hospital, the other would have to drive over an hour back and forth. I'm honestly surprised at how many people I know who retire who don't care about that aspect at all. So - given what we know we want/need, we've been considering all the areas close to the Atlantic between Wilmington NC and Jacksonville FL. A few years ago we visited every place that even seemed to come close to what we want. But when we were looking before our income and savings were a fair amount less than they are now, and housing costs and interest rates were higher, so it limited where we would be able to afford to buy, so we didn't consider some of the areas we could afford now. And this is a retirement place we're talking about - being able to vacation in it before retirement is a bonus. We could wait until we retire to buy, but as I said in the original post, I don't want to miss an opportunity to buy while the prices are low AND the interest rates are low. But I do think we need to slow down and take our time - visit and stay there during different seasons, including the heavy tourist season, and make sure that it's what we want. We may find that living on an island/beach itself is not that great and that we should go back to what we always considered to be our only option - living on the mainland, but close to the beach. People seem to think that prices will be low for a while - I don't want to buy and then see prices drop even lower - and that interest rates will be low for a while too. So I realize that there is no rush - but I still don't want to kick myself years from now for missing any "deals of the century". I know this was long - sorry about that - but I think my first post gave the impression that the whole idea of buying at/near a beach, and this one in particular, was hurried and not thought out. While rushing into it right now is undoubtedly a bad idea, I don't think the concept of buying a home sometime soon for retirement in a few years, if the prices and interest rates are really low now, is a bad idea....See MoreGooster
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