View Full Version : Selling house, Quitting Jobs, Simplifying and Moving to Rural Vermont
Hello everyone! Happy I found this site of like minded folks. My partner of 27 years and I are getting ready over the next two months to sell our beautiful but too big Victorian house in Massachusetts and retreat to a much smaller mobile home in rural Vermont. We are excited that we will be completely debt free once we make the move. We are just starting the process of downsizing and ridding ourselves of a lot of extraneous material possessions. It will be a scary journey for us but one that we feel in our hearts is the right path for us to follow. As part of the journey, we will also be leaving our well paying corporate jobs to explore work that we are more passionate about and take time to find ourselves again, live much more simply and find our true passions and calling. IHe has already given notice although I will hold on to mine for at least a bit longer since I have more flexibility about working remotely. As much as we know it is the right thing to do, we do feel the tugs of attachment to the home we have poured so much into and a lot (although not all) of our friends and family think we are a little crazy to do this in our late 40s! I would love to hear from folks who have followed or are planning a similar path. It could be a mid-life crisis...but i am not sure that is a bad thing. LOL.
Sounds like you're going to have an eventful year, chauddog. You're doing what a lot of others only dream about.
Please keep us posted - will be interesting to hear how everything goes.
Sounds like big changes. I would keep one job if it can be done remotely. Good moving!
new2oregon
1-19-14, 10:17pm
This is the best thing I ever did. I had some rough times because I just got divorced after 22 years. I had been working on a simple life and now I am working on making it easier. Go for it and don't look back. I think you will like Vermont better than Mass. Quality of life matters more than Fancy houses and money.
SteveinMN
1-20-14, 11:47am
Welcome, chauddog! You'll find lots of inspiration and experience here.
About three years ago (!) I ditched a HSSJ (Horrible Soul-Sucking Job) for what has turned out to be mostly early retirement. I do have a photography business which is ramping up, but it hasn't been instrumental to our finances (my wife has a decent-paying job that she still enjoys -- most days). We're still in the same house but have been downsizing steadily, both in material possessions and in how we spend our time. And we love our lives even if the money isn't flowing like it used to. I think you will enjoy your new life, too.
Congrats Chaudog! I think you are making a great choice and you are probably already familiar with the area in Vermont (one of my favorite states!!) so know what to expect. Although I'd recommend you watch an old comedy starring Chevy Chase called "Funny Farm" about a NYC couple who move to rural Vermont. Very funny and hopefully not too realistic.
I did something similar to you and it worked out very well for me. Several years ago I quit my job at 42, sold my house in Southern Calif., moved to a very beautiful mountain snow ski and lake resort town, and bought a small house for about 1/3rd the cost of my old place. Doing that gave me the ability to instantly retire and I have not been back to work since! Didn't move that far from my old place - about 100 miles away and 8,000 ft up - so I was able to stay near family, friends, and even much warmer weather (sometimes a 50 degree difference) and the ocean just a short 90 minute drive away. I've since sold that place but it certainly was a great way to achieve early retirement and live in an area that was much nicer than the over crowed, hot and smoggy SoCal 'burbs I had been living in.
fidgiegirl
1-20-14, 2:46pm
I really look forward to hearing more about your journey! We ourselves are not there, we are in an upsizing phase of our lives (moved into a bigger house two years ago, adding a baby to the family this spring) but I still love these stories.
Why Vermont?
Welcome. Looking forward to you sharing more about your journey.
Teacher Terry
1-20-14, 8:17pm
In my mid 40's I got a divorce, new job & moved alone to the West Coast-a place I had never been. I interviewed by phone for the job. It was the best move I ever made. I also bought a 890 sq ft condo which I loved. Eventually I met my present hubby & we now live in a 1400 sq ft house with a small yard. It feels just right for the two of us. He wanted a small garage to do man things & I wanted a small yard since I love to sit outside while the dogs play, etc. Since you can work remotely it sounds like you will have some measure of security until you see how everything fits & feels. When I made the leap to move alone some people thought I was crazy but my attitude was if I hate it I will move again. Nothing has to be permanent. Welcome to the forum!
I think everyone should try this of they can afford to and want to.Best of luck! Give it a try.
You asked if anyone had done this. Raising hand and waving. Sold it all, husband had enough in mid 40s, packed it up and went to our summer home to watch the river flow. We over did our budget to say the least. I have tips on that topic. First month, I was like what did we do?..Husband was happy as he could ever imagine. Second month I settled in and he had done all the projects he wanted. Third month he was on a jet to NYC and Turkey for business, his words were " I am rotting here" the other phrase I remember was " I don't like shopping for the lowest priced creamer". We moved back down to where we came from.
Strange how things turn out in life. We planned this event for a long long time. The place we spent so many really nice summers at for years, turned out to be a nice place to visit not a place to live. Sometimes the dream is better then the end result. For us what we should have done is closed everything up and tried it for a year.
Gardenarian
1-21-14, 6:34pm
How exciting!
Vermont is so beautiful. I look forward to hearing your story unfold!
Are you in a mobile home park, or on a lot?
For us what we should have done is closed everything up and tried it for a year.Oh I sooooo agree with this. I have moved a huge amount in my life (military dad, me in the military, ex-dh in the military) and I have been to many places I love...for awhile :-)! But many of those places, while great, were not places I would want to live forever. I know most people can't financially afford to do just lock up the house and rent in a new place for a year to see how they like it, but often going there several times a year in different seasons can help. In Chaudogs cases I think he/she spent time there before and it sounds like they know the area well and know what to expect, so probably will be good. And if not, having an exit strategy is always good. I know I though I'd like mountain ski resort life, and I do, but a small village (no matter how lively in ski or summer season) in a hard to get to area wasn't ideal for me. I was able to sell my place and move so no biggie. However, if I were going to move to a new area I "thought" I might like, I'd rent for a year before making any big commitment.
Parrothead
2-8-14, 10:06am
I live in MA and have spent a lot of time in VT and all I can say is GREAT idea! Life seems much simpler "up north". I wish you the best of luck and visit all of the state parks in VT (especially Elmore State Park, my favorite!).
I'm jealous! I just got back from visiting my kids who live in Vermont (they fell in love with it after we spent many years vacationing there as a family). They were giving DH and us the hard sell on getting rid of our house here in NJ and moving up near them.. I have to admit, I am very, very tempted.
Looking forward to hearing your experiences!
Nice to meet you and good luck! I am almost 48 and my husband just turned 60. Three years ago, we sold our house and auctioned off nearly all our possessions. We moved from rural Nevada to Boca Raton, Florida for a year, and stayed in an apartment for a year. We then moved to Israel, and are still renting and are using our landlord's lovely furniture. We have new jobs, new friends, and a completely different lifestyle. We miss some of the things we left behind, but we do not in any way, shape, or form regret the choice we made.
It has been a while since I checked in because life has been going a little crazy! I just want to say I really appreciate all the comments and feedback people supplied! You all are so great! Thought I would provide an update and provide answers to some folks questions/comments. Our house was put on the market last week. We had one showing and got two offers that day for what we thought was a fair price. We are just waiting on the closing at the end of April (barring any surprises) so our journey is starting to unfold! We have now registered our cars in VT, got our drivers licenses and registered to vote. In regards to peoples' comments about how familiar we are with the small rural town (< 1000 people) we are moving to. We have owned the property for two years and have spent probably about 75% of our weekends there as well as vacation weeks in all seasons. We love the winter as well as the summer there and enjoy being outdoors in all seasons. Our mobile home has a full basement and sits on 10.5 acres of a mostly wooded lot surrounded by hundreds of acres of rural farmland. Over the past two years, we have started to integrate into the community and have done volunteer work and attended lots of community events. We have made friends there also and have a very close friend who lives close by whom we have know for many years. We have also gotten to become quite close with all of our neighbors up there (although they are a distance away.) Everyone has been so welcoming and although it may not have been clear in the prior posting, we are a gay couple. That concerned us a bit being in such a small rural community but we have experienced very little negativity around that fact and really have felt completely welcome even by the old Vermonters who have been there for many generations although we will always be "flatlanders." We are on the edge the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and although it is quite rural, it is less than a half hour to stores in nearby NH and Barre, VT when we do need provisions and is close to a lot of state and national parklands. As some of you expressed, we are realistic that in the end this all may not work out...so we have been careful to sock some money away over the years to provide us a cushion. In addition, the proceeds from the sale of our house will help to keep us afloat as we find ourselves. My partner has spent much of his free time since leaving his job over a month ago fixing up our house for sale and helping to get our Vermont house ready. Although still a little nervous, we still feel really good about our decision. With two friends of mine in their 40's just having experienced a stroke and another in our age bracket suffering a heart attack, we feel further validated that our downscaling is the right path. Although my job has been a little stressful as of late, it continue to provide the work at home flexibility which is making our transition easier. I will probably make a change in employment by summer but we first need to make sure we can obtain health insurance at a reasonable rate. I will provide another update after we make the final transition but at this point things are going according to schedule! Thanks again for all your comments and advice! :)
early morning
3-16-14, 1:04pm
Sounds wonderful - best of luck to you both! :)
I love how Obama care is allowing some people to follow their dreams independent from their employment situation.
gimmethesimplelife
3-16-14, 3:22pm
I love how Obama care is allowing some people to follow their dreams independent from their employment situation.I know what you mean, Tammy. Just having insurance makes me feel more brave and willing to take on some risk. My truth is that I need to find some niche in which to be self employed and having insurance detached from employment sure makes this a lot more possible. I know I have been down on a lot of things for awhile but this development here really is incredibly liberating for some of us. I feel like I'm obligated to make the most of it. Rob
We did look on the government health care site but it still seemed quite expensive. We'll probably eventually go with a high deductible plan but for now we still have health care through my employer. Also, Vermont is planning on moving to a single payer plan which is exciting. If it goes through as they expect, it will be the first state to have health care access for all Vermont residents paid for through taxes. Very exciting...but I think still at least a couple of years away.
And Vermont has Bernie Sanders, a national treasure for sure.
Just a quick update for those following our journey or considering a similar route. We are firmly in place in rural Vermont and are certain we have made the right decision. We don't miss our big house (surprisingly at all) and continue to work on simplifying. We got rid of SOOOO much stuff and we had SOOO much stuff we didn't need. In addition, we cannot believe how many unneeded expenses we had when we were both working and striving to keep up our lifestyle. Our expenses here are probably about 45-50% (and probably even less than that) of what they were. My partner has been not working for 6 months and enjoying it although he would like me to join him (as would I.) He has certainly doing lots of projects around the property and I am happy for him (although certainly a wee bit envious.) I am waiting until the end of a big project at my current employer which ends in a few months and then I plan to take a temporary (and likely permanent) 6 month sabbatical to think about what I want to do and to just get out of the corporate whirlwind (at least for a while if not permanently.) I plan to take that time to rediscover what I am passionate about and anticipate we will cobble together a "multiple streams of income" lifestyle with some entrepreneurial ventures as well as working part-time at lower stress (although significantly lower paying) jobs. We do still have concerns about health care costs but we are starting to feel more confident that we can afford a high-deductible plan since we are both relatively healthy and rarely use medical services and also since we have had a high deductible plan through my employer the last two years. We are excited to have made contact with others who have followed similar paths who live in the area which helps to assure me that we are not totally crazy! Thanks again for all who have provided their insights. I really appreciate it and look forward to providing another update soon.
awakenedsoul
7-28-14, 8:30pm
chauddog, Congratulations! You sound like you're really on track. I have a couple of friends who have moved to Vermont, and they love it. They also live simply. I look forward to reading your updates.
Chauddog, you are living your dream! Congratulations on your move and all the savings you are making. I hope you enjoy your sabbatical and find the inspiration you are looking for. "Multiple streams of income" used to sound really messy to me, now I start to see the appeal of not having all one's eggs in the same basket.
Another quick update. Things really have moved since my initial post in January! I leave my corporate job in two weeks. Can't wait for the freedom. We are on track with our plans and I look forward to the freedom! We still love it out here in the country and look forward to the fall and winter. Once I leave my job, we will both be officially unemployed but we are moving forward very excitedly with our planned business ventures and have now found a number of inspirational people who have followed a similar path and made their new lives a reality. We will be looking to them for guidance and advice. Health care remains a concern but in VT, we have found that the cost for health care will be based on our anticipated income and not our past income or our assets, so we are thankful for that. One of our business ventures will be focused on downshifting, sharing our experiences and assisting others with making a life downshift a reality for them and to provide them inspiration and tools on this path. More to come..but first some much needed time off from corporate America. Thanks again for everyone's kind words and inspiration!
Teacher Terry
9-22-14, 2:13pm
Happy to see an update! My hubby & I took an early retirement 2 years ago so get small pensions. Then we each do p.t. consulting in our field & I teach a university class so we have multiple sources of income. When I was younger this would have scared me but it is working well for us.
Just another update...things are still going very well. We are so much enjoying the freedom of living more simply. We have learned so much and have learned to make so many things ourselves. We have been bringing in some money selling things online and at local farmers markets and doing some part time work both online and locally. It is so liberating to be in control of your life which is something we now realize we never truly were before. Luckily, we have been able to live off some of our savings through this cold winter although we have really reduced our spending to a fraction of what it was. I am going back to do some part time consulting for corporate America but most of it will be done from home and it will be entirely on my terms. We have also been able to pursue creative pursuits we had no time for before including writing, acting, cooking, crafting, volunteering, etc. It has also allowed us to spend more time with our elderly parents and especially for me, assist my mother with her declining health needs. And we have found a fair amount of people on a similar path. For those who are considering a life change to embrace simplicity...go for it...this has probably been among the best decisions of our lives and we only wish we had done it sooner. The biggest issue is still health insurance. Although we haven't used it, we have qualified for Medicaid state assistance based on our extremely low income since it does not take assets into account. We feel a little weird accepting that since we do have a good amount of money in the bank so are planning to purchase our own insurance to cover catastrophic stuff should it occur and will need to work some more hours per month to offset that cost since insurance is extremely expensive on the open market. Unfortunately, until our income is higher, our only choice is Medicaid or to purchase it on the open market since we are not allowed to purchase it in the state marketplace based on our low income. If we do not get our own insurance, we will have to pay a penalty at tax time next year although it will be a relatively small penalty if our income remains low. Weird..but it will be worth it.
Gardenarian
3-23-15, 2:02am
Hi chaudogg,
I'm reading of your journey with great interest, as we are going through a similar transition right now - leaving the congestion and noise of San Francisco for the quieter and slower life in Oregon.
I love everything about our new home and town, but this week we're back in the Bay Area for the final (I hope) emptying of our house. I am completely out of steam - I just look at all this stuff and want it to vanish!!
Any tips on how to keep the energy flowing during these last laps? We are having our final estate sale next week - I really am feeling that this is just impossible.
On the upside, coming back has just confirmed for me that moving was absolutely the right thing for my family.
Cheers :)
I love how Obama care is allowing some people to follow their dreams independent from their employment situation.
oh yes, i have enjoyed my jobs over the years but definitely have worked for healthcare. now i do that but also for student loan plan! i have about 6-7 years until i have enough public service years in the program to erase my loans. And i like my job despite the difficulties.
this is an exciting story, thank you for keeping us updated.
We are planning a similar escape. Popular articles always say one needs 70-80% of current income to sustain lifestyle in downshifting or retiring. I have a sense that it will be much less than that as we have no interest in maintaining the working lifestyle of traffic, clothes, stress,...Just need to figure out the shelter part for much less than current cost. It irks me that we all have to pay a lot in some form or fashion for what I consider unhealthy health care.
flowerseverywhere
3-23-15, 1:00pm
Wonderful story. Especially in finding a place where you fit in.
Teacher Terry
3-23-15, 3:05pm
WE are living on half of what we did when working. We still go out to eat 1x/week, take a big trip 1x/year & some small weekend ones. Some years we go to Europe for 2 weeks & some like this year we will slow travel in our used motorhome for 5 weeks. Glad to hear the updates & that things are going well. I moved here 18 years ago & this is the nicest place I have lived so we are staying put.
Tussiemussies
3-23-15, 3:30pm
I've been reading along and it sounds like such an exciting major turning point in your life. Hope your move goes easily.
SteveinMN
3-24-15, 10:43am
Popular articles always say one needs 70-80% of current income to sustain lifestyle in downshifting or retiring. I have a sense that it will be much less than that as we have no interest in maintaining the working lifestyle of traffic, clothes, stress,...
The plural of "anecdote" is not "data", but I can tell you that, when I walked away from my job almost three years ago, we said "goodbye" to about 60% of our income. We did have a "war chest" of savings from which we've drawn for big-ticket items (major repairs, property taxes) and we have not contributed much to that (though DW continues to contribute to a health savings plan and deferred comp at work and both of us continue to fund Roth IRAs).
Our lives and DW's job simply :D were structured so that we did OK with that. And that included taking a cruise last year, DD's wedding last fall, and paying off a car loan. We're no longer the couple our friends ask about new restaurants. We're foregoing a trip to the Holy Land in 2016 being led by a priest friend of ours simply out of the expense. But we don't think of our lives as any less happy for leaving that money on the table. I think the 70-80% figure is one of those "conventional wisdom" figures heard so often no one bothers to verify it anymore.
chauddog (http://www.simplelivingforum.net/member.php?50329-chauddog),
Way to go, I am so glad it is working out!
chrisgermany
4-2-15, 7:12am
Interesting stories.
I have relatives who moved to Southern Vermont for similar reasons.
I also have visited Quadra Island in BC which is not so far from Powell River.
So many memories.
All the best to you!
My husband and I finally made the move to downsize and live the simpler life without the soul sucking jobs when
I was 62 and him 65.....he was diagnosed as terminally ill within the next 6 months and gone within 2 years.
I am so thankful that at least we had that time without the pressure of jobs (and had saved enough to do it),
but I also, regret we had not done it sooner.
I am now living well sharing my house (receiving rent) with Dd and 1 grandson...it works well (most of the time...lol) for
all of us. The shared expenses of car, food, skills etc make it a good arrangement financially and emotionally.
Our situation is a little different because our economies are found by living on a small lot in the city with close proximity to all our needs.
It is wonderful to read here how others are doing their downsizing and living simplifier lives.
Of course the first and ongoing best thing is getting rid of stuff.......................
So sorry to be delayed in my response! I did not realize I had any responses until I checked. (I am sure there is some auto-notification of postings I am unaware of.) That is awesome for you. We love Oregon as we had lived in in Washington State and spent a lot of time there. It was a big reason for our move to Vermont because it is similar in so many ways to rural Oregon! By now, you probably have had your estate sale...I hope it went well. For us, the big thing was just letting go. We ended up giving so much away and selling things for far less than they were worth. That was hard at the beginning and we were hesitant to give our stuff away for a song or in some cases for free. However, when we reminded ourselves we were trying to simplify and part of that was getting rid of things, we forced ourselves to do it and it became easier. In the end we used CraigsList a lot and really the people who came from Craigslist were some really nice folks and we really felt the furniture and everything were going to a good home. We even put a Craigslist ad letting folks know that we would be putting random stuff out all day for free...and you know what..almost everything went almost immediately even old buckets, broken lamps, etc. The rest all went in a dumpster we had rented. Our fancy ornate four poster bedroom set (which could not fit in our new bedroom), our custom upholstered Victorian furniture, our fancy dining room table...we don't miss them at all. Best of luck. You will not regret it! Less is more!
Hi chaudogg,
Any tips on how to keep the energy flowing during these last laps? We are having our final estate sale next week - I really am feeling that this is just impossible.
On the upside, coming back has just confirmed for me that moving was absolutely the right thing for my family.
Cheers :)
We had a friend who is always telling us we cannot retire without a minimum of a million dollars in the bank. We believe that it is hogwash. With a simplified life, we really we believe we can live on much much less. Also, and this is really a new lesson for me..I am starting to enjoy working for possibly the first time in my life. Now, that we work when we want and doing what we choose...it is a totally new liberation. We are working with multiple streams of income now which are changing by the month and it is so exciting. I think now that I will probably work (in this new "liberated" way) well into retirement because it can be enjoyable and exciting! As far as the health care, we figured out what the minimum income needed to disqualify ourselves for Medicaid and told the state we expect to earn at least that much and now we will be able to purchase a real health care plan through Health Care Exchange and receive a subsidy based on our estimated income. If our business ventures are successful, our subsidies will go down or disappear which is great and absolutely fair and expected. We just need to be sure we are constantly updating our income estimates with the state frequently. Even though we have never received government help before and still feel a little weird about it, our businesses, if successful will be a boon to our local and state economy so it is really beneficial for everyone!
[QUOTE=pinkytoe;200675]We are planning a similar escape. Popular articles always say one needs 70-80% of current income to sustain lifestyle in downshifting or retiring.
Thanks for the response Kally! It is so great to hear from others following a similar path. We also have moments when we think...ooh it would be great to have that gourmet kitchen, an unobstructed view of the mountains, and waterfront property. However, just like you said..we remind ourselves about why we did this and it passes..,.and we often remind ourselves that some of our friends who do have these things are stressed out, unhappy, unhealthy and in debt. As the old saying goes, the grass is seldom greener...,.
Thanks so much for your insight!
It looks gorgeous!!!
This is where we ended up. Isn't it pretty? Most of you won't have heard of this little town on the west coast of Canada.
http://www.hellobc.com/powell-river.aspx
Thanks Terry. We also do still go out to eat..although not to fancy places. Vacations may wait for a bit. You remind me that although we are calling it simplification...perhaps it is better to think of it as a "free life."
WE are living on half of what we did when working. We still go out to eat 1x/week, take a big trip 1x/year & some small weekend ones. Some years we go to Europe for 2 weeks & some like this year we will slow travel in our used motorhome for 5 weeks. Glad to hear the updates & that things are going well. I moved here 18 years ago & this is the nicest place I have lived so we are staying put.
Wow. Not sure if anyone is following our old thread. Has it really been over 4 years since we made our life changes? We are still on our path and just recently started a new business, a real estate auction company! www.upcountryauctions.com (http://www.upcountryauctions.com/). Over 4 years later, we totally made the right decision and do not regret it! There has been some stress..but mostly with caring for my Mom who now has Alzheimers and a little with the launch of our new business but all is good! Our income is still a fraction of what it was but life is good!
catherine
10-11-18, 9:34am
I'm jealous! I just got back from visiting my kids who live in Vermont (they fell in love with it after we spent many years vacationing there as a family). They were giving DH and us the hard sell on getting rid of our house here in NJ and moving up near them.. I have to admit, I am very, very tempted.
Looking forward to hearing your experiences!
Congratulations on your new business! And thanks for the update! I'm particularly excited to hear because we wound up buying a small house in the Champlain Islands in January 2018 and stayed all summer, and absolutely love it. We found the Vermont community to be exactly as you described. We are now working on Phase 2: getting rid of crap in NJ and downsizing. I love my minimal home up here, and it's great to be near 3 of my kids.
I was almost up in Northeast Kingdom on Saturday--I'm a huge Stephen Huneck fan and Dog Mountain was having their annual fall party, but it didn't work out. Maybe next spring will work out better.
Thanks for your update!!
Teacher Terry
10-11-18, 2:04pm
Great update! I am also working more seeing clients and I love it. It’s nice to have the freedom to work or not and do it on your own terms. The last 4 years we have been traveling more and also going to more events, etc. Glad your move worked out so well.
dado potato
10-11-18, 11:23pm
MMMMmmm! Powell River.
Wishing you beaucoup de wild flowers and some sunny days!
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