Dream Retirement Home Needs Reality Checks
Your children have left the nest, the old neighborhood has changed and you’re planning to retire and move to the country, where you’ll build your dream home and live off the land.
You did some traveling while the kids were growing up. You’ve probably visited Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park. Perhaps, like our family, you camped in Washington state, stayed with relatives in Colorado and visited Hawaii.
But, like my husband and me, you never thought about actually moving from the old homestead until you--quite by accident--came upon “the perfect spot.” “Someday, when I retire. . . . “ you told one another, and you invested in a couple of magnificent acres off the beaten track.
The years have passed, and now the two of you are poring over home magazines, contemplating various building styles and arranging and rearranging rooms.
You have spent over half your life in your present home--good years, for the most part--but you can’t wait to make the move. You begin to resent the traffic, the noise, the crowded conditions, the utility bills. You visualize tomatoes ripening on vines in your own garden, relaxing in a Jacuzzi on your deck while contemplating the stars, roaming the nearby hills with your dog at your side.
A seed has been planted, a root has taken hold, and your dream is about to sprout. You are now entering a very dangerous phase, for you are on a fantasy trip and your retirement plans have assumed a life of their own.
You are not the first to make the journey; the path is a familiar one for many retirees. But before you put your present home up for sale, there are several things to consider.
First, you should visit your rural post office and corner some of the longtime residents. Depending on your abilities, interests and background--and in spite of your best intentions--you will eventually be drawn into activities similar to those you had hoped to escape when you first planned the move.
If, for instance, you were involved in local politics in your old hometown and intend to steer clear of controversy and political intrigue in your new area, you will, at least, have been forewarned.
If you have visited the country during summer months only, visit again in the winter. Stick around and see how you feel about the place after it has been raining for 19 days in a row.
If, remaining enthusiastic, you are now about to break ground, there are specific guidelines to follow.
1--Do not hire an architect who insists on drawing plans for his/her dream house instead of yours.
2--Do not, after examining your original plans, decide to extend the entire perimeter of the building an additional foot without first considering the additional expense.
3--Do not list your present residence with an inexperienced salesman who, after declaring bankruptcy the previous month, has become a realtor.
4--Purchase state-provided Workmans Compensation Insurance to cover those you employ who are not licensed.
5--Develop realistic time lines and budgets for the total project; anticipate when your money must be available to pay individual subcontractors.
6--Become acquainted with people in the local building department and familiarize yourself with the permit process.
7--If your present residence does not sell immediately, put your plans temporarily on hold. Do not borrow money, for you will be shocked at how quickly the interest will mount, cutting into your capital.
8--Do not expect the city and county inspectors to be knowledgeable in all areas.
9--When your home site is graded, make sure the soil has been compacted properly, or your driveway might disappear down a hill.
10--Anticipate delays in your project. You will come across subcontractors who, after starting your job, fail to show up for several weeks. Subsequent phases will then have to be rescheduled. (And don’t be surprised if one of the subs--after being put on hold--charges you a percentage for the delay.)
11--Insist on having your “piece work” subcontractors sign in and out, daily, on a log maintained by you, or you might end up paying thousands of dollars for work and/or hours that you cannot document. (If your dream of moving to the country included “country folks” more honest than inhabitants of the city, scratch another fantasy.)
12--Do not be surprised when you discover, after a rainstorm, that your studs are twisting, your floors are buckling and your country road has washed away. (Even though it passed inspection, don’t be surprised to learn that your road was also not properly compacted.)
13--If you are a compulsive consumer when shopping for groceries, be prepared for the damage you can wreak when let loose in a hardware store.
14--Beware of the politics involved in getting your power installed--a six-week wait can last as long as nine months. (And don’t be afraid to register your complaint with the Public Utility Commission. Someone in the office, taking pity, could move you to the front of the line.)
15--Do not purchase top-of-the-line appliances displayed on showroom floors when you can only afford those listed in the classifieds.
16--If it has been necessary for you to borrow money--and at some point during construction you are attempting to see where you stand financially, and realistically--do not forget to include the interest.
Above all, do not give yourselves permission to overspend by assuring one another: “we are going to live in this house for the rest of our lives.” Be realistic concerning your expenses. Otherwise, like us, you might have to sell the house of your dreams--at a loss--in order to pay off your creditors.
In any case, do not become discouraged. Remember, you fell in love with this part of the country long before you started building your home. There are new areas to explore and new dreams to pursue. Though you may have to close the door on your dream house, you deserve a pat on the back for having taken the chance.
To quote Goethe: “What you can do, or dream you can, begin it; boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
Norris is a novelist who has written two books. This article was adapted from “Be Careful What You Dream, It Might Come True” (Olive Press Publications, P.O. Box 99, Los Olivos, Calif. 93441).
