Do you believe in the concept of a "Forever Home"?

HangTime

HangTime

HangTime

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"Forever Home" is a phrase I see bandied about a bit, usually an aspirational term about a potential house purchase where people feel they could settle down for the rest of their lives.

What is your view on this, and (if you are prepared to share), what is your approximate age? I'm wondering if as people get older, they may warm more to the idea.

Personally, I (early 40s) don't really subscribe to the concept because I think forever is a long time, and circumstances can change. My wife and I might change jobs, we might want to move nearer to family, kids move out of home, we might get a lot richer/poorer for whatever reason. I also think there will always be a better house somewhere than the one you live in. Maybe when I'm older I might think differently, e.g. in our 60s assuming kids move out we might want to settle down somewhere.

For those of you who have bought your Forever Home, has it lived up to your expectations?
 
I'm 40 and would like a forever home but haven't found it yet. I might be forced into a forever home IE I cant afford a fully detached house in the area I want so my mind set will always be that I want better and therefore my current home that I'm financially restricted to will never be, in my mind a forever home

This is my third property and the two before were both seen as stepping stones with no intention of staying in them
 
In countries where people aren't obsessed with this invention called The Property Ladder, this is the norm.

In Germany typically you will rent until you can afford to buy or build a family home, then you make the purchase and you're done.

I can't see a reason why I'd want to move from this house. I could probably convince myself that I want a driveway or garage enough to move to a bigger detached place, but the reality is that I don't need it.

I've got better, more fun things to spend money on than overpriced real estate just for the sake of it.

Edit - The one exception for me is if I decided to build a home somewhere. It's something that has always interested me, and I'll have the cash to do it. That would make me move, but then that really would definitely be forever!
 
Circumstances change as you say. As for now I am in a home that I can see myself staying in long term, it has potential to convert the loft into a third bedroom and an ensuite, and extend into the side return and outwards from the kitchen. The only reason I can see for moving is if we require additonal space or to change location and we have neither of those a requirement in the near future.
I also dislike the phrase, it reminds me of instagram home accounts.
 
I’m early 40’s and moved into what we would probably consider our ‘forever home’ 18m ago. We’ve all the kids we intend to have, both our jobs are stable and towards top of our fields and really not things that we anticipate changing in our working lives now. House is big enough for the family including dog in a nice area near enough for both our jobs and schooling good for kids. I really don’t see there would be any reasons to move now. If we won millions on lottery maybe we’d consider it I suppose, but certainly reached the stage that I’d rather stay long term, high spec decoration and any house changes do properly not on cheap. I think the forever house concept relies on all the other things being unlikely to change much
 
partner is 32 I'm 39, we are in the process right now of moving into our "forever home"
I just think of it as, if life carries on in the same pattern we are in now then it will be our "forever" home, that is a house we will live in until the kids leave and we want to downsize.

For us this means that the house is a suitable size that we realistically won't need to move for a very long time, its a way bigger house than we ever imagined would be achievable for us, we are stretching ourselves but it means *hopefully* never having to move again.
 
54 now and bought where we live about 20 years ago with pretty much that in mind. It would need to be a very big change in circumstances to force a move - stuff like stamp duty, moving costs, solicitors etc would be 15 grand down the toilet just to be somewhere with the same property value. Children are years 8 and 11 in a very good school and no way is that getting stuffed up until they're both past A levels.
 
I think the issue is that housing priorities very much change over time. When i bought this house (32 at the time), we suggested it could very well have been. It looks lovely and has all the "oldness" we like in a house and the layout and garden works brilliantly for us.

However with the change of working from home recently, we have debated a move towards the coast at some point in the future, so it's definitely turned from a "forever home" to a 5 more years kind of home. I don't think we're particularly aspirational, we wouldn't move for a bigger/better home in the same area.
 
I think a forever home is an outdated concept. People are living too long. When you are about 75 you should sell up and move to near your children.
 
No. I want to move around.
I can certainly see people have a level of 'forever home' where by juggle how long you want to have a mortgage for vs standard of living.

The house I'm in now could be someone's forever home. Not mine.

I want to live more rural or by the sea. But I think I'll always want to move around

I'd support any changes that spread stamp duty around over time. Being able to move around for work/life opens up so many possibilities. Things like stamp duty really hurt that
 
No, I never have. Nothing is forever. It would be nice to have enough money to buy your dream house but the reality is that you will always settle for what your limits are unless you're a very wealthy individual.
 
You’re forever home is 6ft under and then it’s only guaranteed for 80 odd years.

Forever home goes with live life laugh and all that other Facebook guff. Cringeworthy


People mostly live in what they can afford and that changes over time both up, down and sideways.
 
For me, forever home is "I've leveraged myself so high on my current house that I couldn't afford better even if I wanted" :D. Basically what I've done age 29:cry:

To be fair ive bought in an area I like /good schools (if I had kids) so would have to be a particular good reason to move /sensational increase in personal income (which is less likely as my career earnings I believe have plateud slightly)
 
I know my parents climbed the housing ladder relatively easily going from a terrace to semi to detached all in over a decade, why that was easier and more commonplace back in the 70s/80s/90s I'm not sure but nowadays people are moving far less because of associated costs and choosing to improve what they've got instead, so many might inadvertently already be in there forever homes.
 
I'm a bit older than you OP and I do believe in the concept... but like many other such things, it has become little more than a marketing term for ***** salesmen, and anyone who wants to make something of their lives and their career will be constantly on the move, forever adapting to the changes in markets and all that. Even if they have a family, they'll forever be wanting more space for the kids, until the kids move out and they start going the opposite direction through all the downsizing side.
Forever homes are purely for the rich retired and those too poor to move out.
 
norm said:
why that was easier and more commonplace back in the 70s/80s/90s I'm not sure
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There were two basic reasons: MIRAS - there was tax relief on mortgage interest - and mortgage issuers were forced to give full weight to the wife's income - the same as unmarried couples - which instantly made buying a bigger house much easier.
 
The forever part is colloquial, it's just means the house you are going to spend the majority of your life in (ideally).

Ours is a forever home as it has everything we need and want, so will only be getting another place when/if we need to downsize when we are ancient.
 
krooton said:
The forever part is colloquial, it's just means the house you are going to spend the majority of your life in (ideally).

Ours is a forever home as it has everything we need and want, so will only be getting another place when/if we need to downsize when we are ancient.
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That’s how I see it too. In 15-20 years time, our current property will be way, way too much for us to manage and while our house is old fart friendly, it’s all slopes and steps around the house.
 
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