Homeowners/how long do you stay?

[compassrose]

I mean, my goal is to stay in this new house until I can no longer walk up stairs.
However, my XH was in finance and before we bought our condo, he created a spreadsheet to figure out how long we'd have to stay in a place to recoup the closing costs in NJ (higher than some states) and actually make a profit at resale, accounting for a conservative increase in property value and inflation. The answer was 5 years. Obviously that varies, but it's my rule of thumb now.

[wowhead]

We bought this house with the intention of staying for 5-7 years. We've now been here 13 years. It's partially because of the market crash but mostly because we just don't have a reason to move. Instead I'm now focusing on redoing some things and making myself happier with the house we have.

[wambam]

Our house is absolutely a long-term plan. Unless I do something insane and get KTFU with like triplets or something, we'll be there until we retire.

[RoxMonster]

We did not buy this house thinking it would be our "forever" home. We will probably stay less than 10 years here.

[whitemerlot]

We stayed in our starter house for 12 years. We've been in our current one for 2 and plan to stay until it's too much work to care for it.

[Deleted]

That's a good question.  Signed, the girl looking at condos for the first time...and I'm scared!  

[Deleted]

We bought our house with the intention of staying forever.

[spankswife]

We bought in 2007, so longer than planned?

Hoping to move within the next 5 years.

[circa1978]

We've been in this house six years. If we don't find something we love, we'll refinance and stay a few more but I'd like to find the house we'll be in the next 18-20 years by the time Henry is in first grade.

[Jalapeñomel]

I thought the magic number was 5 years.

[cherryvalance]

We waited and looked forever to be sure our first house could be a forever home. We won't grow out of it and will only leave when we want to or it becomes too much.

[LeggsBenedict]

we lived in ours for a little shy of 3 years, rented it for about a year (we planned on renting it longer but our tenant died ) and then sold.

I wouldn't buy again unless I knew we would be there for at least 5 years.

[nursewife]

We've been in our current home for 7 years, and I expect to be here another 2 years. I want our next move to be our last though.

[dojo]

this is our long-term house. If we could stay here until retirement I might. There is one great house in our neighbourhood that we both love and would be completely out of our price-range. If it ever went for sale and was affordable, we would go for it. Those are very unlikely circumstances.

[sandyapples]

In 20ish years I would like to sell and buy a condo and a cottage. We have been here for 6 years now.

[SpartanGirl]

Unless something happens with my husband's career, we plan to stay here until we're ready to downsize to the RV in retirement. It isn't perfect or huge, but it's in a great neighborhood with great schools (within walking distance). Plus the mortgage will be paid off before DD1 heads off to college.

[flex]

Mar 26, 2015 19:24:30 GMT -5 carrotsmakemefat said:

What is the max you'd expect to stay before moving? How many years? Let's factor in that you have minimal desire to rent out but you would in a pinch. And let's also imagine that you'd be buying big enough to accommodate future kids and stuff.

Brought to you by "my job is moving in 5 years. Don't know if I'm going or getting a new job then"

Nine years has been long enough.  I've become weary of a house too big for one person.  


The first couple years was okay, but enough is enough.  My house is going up for sale in May.

[nomad100]

Mar 26, 2015 19:54:05 GMT -5 @licia said:

"We're living here until I die!"
I yelled as I carried out 9 billion, 9 trillion pound boxes into our house.

This is us too.  We have too much crap to move again.  DH often replies to people when they ask how long we are staying with "that we will live here until they take us out in either in a box or a transport to the home."

We bought a ranch style house because we knew for long term that would be best for our needs.  The only thing we need to do to make it senior friendly for our "golden years" is bring the laundry upstairs.  And we have space for that in our hall bath so all we need is the time and money to make that happen. 

[kaylie]

We intended for this to be our forever home when we bought three years ago, but we might move next year if H changes jobs.

[DotAndBuzz]

Our plan is for this to be our forever home. Unless home prices go crazy in our neighborhood, and we decide we are willing to move somewhere smaller (very unlikely), or H finds a dream job in our dream city (even less likely), our next move will be to the retirement home.

We've been in one geographical location for 5 years, and didn't buy. We were VERY happy to have made that decision. 5 years used to be a safe bet for real estate, but I don't think it is anymore. I'd have to be somewhere in the 5-10 year range to be willing to buy, based on our experience, and those of our friends who got completely screwed on their 5-year home ownership plan.

[mccallister84]

We are currently searching for our first home now. I plan on it being our forever home, N is not so rigid. I despise moving. Although it is a little weird knocking homes off the list because the schools aren't decent when we aren't even trying to conceive yet.

[penguingrrl]

We are planning to buy in the next few years and only ever intend to a buy home once. Hs career has been such that we'll be close to 40 by the time we can buy at all, so once we do I'm not moving again.

[hymen]

Our first house we planned on staying in for about 5 years, and we stayed there for 6. We could have stayed a few years longer but our current house came on the market and we couldn't pass it up.

This house is our theoretical forever home. And after dealing with selling our first house, I have no desire to sell ever again.

[eb777888]

We planned on our current house being a 5-10year house. This month makes seven years here and we'll probably put it on the market in about two years. Sooner if we decided to move to San Francisco (eeeeeeekkkK!!!!!)

[olive]

We always had a 10 year plan for this house and we just hit that 10 years. Now I have serious doubts that we'll ever leave. Our mortgage is very small, it's in a great location, and fits all our needs. I think with some renos and updates, it may be our forever home.

[clseale]

We had a 5 yr plan for this home (or more a, we will not sell before 5 yrs), we've been here for 6. We don't think this is our forever city, but as long as we're here, we'll be in this house. Maybe another couple of years?

[adhdfashion]

I was really hoping to stay for 5 years tops. But we are very happy here going on 7 years. I suspect that we will sell in the next couple years. H's career has really taken off. We will need to be closer to town.

[papie]

We bought for at least 10 years but hoping to maybe stay forever.

[Nonny]

We bought our house thinking it would be a starter home, and we'd be here 5-10 years max. We're going on year 12, and have no immediate plans to move, and I see us being here at least another 4-5 years. The longer I'm here, the more I don't even want to think of moving. Sometimes I have dreams that we moved, and in the dreams I'm always like, WTF, why did we leave!?

[AHappierHour]

FI has owned this house for 16years and he would like to move into something bigger but I don't really want to. I like where our house is. It's perfect walking distance to the kids school. Maybe when the kids are out of elementary school I will feel different.