A Life Style Block for you?

[Lon]

Until my first visit to New Zealand I had never heard of a "Life Style Block" which basically consists of land and a large home. The land is usually more than 5 acres and is not promoted by real estate sales people as being commercially viable, but as a good clean, healthy way to live. The owners will generally have some animals, fruit trees, shrubs, garden etc. Now I have no problem with folks that enjoy this kind of life style, can afford it, and raise their family. But as a first hand observation what I often see are two people (husband & wife) both working full time jobs and then coming home and busting their asses working to maintain this "Life Style Block" and never really having the time to enjoy it. I see a money pit that requires a continual outlay of $$$$$ that requires the two incomes without any real return other than blisters, calluses, back pain and a depleting bank balance. But hey, maybe just the clean air and open spaces are sufficient for some. How about you? How much effort would you put into having a "Lifestyle Block".

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[AussiePam]

I bet they're going to need an obscenely ginormous, fuel guzzling, 4wd to get from their city jobs to the lifestyle block. I guess most big cities have some people who treasure a semi-rural weekend getaway where the air is clean, the chickens produce fresh eggs, it's romantically green. Where I lived for many years, this entailed a house at the beach. I always argued:

1. The initial outlay or ongoing financial commitment was too much

2. You'd spend many of the 'leisure' weekends doing maintenance, or have to pay someone else to.

3. It would soon just become a chore, a duty to go there, not the lifestyle you'd wanted.

4. You were committed to one place - when it's a big world out there.

5. What you saved by not having the commitment, you could spend on travel and staying wherever your changing moods took you.

6. Who needs all that peace and quiet and those scary plants and fresh air anyway. I'm a city girl.

[hoppy]

A "life style block" can be very rewarding if managed right. 5+ acres can produce a lot of good, fresh food. Not so much hard work really. A small tractor and some implements greatly reduce your work load. A freezer eliminates much or all home canning.

1. You would eat better for less.

2. You would sleep better.

3. No more boring hours in a gym to stay in shape.

4. Playing in the dirt with tractors is fun.

5. It would get you off the sofa and away from TV or computer.

6. You can experiment with different plants/crops.

7. City/traffic noises would be replaced with natural sounds. Birds, crickets, chickens maybe, wind through the trees etc.

8. You could sell surplus veggies and fruit at farmers markets.



It would suit me fine.

[LarsMac]

Would work for me, as long as I can get a good fast DSL/Cable internet connection.

Since I work from home office anyway.

The longest part of MY commute is waiting for the coffee maker to finish.

Though the wife likes being conveniently located to shopping and dining, and grandkids.

It's the grandkid thing that really sinks the idea, lest I could talk them all into moving to NZ (not to mention talking NZ into letting us all in. As a matter of fact, we are looking at something like that in Colorado

[Lon]

As a alternative to the "Life Style Block" or "City Living", what's wrong with the "Suburbs"?

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[LarsMac]

Lon;1303683 wrote: As a alternative to the "Life Style Block" or "City Living", what's wrong with the "Suburbs"?


Neighbors

[Lon]

LarsMac;1303688 wrote: Neighbors


How much space do you need between you and a neighbor?

[LarsMac]

Lon;1303709 wrote: How much space do you need between you and a neighbor?


Depends on the neighbors.

If I can hear their dogs barking, they are too close.

[hoppy]

Lon;1303709 wrote: How much space do you need between you and a neighbor?


Daniel Boone said "If I can see their chimney smoke, they're too close".

[AussiePam]

A bit of space is nice. So is a bit of solitude. I don't want neighbours always under my feet, any more than I expect they'd want me under theirs. But we all look out for each other and I've been glad to have neighbours often enough, and I think they'd say the same of me.

What about you, Lon?

[LarsMac]

AussiePam;1303766 wrote: A bit of space is nice. So is a bit of solitude. I don't want neighbours always under my feet, any more than I expect they'd want me under theirs. But we all look out for each other and I've been glad to have neighbours often enough, and I think they'd say the same of me.




I agree. I have been fortunate, usually, with the neighbors I've had, no matter where I lived.

I've even tolerated their dogs, most of the time.

My main complaint with the ones I have now is the one guy who gets up at 7 AM on Sunday to mow his lawn, and he has a really annoyingly loud mower.

There is a lot more to "lifestyle" than how close your neighbors are, too.

I like living where I don't have to get in the car every time I need something from the store, or want to go out for ice cream.

[Lon]

AussiePam;1303766 wrote: A bit of space is nice. So is a bit of solitude. I don't want neighbours always under my feet, any more than I expect they'd want me under theirs. But we all look out for each other and I've been glad to have neighbours often enough, and I think they'd say the same of me.

What about you, Lon?


First let me say that I am not a gardener, tinkerer, wood chopper or one that enjoys home repairs and maintenence . I would much prefer to play sports for exercise. Before retiring I had three separate homes during my working career. Pretty large (3,000 sq. ft) 3 to four bedroom 2 1/2 bath, 2 car garage on less than 1/2 acre. Initially I always cut the lawns and trimmed the shrubs and was always looking forward to making enough money that I could hire some one else to do the things that I did not enjoy. I never had much contact with my neighbors and they or their pets were never an issue.

Now-------having been retired for 18 years we live in a two bedroom, two bath, two car garage modern home of 1,600 sq ft. when we are in California. There is much to do and a fun place to live.

Here in New Zealand we are living in a two bedroom one bath cottage behind a large main house, on 10 acres with two horses, adjacent cows, a garden, many, many trees, shrubs and flowers and stunning scenery in every direction. We rent this cottage from a family member that works like crazy to keep up with all that a property this size requires. Yes----this is a "Life Style Block" and while it may sound idyllic, better the family members owns it rather than me.

Here is our California place and my preference

Sun City Roseville - An Active Adult Community

[AussiePam]

Lon;1303832 wrote: First let me say that I am not a gardener, tinkerer, wood chopper or one that enjoys home repairs and maintenence . I would much prefer to play sports for exercise. Before retiring I had three separate homes during my working career. Pretty large (3,000 sq. ft) 3 to four bedroom 2 1/2 bath, 2 car garage on less than 1/2 acre. Initially I always cut the lawns and trimmed the shrubs and was always looking forward to making enough money that I could hire some one else to do the things that I did not enjoy. I never had much contact with my neighbors and they or their pets were never an issue.

Now-------having been retired for 18 years we live in a two bedroom, two bath, two car garage modern home of 1,600 sq ft. when we are in California. There is much to do and a fun place to live.

Here in New Zealand we are living in a two bedroom one bath cottage behind a large main house, on 10 acres with two horses, adjacent cows, a garden, many, many trees, shrubs and flowers and stunning scenery in every direction. We rent this cottage from a family member that works like crazy to keep up with all that a property this size requires. Yes----this is a "Life Style Block" and while it may sound idyllic, better the family members owns it rather than me.

Here is our California place and my preference

Sun City Roseville - An Active Adult Community


I know a few people who have sold suburban houses or inner city apartments to move to upmarket senior communities like the Californian one. An excellent choice, Lon. It looks awesome.

The ship "The World" was recently in Sydney harbour, moored outside my window, and I looked it up on the web. It's a floating community. People buy apartments on board and actually live there.

The World - Home

-----

Interruption here while a small person was woken up by a foghorn and we raced out to the front room to see which ship had just come in... it's a Holland Line cruise ship.. The Vollendam, but I digress...

-----

I like being where I am. If I don't want to drive, I'm right above a ferry wharf, there's also buses and trains close by, streets full of cafes. I'm a ten minute drive from a very fine beach, ten mins by train or ferry from the centre of the city, an hour's drive from my favourite rural retreat, and a 15 minute train ride from the airport leading to who knows where....

[Lon]

AussiePam;1303836 wrote: I know a few people who have sold suburban houses or inner city apartments to move to upmarket senior communities like the Californian one. An excellent choice, Lon. It looks awesome.

The ship "The World" was recently in Sydney harbour, moored outside my window, and I looked it up on the web. It's a floating community. People buy apartments on board and actually live there.

The World - Home

-----

Interruption here while a small person was woken up by a foghorn and we raced out to the front room to see which ship had just come in... it's a Holland Line cruise ship.. The Vollendam, but I digress...

-----

I like being where I am. If I don't want to drive, I'm right above a ferry wharf, there's also buses and trains close by, streets full of cafes. I'm a ten minute drive from a very fine beach, ten mins by train or ferry from the centre of the city, an hour's drive from my favourite rural retreat, and a 15 minute train ride from the airport leading to who knows where....


I have seen that ship-------------it's to big, too expensive--------I much prefer something like the Windstar which I have sailed on a number of times.



By the way-------I have been to you city a number of times and have an idea where you would be living. You live in one of my favorite cities next to my home town of San Francisco. You have many, many things to see and do and some of the best food I have eve eaten. The first IMAX that I ever saw was the one near the wharf.

[AussiePam]

Lon;1303887 wrote: I have seen that ship-------------it's to big, too expensive--------I much prefer something like the Windstar which I have sailed on a number of times.



By the way-------I have been to you city a number of times and have an idea where you would be living. You live in one of my favorite cities next to my home town of San Francisco. You have many, many things to see and do and some of the best food I have eve eaten. The first IMAX that I ever saw was the one near the wharf.


The IMAX at Darling Harbour. A few years ago I made the big mistake of taking a then 5 year old to a 3D dinosaur movie there. He shrieked like a banshee and then bolted. It was so dark it took me a while to find him! The box office gave us our money back, said it happens all the time. Sydney is a good place to live. I like San Francisco too.



I can see some attractions in living in a floating condominium, with shops, cinemas, restaurants, doctors, gyms etc etc... They state they are not a cruise ship, but more like a village. In fact a floating retirement village for the super rich. I'd rather have diversity.

[fuzzywuzzy]

Lon;1303599 wrote: Until my first visit to New Zealand I had never heard of a "Life Style Block" which basically consists of land and a large home. The land is usually more than 5 acres and is not promoted by real estate sales people as being commercially viable, but as a good clean, healthy way to live. The owners will generally have some animals, fruit trees, shrubs, garden etc. Now I have no problem with folks that enjoy this kind of life style, can afford it, and raise their family. But as a first hand observation what I often see are two people (husband & wife) both working full time jobs and then coming home and busting their asses working to maintain this "Life Style Block" and never really having the time to enjoy it. I see a money pit that requires a continual outlay of $$$$$ that requires the two incomes without any real return other than blisters, calluses, back pain and a depleting bank balance. But hey, maybe just the clean air and open spaces are sufficient for some. How about you? How much effort would you put into having a "Lifestyle Block".




I think people live a 'fantacy of rural life, self sustain, " etc etc ... and then find it's not all that ....you can actually do this lifestyle...I know because I've done it and still do it . It is a huge amount of work but nothing that hasn't already been done in the centuries before us. All these people want utopia in three easy years , then find nature doesn't happen that way.. they spend Ex amount of dollars then sit back and say to themselves ....."Is this what we really wanted?" ..then put their properties on the market for exhuabitant fees, thinking their hard work was worth this cash ...ummmm newsflash! farmers have been doing this for years.

It's called a second business. Farming is a business, and these people want to dally in it. doesn't work ...It's a business ........but it's much more than that .

You can't just own acres and sit back and say ...Gee this doesn't look like the brochure two years later when you havent looked after the land properly.

I'm not even a greenie and I know this .

ummmm no offence or anything but would you two listen to yourselves for just a minute? very strange

[tabby]

Some people need more peace, solitude and space than city living can offer them. I don't think the huge house is necessarily part of the package for successful rural living nor is initial heavy debt a given. Living a rural lifestyle isn't for everyone but for those who enjoy it and know how to make it work, it's a great life choice.

[Wandrin]

I'm more of a cabin in the woods guy. I don't need a big house, just quiet and nature.

[flopstock]

Littleone's dad farms land that surrounds someones country home. That's as close as we get. :wah: