ᐅ Building a house or buying one? Children already 13 and 15 years old...

haydee schrieb:

Neighbors, friends, clubs, etc.

Friendships within the social circle age along with us, while children remain a generation younger. That already helps in the long run, especially if at least once at Christmas you get pushed around in a wheelchair and can watch your great-grandchildren opening presents. I think many from the “I don’t need any nuisances” group will still regret in old age that their great social circles will then just be sitting alone in wheelchairs in front of the TV, and there won’t be any more sophisticated adult-only garden parties... Cheers!

But on the topic: without children, I don’t see why I would build a house. I rarely play in the sandbox or football in the garden myself. I would rather spend that money traveling extensively and experiencing nature in constantly changing places around the world, instead of in my own garden. The lasting value of a house doesn’t help without heirs either—you can’t take the house with you to the grave.

I would recommend the original poster to build; it’s definitely not too late!

Mottenhausen schrieb:
I would rather spend that money on a lot of travel and sit in nature all around the world in constantly changing places instead of staying in my own garden. The lasting value of a house doesn’t help if you don’t have heirs either—you can’t take the house with you to the grave.

If you rent, though, you don’t really have much more left either.

Mottenhausen schrieb:
I think many people from the "I don't need pests" group will regret it enough when they get older, and their great social circle ends up sitting alone in a wheelchair in front of the TV, with no more sophisticated adult-only garden parties happening... Cheers

You often don’t choose your fate... as for pests, I’m happy that my new neighbor got a little belly over the winter and is expecting her second.

Mottenhausen schrieb:
in the sandbox or playing football in the garden. Then I’d rather spend that money traveling a lot and enjoying nature in constantly different places around the world, instead of staying in my own garden. The lasting value of a house is useless without heirs anyway, you can’t take the house with you to the grave.

I decided to buy a house without children at 30. Built again at 45. According to my father’s genes, I could still enjoy the garden healthily at 80 (more or less, guessing).
That would be 50 years of happiness in my own home with a garden – and no children. Should I have stayed in an apartment?

I enjoy spending time in my garden and also like living in my own house, whether with or without children. Children usually only spend the first few years occasionally in the garden; after that, they hardly come near it. My husband and I have been in the garden much more often than the kids. Owning a house doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t also have great holidays. Likewise, as a renter, you don’t automatically have enough money left over to take several amazing vacations every year.

Best regards
Sabine

It’s not like tenants have extra money lying around compared to homeowners. Especially not nowadays.

Having children doesn’t protect you from loneliness either. My husband’s grandmother—he hadn’t seen her for 14 years—just passed away alone in a nursing home. None of her children wanted her living with them in their own homes.

I last saw my family in 2012. I don’t count my father as family since he’s not really part of it. By the way, he has five children, but none of them want to see him anymore. He will probably die alone as well.

Family conflicts or indifference are more common than people think.

The elderly in nursing homes often don’t see their children for months at a time (my mother once worked there and reported this).

Yes, you can’t take your house with you to the grave. I’m not interested in passing it on to anyone either. You just have to sell it at the right time and spend the money accordingly. That’s how we’ll handle it.

My family line ends with me, and I am absolutely okay with that. At least I’ve done better than my parents—who were completely unsuitable—who thought they would do better than their parents but actually made things worse. At least I can say that no child had to suffer because of me.

We will probably build. I’m just not entirely sure about the size.