Lifestyle change in retirement: sea, tree or abroad
In The Big Shift author Bernard Salt provides an articulate interpretation of the settlement of the Australian continent, charting the shifts and shuffles that have made us who we are over the past 200 years.
He chronicles Australia from the unique bush culture of the swagman, to today’s world of boomers, Xers and Dotcoms, and goes on to consider the rise of suburbia on our national psyche and maps out the likely influences on Australian culture over the early decades of the twenty-first century. Many others have built on or offered alternative commentary on phenomena such as Tree change and Sea change. In an earlier post (“Is a tree or sea change the right retirement option?” ), we investigated some of those considerations that ought to be given far more time and attention.
Xanthe Kleinig recently provided an update (Meet the Overseas changers … ) on vast numbers of Australian retirees refinancing so they can spend their twilight years living like kings in foreign lands, in an international version of the “seachange” trend.
Whilst for many, moving away may mean long held dreams fulfilled, it does need to be given careful consideration. An alternative to selling, moving and finalising ownership of their current home may be to consider renting out the family home for a year or two. While renting the family home out, move to your desired location and rental accomodation there … dip a toe in the water and try before you buy. In this case, if the sea, tree or international change isn’t what it was planned to be, a return to the family home is available minimising the effects on original living arrangements.
More than anything else, plan so that you have choices if things don’t quite go to plan.
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Dan Smith is self employed and based in Rockhampton. For many people he has become their trusted adviser and Financial Planner. He has clients in various locations throughout Australia but predominately in Central Queensland and specifically the geographic area encompassed by the Rockhampton Regional Council.