Would you sell your house and live in an RV?

@NJChicaa (116013)
United States
March 12, 2016 10:54am CST
There is a style of living called "minimalism" where the focus is on having as few "objects" as possible and having the most experiences instead. One of the members of a group that I'm a member of is a realtor and she was talking about housing bubbles and how people should sell their houses now, buy an RV to live in for a few years, bank the money, and wait for the "bubble" to burst. Then they could buy a similar house, have savings AND the RV. . . there was more to her line of thinking but I didn't pay too much attention to it. I was distracted by the idea of living in an RV for a few years. I would never ever voluntarily do that. I would lose my mind and my husband and I would kill each other in that type of small space. Am I the only one who thinks that selling your home to live in an RV is a crazy idea?
7 people like this
7 responses
@FourWalls (62161)
• United States
12 Mar 16
It seems to me to be an offshoot of the "tiny house" movement, only here the "house" is already built. I can see some positives of it. If a person is still employed, they wouldn't have to worry about the burdens of selling the house, packing, and moving for job relocation. If they're retired, they don't have to worry about the house "back home" while they're off enjoying retirement. There's an economic side to it as well: no property taxes (my property taxes for a piddly 850 square foot house were nearly $600 last year, and there are friends of mine who live in other parts of the country who say they pay that much semi-annually or quarterly!). And for those people who live in areas susceptible to disasters (e.g., the southeast and hurricanes, wildfires in the west) it would be peace of mind to know that you don't have to "decide" what to take on a moment's notice in order to evacuate: you just drive the RV out of harm's way! And, if you have medical issues (I'm an asthmatic, and people with arthritis don't do well in winter), you just, in the words of that song "Everybody's Talkin'," go where the weather suits your clothes (or your health). However, there are also downsides. If the RV breaks down you're homeless until it's repaired. Ditto if you have an accident. Most RVs are "glue and staple" construction and not designed to live in 24/7/365 but rather a couple of weeks out of the year, so they might not hold up to the continual life. There are lots of cramped areas (usually the "bedroom" is big enough for the bed and your legs to walk through, no extra space), especially in the bathroom (you rarely see a tub, and in many cases the bathrooms are 'wet," where the entire bathroom also serves as a shower). Bottom line: I would like to have one for extensive traveling but not to live in constantly. I'm single, so I wouldn't have the issues you have with being confined to a small space with someone else. If I comes to the point where I have to move to another part of the country for my health (I live in the Ohio Valley, which is notoriously bad for allergies and asthma), I think I would buy an RV. That way, I wouldn't move somewhere and then learn the hard way that the climate isn't any better than what I left.
2 people like this
@NJChicaa (116013)
• United States
12 Mar 16
Like I said, I can't imagine living in one full time.
• United States
12 Mar 16
My daughter has a friend who sold their home, got an RV and traveled across the US for a year. They homeschooled their boys and the husband was able to work while they traveled (I guess he was able to work on his computer as they traveled). They said it was an adventure of a lifetime and an experience their children wouldn't forget.
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (116013)
• United States
12 Mar 16
I suppose it can work if you can work online. I didn't think of that. Then you can travel and work as well.
1 person likes this
• United States
12 Mar 16
@NJChicaa guess it's not something that everyone could do
@NJChicaa (116013)
• United States
12 Mar 16
@Marilynda1225 I would guess it's not something that most could do. That's why I asked about it. ;-)
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
12 Mar 16
are you serious.Never.I will never leave my school house.Never.I guess you heard me
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (116013)
• United States
12 Mar 16
It was more of a theoretical question Fredo. Calm down. hahaha
@paigea (35701)
• Canada
12 Mar 16
I wouldn't sell my home to live in an RV but I could take off and travel and live in one for a couple of years. If I am traveling and seeing new places the RV can just be a place to sleep mainly, not a place to be cooped up in all day
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (116013)
• United States
12 Mar 16
Exactly. If it were being used for travel, that is one thing. If it were used as your primary residence for daily life, however, that is an entirely separate matter.
@Telynor (1763)
• United States
13 Mar 16
I don't think I could handle being on the road all the time. I do find the Tiny House movement to be a bit much -- I have far too many books and film to ever fit into that small of a space.
@NJChicaa (116013)
• United States
13 Mar 16
I am interested in decluttering and getting rid of excess crap that I don't need or use on a daily basis but paring down that much just isn't for me.
@rina110383 (24495)
13 Mar 16
I'm a minimalist too. RV works for me. In case I'll get married and have kids in the future, I'd prefer a mobile tiny home.
@rina110383 (24495)
13 Mar 16
@NJChicaa Yes, that's the downside of it.
@JudyEv (325816)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Mar 16
It depends on the people always doesn't it? If you both have a lot of interests maybe outside of the RV, perhaps it could work.