Not a problem in asking....I'm not shy about such things.
We are to some degree house poor ( paid off and worth about $800k) and the income from the remaining super ( $200k) does not cover our monthly outlay tho it is reasonably close. We draw down $800 a month ( mandated by super rules ) and we can just stay even if we are very careful - round figures gives us about $3500 a month to live on.
The real is issue is inflation and trying to budget for longer term ....both our parents made it to 95 - that's 17 years out.
It's the larger hits that forces drawdown of the super that hurts and this house has high upkeep cost as it is an old low Queenslander and the tropics are brutal on wooden structures....cost a couple thousand to repair a wall eaten by termites and eradicate them. New hot water system, $4k, rates go up, insurance goes up every year, food costs go up, tree service goes up...everything climbs tho big panels and battery will save us money over a decade....but it cost $14k even with the very substantial rebates.
We had a plan which saw us sell the house and build a granny flat underneath in laws place but that's indefinite now.
Easy to maintain, pool outside the patio door very good for my physical health and they are all big solar and battery. Positive tax implications for in laws too.
Space is accurate and using our existing furniture to scale.
That would have seen us with an additional $200k in the superfund plus way lower maintenance and property costs.
Still might come about - just not counting on it.
This would be below an existing house on a grade and the engineer approved it.
Partner won't move to an apartment and villas that used to be cheap an plentiful even 5 years ago ( 3 BR for $330 go for $500k....not worth it.
Current house we love as is pretty much entirely open air, rain forest in the back yard, gated paved... compound in the front for car and motorcycle...right now my view is pretty much 180 degrees from where I am sitting to the trees.
No furnace, a/c only as needed in the bedrooms....even my large bathroom is mostly open air....gets chilly in the rare single digit days....glad we got the hot water system changed from the solar.
I'm sitting on the couch and screen half wall to my left no shown is entirely open to the air. 60% of the house is.
It's bigger than we need but at this point unless it goes for a million there is nothing reasonable to downsize to.
