Empty nesting? Retiring? OR Young and Adventurous? People of all ages are discovering the advantages and opportunities provided by living the RV lifestyle. Let’s take a look at why and perhaps you’ll decide this is great “Home Life” for you as well!

• The cost can vary dramatically depending on size and upgrades, similar to living in a traditional home. In fact, some RVs can rival traditional homes with regard to amenities and upgrades. The cost can often reflect the same outlay as buying a home in a neighborhood on a lot all your own. BUT with no landscaping, HOAs, real estate taxes, and the maintenance involved in home ownership, your cost over time can be dramatically lower.
• You’ll also save money on travel and vacations. No more having to save up for a year to do that special trip. RVs are so common now combined with the internet, finding RV parks where you’re heading is pretty easy. You’ll save on hotels, eating at restaurants, air/auto/train/bus tickets and you can leave at your whim or stay an extra few days or weeks without having to pay any fees to change tickets.
• If you have a business or job where you can work online, you can work while viewing the glory of the mountains one day and hearing the lap of the ocean the next.
• When you live in an RV, you are more likely to live a healthier, outdoor lifestyle vs sitting on the couch at the end of your work day watching tv (though you can do that too once in a while in your RV). People tend to live healthier lifestyles in an RV.
• If you’re an avid road tripper, you and your kids have your own bathroom, kitchen, play and sleeping areas which allows you to travel longer distances without constantly having to make pit stops along the way.
• If you sold your home to buy your RV, you can “own” your home with no additional costs. Even if you pay off your mortgage on a traditional home, you still have all the traditional home costs (maintenance ie: roofs, a/c, windows, blah blah blah). Your RV of course requires upkeep and maintenance but your biggest expense will be gas and as you travel you can use the internet to find the best places to fuel up. I
• You’ll learn to live a simpler, less cluttered lifestyle due to space restrictions. But most people you talk to who are enjoying their new freer life, say that they’re happier because in losing their stuff, they gained closer relationships and respect for nature.

The RV lifestyle is not for everyone, but if you choose to switch to this form of home ownership, you may find that your life has more adventure, freedom and a sense of family.

It’s great to set up your home’s areas with dynamic focal points but there are definite ways to do it right and for sure how to do it wrong and lose the value of what you’re trying to do. Here are a few tips on using your eyes as your gauge for

It’s great to set up your home’s areas with dynamic focal points but there are definite ways to do it right and absolutely ways to do it wrong thus losing the value of what you’re trying to do. Here are a few tips on using your eyes as your gauge for creating impressive spaces.

1  Hang Artwork at Eye Level

If your ceiling is high, you might be tempted to hang paintings high up. Art galleries hang their artwork at eye level, and that’s what you should do, too.  The average human eye level is about 57 inches. So your paintings should be 57-60 inches above the floor.  If you are hanging multiple pieces, keep the center of the arrangement at eye level. If you are hanging the artwork above a piece of furniture, leave 5-9 inches between the artwork and furniture.

2  Hang  Mirrors

Many people underestimate the value of mirrors. Mirrors reflect light and make the room brighter. Some designers recommend hanging at least one mirror in each room. When you hang your mirrors, think of what they’ll reflect. You want it to reflect a great scene. That could be a chandelier or your room’s focal point.  Hang the mirrors on walls perpendicular to the windows and not across them. You don’t want to reflect the light back outside.

3  Follow The Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is a familiar concept in photography. When grouping showpieces, antiques, candles, or other objects, create harmony by arranging them in odd numbers. Objects that are arranged in odd numbers are more memorable and appealing. For an even better look, group objects that have different heights or shapes yet still have a similar property.

4  Find The Room’s Focal Point

The focal point is where everyone’s eyes fall as soon as they walk into the room. Some focal points are built-in, like a fireplace or a large window. If a room doesn’t have one, you can create your own.  You can get a large piece of furniture and make that your focal point. Or you could paint one wall a different color and decorate it with artwork and shelves.  Everything else in the room should complement the focal point and be secondary to it. Having too many attention-grabbing items in the room can create unwanted visual noise.

So you want to move BUT you just can’t make up your mind where to go. Let’s review some factors you might use as gauges when considering what could be a major life move.

• What environment causes you to feel the least stressed and most joyful? That might sound overly philosophical but it is possibly the most important factor to consider. If you love being out in the country and the sounds of traffic stress you out, then even if you took the best paying job in the city, you might not excel at it due to your increased stress level.  If you can’t stand being in the quiet amidst critters and birds and a two hour drive to any kind of good entertainment,  then a condo downtown may be your best choice. Again, your job choice may limit your options but take this point seriously when deciding where to go. You may end up being there a lot longer than you plan.
• Planning to rent…buy? Honestly explore your budget before jumping in with both feet. If you start your new life overextended and working just to pay bills, eventually you will hate wherever you are because you might be living but you won’t have lifestyle.
• Jobs? There are so many online options to search for jobs and even at home opportunities, that this is no longer necessarily the first factor to consider. Remember, your job is to provide for you/your family. If you hate your job, it’s hard to be happy. Good quote: “If you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Money is not the end all.
• Social Activities? When choosing where you buy or rent, consider what you like to do after work hours. ie: sports, concerts, theater, movies, community events, family activities, etc.  Your life reaches beyond your job. Keep that in mind when choosing where you live.

There are a lot more factors you can think about…do you need public transportation…are you close to retirement….are you retired and need easy access to medical care….are you single but planning to be married and raise a family….etc.  Simply said, think about more than your  job and paycheck when considering making a move so you can live in the song, “Don’t Worry. Be Happy!”

Do you find yourself questioning your own thought process as you move into empty nesting? Now that the kids are gone and you are “free”, you may decide to build a new and maybe even bigger home than you currently have. The “experts” say this is the time to downsize. Your family and friends think they’re being helpful by looking at you like you’re nuts for wanting to upsize or go through the process of building. Of course, they all say, now is the time to get that condo on the water, or downsize to a townhome or move into an Active Adult Community. And after you hear that enough, you may start to question your own decision making and planning. DON’T! This is time for you to do what you want to do and live how you want to live. If that means building a home with a huge Great Room and plenty of beds and baths so you can always have enough space for your existing or future grandkids to visit or to entertain like you’ve always wanted to or maybe you just want to have your own spaces plus great combined living areas, then DO IT!

Unless you’re in a job that requires you to retire at a specific age, if you decide you want to work into your 80s because you love what you do, then DO IT! If you’ve worked your entire life and saved to live the retirement of YOUR dreams then, DO IT!  Don’t let anyone (including your children) make you feel guilty for not saving to give your kids a bigger inheritance or to save every penny “just in case” something happens. Of course, be responsible but you can choose to be carefree too! You’ve earned it. You raised your children. You’ve helped them move into their next life step. Empty nesting means you are free to move into the life journey that you may have been wanting, planning for and hoping to enjoy as you step into this new phase of your life. Be brave. Be strong. Be your own decision maker. And then, whatever you decide, DO IT!