The Ideal Lifestyle?

[Chris W]

I have been pondering this question for some time and keep changing my mind. In the past I have received some really great advice from forum members so if you have any comments I would love to hear them.
What are your thoughts on the ideal lifestyle?

[sparkysdad]

My ideal "lifestyle" would be to buy to buy little Cumbrae (a smallish island of the scottish coast between Arran and the mainland) to have enough money left over after forking out the £2.5m asking price to build a small community of timber lodges around one of the lochs, and develop a small marina, restore the main house as a B&B and the remaining cottages and lighthouse as holiday lets, and invite the nicer kind of paying guests to come and stay and enjoy our little island paradise..

As the island has no mains electric or gas, I would want to use the latest green technologies for power and light and waste disposal, and give over a suitable plot for some organic gardening, and another for raising some livestock... reducing the need to transport supplies wherever possible..

Sadly it wasn't me that won the Euromillions, but on the positive side, nobody has bought the island yet...

http://www.humberts-leisure.com/uplo...le_Cumbrae.pdf

Failing that, I would like to have a house big enough to run as a B&B, with meals by arrangement.. it would just need to bring in enough for running the house, and covering our modest desires - a holiday now and then, and some spre cash for the odd luxury here and there..

[Moonbeam Angel]

I think the self-sufficient lifestyle of living on an island with animals and veggies and nice people coming to stay sounds just what I would like! Perhaps the visitors could all be crafts people who could add to the island by leaving an item they have made!

On a more realistic level, I'd love to own the bungalow I live in! The thought of having to move when the children are grown and I can no longer afford the rent, really depresses me!

[greannancrafts]

Having lived on a Scottish Island for 10 years, I can say it was great - until the storms come - no boats to the mainland for 6 days once - no food sent over, no mail, but the pros far outweighed the cons.

Be careful what you wish for - it might just come true!

Or, as one of my friends say " I wish I was doing now, what I was doing then, when I wanted to be doing what I am doing now"

Jane

[sparkysdad]

I think the self-sufficient lifestyle of living on an island with animals and veggies and nice people coming to stay sounds just what I would like! Perhaps the visitors could all be crafts people who could add to the island by leaving an item they have made!

On a more realistic level, I'd love to own the bungalow I live in! The thought of having to move when the children are grown and I can no longer afford the rent, really depresses me!

Actually, although the island is 450acres, it is only a mile long, so after a "day" you have exhausted the immediate sightseeing opportunity so our (me and the o/h) initial preference would be to have themes running - skills workshops for example - maybe crafts one week, yoga breaks, art courses and so on.. And if we really had the money.. the "exclusive" (as in a journey to get to!) spa...

So we need needlecraft folk to personalise the linens, candle folk aplenty.. (solar lighting not brilliant at night eh!).. soaps lotions and potions folks for the toiletries.. and the spa goodies too.. and thats just for starters..

Now where are the wine makers and distillers for the booze?? he heheheh

[greannancrafts]

I'll make the soap, as the island is in the Gulf Stream, I maybe able to grow my own olives for oil?

We could grow vines and press our own grapes!

Sounds idyllic

Jane

[Chris W]

One of my ideal lifestyles I ponder about would be a pretty gift shop that myself and partner lived above. It would be on the coast in a smallish tourist trap either in Devon or Cornwall and we would live off the income made from selling things we had handmade. During the winter we would take a break in a sunny part of the world. Does anyone on the forum live like this and are there any downsides?

[sparkysdad]

One of my ideal lifestyles I ponder about would be a pretty gift shop that myself and partner lived above. It would be on the coast in a smallish tourist trap either in Devon or Cornwall and we would live off the income made from selling things we had handmade. During the winter we would take a break in a sunny part of the world. Does anyone on the forum live like this and are there any downsides?

in a similar vein, my friends went in to business in a small devon seaside town, and lived "above the business".. I spent a summer with them working.

While it was not too bad early in the season - still opportunities to pop out and do things when you wanted or needed, as the season progressed it became hell on earth. relentless work, not a moments peace, and of course everywhere full of tourists!!

Theirs was a cafe/B&B so of course it might be less stressful working slightly shorter hours.. and of course the town you pick decides the type of customers you get.. One sunday I had a table of 8 for lunch - 5 adults 3 kids.. they had our 3 course Sunday dinner (all home made/home cooked).. the bill came to £28.80... they were rude throughout, complained it was "expensive".. and handed over £30.. as they left, the lady put the 20p of change down on the table.. so I reminded her she had forgotten it, and she had the bare faced cheek to tell me it was a tip!! I gave it back and suggested she needed it far more than me..

I have to say she was typical of the general standard, though we did get nice ones too!

[indri]

I suppose my ideal lifestyle would be to not have any money worries - I'd love to give up the day job, don't know what I'd do instead, but I'd need something to occupy my brain.

What I would like is to have my friends a lot nearer and see them more frequently. I'm quite happy with many aspects of my life otherwise.

[Fluffy Squirrel]

Brilliant post... it really got hubby and I thinking (and talking!)

If money were no object, I would love to be able to buy a large property, perhaps a barn conversion or something similar… somewhere with a acres of land, perhaps like this:



In an ideal world, our property would be located on the Isle of Arran as not only is there some beautiful scenery surrounding the island but I also have a lot of family history there, and I would love to go back to the place my Grandparents, their family and my parents spent so much time growing up.
Within our property we would have all the usual kitchen, diningroom, livingroom, bathroom, shower room, my office/craft room, hubby’s candle workshop as well as a nice hot tub in a conservatory to relax by candle light in the evenings. We would have a ‘relaxation’ room filled with soft lighting, soft music and a huge tropical fish tank. We’d look into solar power and wind turbines, etc too

Outdoors within our land I’d like to grow our own vegetables, perhaps have some livestock and a section as a nature reserve to encourage the local wildlife. We’d have an automotive workshop for hubby’s car and motorbike projects too. I’d also make sure to have a secure outdoor enclosure for our dogs and would no doubt have more than our current two dogs!! We would also like to look into either a B&B within our property or self contained holiday cottages depending on the demand and available land, etc.

We could run craft classes from our workshops… cardmaking, candle making, etc and pehaps open a small shop selling our handmade wares. Of course we would make sure we had plenty of space for when we hear the pitter patter of tiny feet (hopefully one day) and for all those visitors that we’d no doubt have!!

Our days would be spent tending to our veggies, livestock, pets, home and garden in between carrying on our crafting and if we were lucky enough, hosting some lovely guests to our accomodation and shop.

Looking around the Isle of Arran and the possibilities that are there for what we’d like to do one day, it definitely makes me stop and think “this is the life”… perhaps when we win the lottery but until then we’ll have to keep dreaming and perhaps one day our dreams will come true.

[greannancrafts]

Hey Fluffy Squirrel

Which side of Arran were your relations?
It really is a beautiful island.

The local saying is that Arran is a big mental hospital, as most of the inhabitants are, "unique" -and that the visitors were outpatients.
Probably why we fitted in so well

Jane

[greannancrafts]

Having lived on a Scottish Island for 10 years, I can say it was great - until the storms come - no boats to the mainland for 6 days once - no food sent over, no mail, but the pros far outweighed the cons.

Be careful what you wish for - it might just come true!

Or, as one of my friends say " I wish I was doing now, what I was doing then, when I wanted to be doing what I am doing now"

Jane

It may sound great, until you need to get your 10 week old baby to a hospital, no boats, too stormy for helicopters and no runway for planes to land. Things we take for granted on the mainland.

Jane

[Selina]

Sounds like we all want similar things!! A B&B in Looe in Cornwall for me please or a small caravan and camping park. Maybe somewhere to sell my jewellery and even though we have a tiny garden I love to grow my own veggies. Not a pair of hairdressing scissors or clippers in sight would be even nicer!! Selina

[removed10]

ideal

I'll come run the goat dairy for everyone, and make chevre and other cheeses for us...and - oh, but it's mostly really cold on a Scottish Island...drat.

And I could have taught everyone about the spirituality of BBQ...

Anyone related to any Biggers, Biggars, Bighes, McLeans, or Wallaces?

There is some ancestor of mine on a wall in some ancient church in Scotland - well, his family plaque, not him - Hugh de Bighe...

I love highland cattle, men in kilts (brrr), trad music, but I guess gardening would be limited there...we would have to have a giant greenhuse tp keep me happy.

One of my all time fave movies...no, two - Local Hero and The Secret of Roan Inish...and I do love Hamish MacBeth!! I had to watch Wee Jock's Lament several times before I fully understood everything they said...cried my heart out every time....

Okay, so what does wanting to live on an island say about crafters??

[Hagar]

I think to some I may have a pretty idyllic life already!
I live in a pretty detached house overlooking Bath with a large garden. We keep chickens and grown our own fruit & veg. Could even have our own water supply if we sorted it out. We both work from home, hubby from a log cabin in the garden, me from my workshop in the (warmer) house. Our daughter goes to the local school which i can see from our front window. Our neighbours are the loveliest people you could ever meet.
I am at heart a townie though and am so glad I can nip into the city centre when ever I chose for a bit of culture (read 'shopping')!
I used to want to own a B&B but am actually very happy what i am doing now. You could throw in a bit more £ and a swimmimng pool though!