I told Brett the other day that after seven months in our apartment it still feels like we’re living in an Airbnb. I like our furniture, the personal accessories and art we kept and display in the apartment from our time in Japan and our travels, and yet it really doesn’t feel like “ours.” It feels temporary.
And to that we both said, “Good!” Temporary is where we want to be right now.
We will most likely be spending three years in Tennessee versus the original two we signed up for. Our daughter-in-law’s position is initially for two years, but most consuls stay for three, and she doesn’t feel she can accomplish what she wants in just two years. Also, they would like our grandson to finish middle school here. We’ve said we would stay for an additional year, but that’s all.
Our daughter-in-law and we have discussed moving after our leases expire this summer, either to a new apartment complex, or to bigger apartments within the complex here. Nissan has a big presence here, and there are apartments near their headquarters that she has seen and likes. There are more Japanese people living there as well, which would be more pleasant for her. But neither of us wants to pay the fees or the costs of moving our stuff to a new apartment complex. A move to a bigger apartment here would be much easier, but again there would be costs. Every time we talk about it we both seem to get to a point where we remind ourselves that where we live now is temporary; it’s not forever and maybe it would be best if we stay where we are until it’s time to go. We have six months until our leases are up for renewal, so we have time to think about it some more and decide. I would love a bigger space than what we have now, but have also come to appreciate the big positive of living in this smaller space – there’s absolutely no room to add or accumulate anything above what we currently have. M would like a bigger space now that our grandson is here, but both she and I dread the prospect of moving or doing paperwork again.
Brett and I are going to keep most of our things when we leave Tennessee. A few pieces of furniture will go to YaYu (coffee table, dining table, chairs, and side table), but for the most part we are keeping everything else and will put it into storage here. We are done with selling everything and then having to start over again somewhere else if we end up doing that in the future.
So temporary it will be for a while longer in our “Airbnb home.” Our goal for the remainder of our time in Tennessee is to be comfortable but unattached, and what we have now fits the bill perfectly. No matter how long we stayed in an Airbnb when we traveled, we eventually moved on, and it will be the same here.
The Occasional Nomads 
I think living in AirBnBs for four months allowed me to move into my apartment with ease. It’s more spacious than anywhere I stayed, including a condo in Tucson, but still small compared to how most people live. I love it! Yes, sometimes I want to go shopping and “buy things”. But I also appreciate saving money, and buying experiences.
LikeLike
I think the greatest thing I learned from living in Airbnbs for so long was that Brett and I could survive in a smaller space and with less items that we had imagined we could. We figured out how to carve out our own spaces, even in less than 300 square feet, which was our big worry. We’d prefer a bit more room than that for the long haul, but the whole small space experience was very enlightening.
LikeLike
I guess I can understand why your daughter-in-law would want to live in the Nissan area. Is that close enough to where you live now that she could move there and you could stay where you are and watch the grandkids without too much trouble? As far as moving to a larger apartment in your current complex, would a larger apartment be a lot more rent? If it’s not much more then maybe it would be worth it, especially if you think your daughters will be visiting or if the grandkids stay overnight on a regular basis and you need more space. This experience is temporary so maybe it doesn’t matter much and the hassle of packing everything again and finding someone to move your furniture, even if it’s in the same complex, will still be a pain, so you have to weigh the pros and cons.
LikeLike
I think the near-Nissan apartments are newer and a tiny bit nicer than where we currently live. However, they are also more expensive – the same square footage for us would be nearly $200 more per month. We can get a larger apartment here for the same or less than we’re paying now – we’re in an “upgraded” apartment on the ground floor, which cost more. We might even be able to get two bedrooms for the same price as now, but on an upper floor, which is fine with us as we actually are very tired of living under someone (are current neighbors are quite noisy).
Of we could arrange things to have a week in between moving into the new apartment and moving out of our current one, we could easily do it ourselves other than hiring someone to move a few heavy pieces (the sofas, bed, and credenza).
LikeLike
My weekend/retirement home is 720 sq ft but it has a large basement and a large backyard. My “work” during the week house is 912 sq ft and only has a couple of pieces of furniture worth keeping when I finally retire. So, I don’t have a big space for my four kids and their families, but there are two hotels ( one is a Holiday Inn Express ) within walking distance of retirement house, that I could rent for a week much cheaper than getting a bigger house. Plus, one family could stay with me since living room couch is a sleeper sofa and I have two bedrooms so I have an extra bedroom also. So that is my plan. I don’t blame you for thinking about staying put, I hate to move, especially if it is for less than a couple of more years. Plus, I would really hate to spend the extra money on bigger mortgage/ or more rent. I just loathe moving…. and flying…. Lolz
LikeLike
The cost of a move to a slightly bigger place is the big sticking point. Our DIL really needs a three-bedroom apartment though, and we’d prefer to live closer to her if she makes the move. Plus, we want to move to an apartment on the top floor so we no longer have noisy neighbors above us (again)! That has gotten old real fast. We can get a larger apartment on an upper floor for the same or less than we’re paying now, and I have no problems climbing stairs.
LikeLike
There is something freeing about a smaller space, but I can see why you might want something a bit bigger. But the idea of moving would stop me cold with your timeframe. (I love your decor. As I’ve said before, we could definitely shop together. 😊)
LikeLike
Just a little more room would be wonderful – we fit here, but it’s very tight. An upper floor apartment would allow us to open windows and not have everyone looking in as they walk by, and if we’re lucky we could also have a wood-burning fireplace, which both of us would love.
If we only had one more year to go, we’d stay put. But with two more years now on the table, if the price and location are right, a move makes more sense. (And I could very happy live with your decor and shop with you as well!)
LikeLike
Ah. Hadn’t considered that you have people walking above you. That alone would make me want to move, too.
LikeLike
We don’t hear the upstairs neighbors walking around (clomping) like we did in Hawaii, but they drop things all. the. time. Heavy things too. Sometimes it sounds like they’ve dropped a refrigerator or something equally as heavy! The other issue with having a ground floor apartment is that anyone and everyone who walks by looks in, so our privacy is diminished, and we also can’t leave windows open for a breeze like we could if we were on a higher floor. There are pros and cons and after seven months the cons are starting to pull ahead somewhat, so if the stars align we’re pretty sure we’ll move to a larger place on an upper floor this summer when our lease expires.
LikeLike
Our house is perfectly fine right now. It has very little storage but we make it work. We’ve talked about moving but we currently have a great interest rate and, honestly, couldn’t afford to move ‘up’ to a bigger house without sacrificing our lifestyle. We’ve talked about tackling some big renovations like updating the bathroom and reconfiguring the kitchen but we don’t want to put too much work in and not get our money back if/when we sell. Plus I really don’t want to live through a reno! So instead we’ve just continued without any changes. It’s such a tough decision!
LikeLike
That’s sort of how we feel right now, that the apartment is fine . . . for now. For long term, no. But, if there is a larger apartment available this summer, and it’s the same as what we’re paying for our current apartment, then Brett and I think we will move. But, anything that costs more, no! The move wouldn’t be worth it and will stay where we are. But, we really would like more space.
LikeLike
You wrote about putting some things in storage in TN when you leave there. I have experience with that. I have moved many times, sometimes on the corporate dime and sometimes on my own. I learned the hard way that using a full service moving company is worth the money for a long distance move. On my last move here to Atlanta (~ 1,200 miles) I had a year of temporary housing and travel before settling in here. I put my belongings into storage in the old location for that year. When the time came to move in to my place here, I was dreading having to go back there for the loading and checkout at the storage place. I contacted the two national movers with offices in the location about moving. One of the agents said that he could handle the whole thing and there was no need for me to return there! I kept in close touch with him and it worked out very well. I was thrilled with the service!
Since you are such a pro planner and saver, my advice would be to start saving for a full service mover for leaving TN and shop around for one that will make your big move so much easier.
LikeLike
This is good advice, and a good, responsible mover is a thing of beauty. However, since we don’t plan to take much of stuff with us when we leave Tennessee, we’re going to rent a storage unit for what we’re keeping. Otherwise things will go to our daughter. But, we are using a professional moving service to pack us and move everything into the storage space (which will be temperature controlled).
LikeLike