Have you ever looked around your home, at all the things you’ve accumulated over decades, and wondered what it would feel like to simply… let it all go? To trade the mortgage payments, the maintenance headaches, and the endless stuff for a life of adventure and discovery?
If you’re over 50 and dreaming of a nomadic lifestyle, you’re certainly not alone. More people in our age group than ever before are seriously considering selling everything and traveling as their next chapter. But here’s the thing that keeps most of us awake at night: can we actually afford it?
I’ve spent considerable time researching this topic, speaking with people who’ve made this leap, and crunching the numbers. What I’ve discovered might surprise you. For many of us, selling everything and traveling isn’t just a pipe dream – it can be genuinely more affordable than staying put.
Why This Lifestyle Appeals to Over 50s
There’s something uniquely liberating about reaching this stage of life and realising you have choices. Perhaps the children have flown the nest, retirement is on the horizon (or already here), and you’re asking yourself what you really want from your remaining decades.
The idea of selling everything and traveling offers something powerful: freedom from the endless cycle of maintaining a home, paying bills for space you don’t fully use, and being tied to one location. It’s about trading possessions for experiences, and for many of us, that swap feels increasingly appealing.
But romance aside, let’s get practical. Because dreams need budgets.
The Starting Point: What Could You Actually Sell?
Before we talk about travel costs, let’s consider what you might be working with. The average UK homeowner over 50 has significant equity in their property. Even a modest three-bedroom house could release £200,000-£400,000 depending on location.
Then there’s everything inside: furniture, appliances, vehicles, collections, tools, and all those things gathering dust in the loft. A serious declutter and sale could add another £5,000-£20,000 to your travel fund. I’ve heard of people who were genuinely shocked by how much their accumulated possessions were worth.
The key is being realistic and methodical. Car boot sales, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and specialist auction houses all have their place. Some items hold sentimental value but no real monetary worth, while others might surprise you.
Breaking Down the Real Costs of Full-Time Travel
Here’s where we get into the numbers that actually matter. The cost of selling everything and traveling varies enormously depending on your style, destinations, and pace. Let me break down three realistic scenarios.
Budget-Conscious Travel: £1,200-£1,800 per month
This approach focuses on slow travel through affordable destinations. Think Southeast Asia, parts of Eastern Europe, Mexico, Portugal, or Spain. You’d be staying in modest Airbnbs or long-term rentals, cooking most meals at home, and using local transport.
Monthly breakdown:
- Accommodation: £500-£800 (long-term rental discounts are significant)
- Food: £300-£400 (cooking at home with occasional meals out)
- Transport: £100-£200 (local buses, trains, occasional flights)
- Health insurance: £150-£250 (comprehensive travel insurance is non-negotiable)
- Miscellaneous: £150-£250 (phone, entertainment, activities)
Mid-Range Comfort: £2,000-£3,000 per month
This gives you more flexibility and comfort. You might mix affordable destinations with occasional splurges in pricier locations. Better accommodation, more meals out, and more activities.
Monthly breakdown:
- Accommodation: £900-£1,400
- Food: £400-£600
- Transport: £200-£400
- Health insurance: £200-£300
- Miscellaneous: £300-£400
Comfortable Travel: £3,500-£5,000+ per month
This is for those who want quality accommodation, don’t want to budget constantly, and prefer destinations like Western Europe, North America, or Australia. You’d stay in good hotels or high-end Airbnbs and eat out regularly.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions
When people talk about selling everything and traveling, they often forget several important expenses that can catch you off guard.
Healthcare is the big one. Standard travel insurance has limits and exclusions. If you have pre-existing conditions, premiums increase significantly. Some people opt for international health insurance policies designed for long-term travellers, which can cost £2,000-£5,000 annually depending on age and coverage.
Visa costs add up. Many countries limit tourist stays to 90 days, and some require paid visas. If you’re constantly moving to maintain legal status, those visa fees and border-run transport costs accumulate.
Maintaining ties back home costs money too. You might want to keep a UK bank account, maintain some form of UK address (family member or mail forwarding service), and possibly keep paying into National Insurance to protect your State Pension.
Storage for what you can’t let go of. Even minimalists often keep some items – important documents, family photos, treasured heirlooms. Small storage units cost £50-£100 monthly.
Making the Numbers Work: A Realistic Example
Let me paint a picture of how this could work in practice.
Imagine you sell your home for £280,000 (after any remaining mortgage is cleared). You add £10,000 from selling possessions and your car. You now have £290,000.
If you travel on a mid-range budget of £2,500 per month (£30,000 per year), that fund would last nearly 10 years even without any investment growth or additional income.
But here’s where it gets interesting. Many over-50s travellers don’t simply spend down their savings. They generate income through remote work, rental income from a downsized property they kept, pension payments, or part-time online work. Even earning £500-£1,000 monthly extends your runway dramatically.
Protecting Yourself: The Practical Considerations
Taking this leap requires careful planning, and I’d encourage anyone seriously considering it to work through these points.
First, understand your pension situation. When can you access private pensions? What’s your State Pension forecast? This affects how much capital you need to bridge the gap.
Second, consider your health honestly. Travel insurance becomes more expensive and more restrictive as we age. Some policies won’t cover you past 70 or 75. Know what you’re buying.
Third, have an exit strategy. What happens if you need to return to the UK? Having enough funds to re-establish yourself, or maintaining a property, gives you security.
Fourth, test the lifestyle before committing fully. Take an extended trip of two to three months before selling everything. Some people discover they miss home comforts more than expected.
Is Selling Everything and Traveling Right for You?
This lifestyle isn’t for everyone, and that’s perfectly fine. Some people thrive with a home base and find deep satisfaction in their community and routines. Others feel constrained and crave novelty and adventure.
The questions worth asking yourself: What do you actually want from your next chapter? What would you miss most about your current life? What excites you about the alternative?
If you’ve read this far with growing excitement rather than growing anxiety, that tells you something. And if the numbers work – which for many of us, they genuinely can – then perhaps this dream is more realistic than you’d imagined.
The over-50s community is rewriting the rules about what this life stage looks like. We’re not settling into armchairs; we’re buying backpacks. We’re not watching travel documentaries; we’re starring in our own adventures.
Whatever you decide, the very act of seriously considering your options is a form of freedom. You’re not stuck. You have choices. And sometimes, the choice to stay put is just as valid as the choice to go – but only when it’s truly a choice, made with full knowledge of what’s possible.
Here’s to your next adventure, wherever it takes you.