We've (myself and 'her indoors') decided it's time to start looking toward our retirement house - by that I mean our last house away from it all.... The plan is to retire in perhaps 3 years time but, in the mean time, I still have to go to work each day. So the plan is cash some investments in. Buy local, small house with that money and use that as a local base perhaps 4 days a week (works out at 4 months of the year adding up the days). House prices are going bonkers around us at the moment so the hope is the value of the second, smaller, house will perform at least as good as the investments I will have to cash in to purchase it. Once that's done then sell main house and move into smaller house whilst looking for the main retirement house. Purchase main house. Move there and then use the smaller local house as a crash pad for work or when visiting parents etc... One issue I have is how to juggle the stamp duty and tax issues. I suppose I'll have to speak to an 'expert' on that.

Anyway the question is what to do with the £550K from the main house sale whilst looking and purchasing the new primary home? This could be anything from 6 to 18 months but the money needs to be easy to get to with perhaps 1 months notice.

Suggestions please.