Would you downsize to a retirement village ?

Oh no its bad enough at golf with everyone discussing their ailments all the time.

I looked at blue cedar homes on my moving journey. Normal homes with potential for downstairs living and with gardens. Communal outside space and management fees. They were expensive then and would be whopping prices now. Over 55s I think

I am not one for living in an old people ghetto, I like a mixed quiet community, which I have and I own my property, have a garden and garage, beholden to no-one and have no management fees. No from me

Horses for courses if you have to you would and hopefully make the best of it. You can't make decisions when you are relatively fit and healthy who knows what is around the corner for any of us? My mind is open to where I might have to move to. Though if I am left on my own I will not be staying in this lovely village where I live with no facilities whatsoever.

That is why I moved Yammy, from a lovely very friendly village. 3 buses a day, only going a few miles either direction. No shops or any other facility apart from a village hall. I have all the facilities now, it was a good move 3 1/2 years ago and I can still hear cows

Not if it’s anything like the retirement village I know of. It gives me the willies to go there. There are one, two and three bed bungalows and flats. The gardens are communal so no one has to take on responsibility for that. There are different levels of support available if one becomes infirm and then if you can’t manage at home, there’s the ‘Big Hoose’ care home you can move into.

All this comes at a price, of course. The village is a couple of miles outside town so you still need transport to go anywhere or to shop. There is a mini-bus but it’s not that frequent. There are no pavements in the complex, so if you walk locally you have walk in the road or on the grass, which I find weird. It’s surrounded by woodland and my kids joke that there’s a crematorium at the far end for when you reach the end of the conveyor belt care system. ?

Having said which, it’s been a godsend to two couples I know who have health issues, to be somewhere they know they can easily access support, so it’s horses for courses, really.

There’s a new development near me. My DD has viewed it on behalf of someone in her DHs family. It consists of flats with balconies or patios, communal gardens and cafe. Some activities and trips are organised. There’s also a care home which can send carers to the flats if required or accommodate those who can no longer manage in the flats. I could see myself living there if I was on my own. I imagine it’s extremely expensive.

No. My preference is to stay here, pay for whatever services and help we may need, enjoy our home and gardens.

I live in a retirement flat. There is help if I need it, otherwise I am left in peace alone.. I don’t mix with the other residents, because like others I would find it depressing. I see my old friends and family. It’s fine.

I had a large old house with a large garden. I had to pay and supervise cleaners, gardener, handymen etc. The house needed constant attention and repairs. I found it stressful, so I am much happier here - though I do miss my garden.

At the moment I’d say a very definite no thanks.
But in say 10 years, when I’ll be coming up to 84 (assuming I’m still here!) - who knows? - it might be a different matter.
The house is not too big for us, and the garden is small and manageable.

One thing that really puts me off retirement flats is that they can be notoriously difficult to sell. Even if someone has died or moved to a care home, very hefty service charges still have to be paid until the place is sold.
I’d always want my own outside space, too, so at least a reasonable sized balcony, which many of them don’t seem to have.

I think you’re right Witzend about the resales. The retirement village I know of has had a tsunami of properties going on the market since Covid hit. At one time they were like gold dust to buy but now there’s an abundance and prices are well below what they used to be.

They are very difficult to sell atm but that partly depends on who's running them. McCarthy and Stone are notorious for the level of control they have over flat sales etc. My friend who lives in one says it can be grim as in everyone waiting to drop or go to care homes

BUT only since she has been unable to get out and about on her own from it, before it was fine for her, just a really nice flat as a base to go and do stuff.

I have to pay a gardener and cleaner atm for my little 2 up 2 down house, its a big garden. I don't mind that so much, BUT

1. its maintenance of an old house things constantly being needed to be done

2. Its not near shops or nice cafes or good bus stops, its suburbia and you need a car.

So current thoughts are to try and look at flats preferably over 55 but NOT the full on McCarthy and Stone type, in a lively area where I can just pop round to shops and GP and a few people I know already: its a multi cultural area and more to my taste of life-style. I have lived in flat before and thin walls et al so this time being very very cautious.

(and aware may need to get on list)

Another reason for staying put is that we have fantastic public transport here, and everything more or less on the doorstep. Any ideas of retiring to the country vanished after several visits to friends in rural N Devon. They needed the car for everything - at least a 10 minute drive for emergency milk or loo roll.
Lovely for a short visit, but long term, no way, thank you.

MerylStreep

I’d go nuts being surrounded by old people ?

How old are you? Is your opinion based on how people feel about being around you?

Not a retirement village but an elderly aunt went to live in a local authority "sheltered" flat with a warden who came around every day to see that all the residents were alive and well.

My aunt was, like me, a deeply private person and found this intrusive. She had a confrontation with the warden who insisted it was "her job" and my aunt saying it was a breach of her privacy. She did not keep regular hours and did not want some nosy parker knocking on my door at a set time getting her up if she felt like a sleep in. In the end they reached a compromise whereby my aunt buzzed her (warden) on the intercom once a day to let her know she was all right. The arrangement was that the warden was only to call if she had not heard by xx time.

Also my aunt did say she found some of the other residents nosy but they eventually got the message that she was not a "joiner inner".

Never, no cats - no go.

My late Ma (who died in her own bed at home) said that IF she had to move away from where she'd been for 50 years she'd love to live in a flat overlooking or beside a primary school or nursery so she could hear and see kids bombing around.

Re. vast gardens - came across one bright spark who had 'leased' her garden to a couple who couldn't get an allotment. They got growing space and a shed and the use of her gardening equipment she got veg & some company.

Never. No bingo or bowls thank you, and no grumpy old men and gossiping women. Just a snapshot of where my aunt went to live. She moved out pretty sharpish.

Vitagenonna our local chapel (when I was a child) organised a similar set up matching gardens that required support with families able and willing to cultivate. We had an 'allotment' in part of an elderly widow's garden in return for keeping the rest flowering and tidy and a supply of veg and fruit. We ( the children) also collected her shopping and had cups of tea with her (we cooked the cakes at home)whilst my father did the heavier gardening on Sunday afternoons. I still remember Mrs T with fondness - less so the gardening!

MerylStreep

I’d go nuts being surrounded by old people ?

But are they 'old' these days? You'd be surrounded by people around your own age, I'd assume, so do you consider yourself to be old, too?
Anyway, you can still lock your doors to keep them out, or go off on your tod to do whatever you want, can't you? I mean, we're talking retirement villages not prison, aren't we? ??

Yep.
Needs must, I think.

Sooner that than being a nuisance to friends, neighbours, or family.

There is no obligation to join in with anything at all, so once you're indoors it's no different to anywhere else.

Upmarket retirement village near us Benningfield Gardens.
Band B - £7,099 per year (plus £200 per annum for joint occupancy).

Ground rent:- £250 per annum.

GASP!

I've a couple of friends in flats in retirement complexes, one has bought and the other rents. The rental is a bit dowdy with no outside space apart from a communal garden; the buyer has a very lovely flat with patio but they both have in common a real lack of space and very little parking as the builders were expecting people to be more willing to give up their cars.

Also, they have a rota for doing their laundry as this is shared too - and woe betide anyone who tries to slip in early. For me it would be a last resort as I like my little garden, and the feeling of independence.

I went to visit someone in a council run complex, and it is absolutely beautiful.

Lots of land around it, a computer room, games room, palm trees around the various lobby areas.
£2 a week to wash and dry laundry, and heating in with the cost of rent.

I would move in a flash, if I could.

Not for me either. I used to visit two different retirement villages when I was working and neither encouraged random visits by family - more so, visitors were to 'be restricted to the allocated times so as to not interrupt the communal activities schedule'! Imagine that, not being able to have the AC. or GC dropping in on speck or even at a time to suit you and them.

Institutional abuse, or sailing close to the boundaries of it, at least.