If you’re retired, or almost retired and weighing up your options around what your next move might be, there are many benefits to taking a serious look at retirement villages.
Today, many villages are more like resorts, offering a life of freedom, fun and friendships. If you’re active, healthy, and comfortable enough financially to move into a retirement village, why would you want to wait?
Here are five main reasons given by retirees for choosing to move from the family home into a retirement community.
Modern retirement villages are designed as a community within the community. A place where much is on offer within, while the larger community is close by to meet the rest of your needs.
Homes within a retirement community are usually built with privacy in mind. Your home should be your haven, a place where you can enjoy peace and quiet without having to worry about a nosey (or noisy!) neighbour over the back fence.
External noise levels which are impossible to control in a typical suburban street, are kept low in a retirement village due to residents adhering to the village rules. Many newer villages offer homes built with insulation and double glazing to further keep out any noise.
A great retirement village should allow you privacy at home, balanced with the opportunity to socialise in a variety of ways when you want to.
Retirement villages should provide you with a safe, secure environment – 24 hours a day, every day. You want to feel comfortable walking your dog, visiting your neighbours or returning home from a night out. You also want to know that when you leave for a day or go on holidays for longer, your home is looked after.
Houses in retirement villages may feature sensor lights at the entrance, security screens throughout, and deadlocks on doors. Once inside, they should be designed for ease of access and mobility with support features able to be added later if required.
Modern villages have strict security measures in place such as on-site managers, security cameras and security staff. You also have the benefit of living in a community of well-meaning neighbours who keep an eye out for each other.
One of the main attractions of retirement villages is the low-maintenance lifestyle. In resort style villages, you can take advantage of the beautiful, landscaped gardens, swimming pools, BBQ areas, walking paths and other community areas without ever having to think about maintenance. All the demanding work is completed by on-site staff or on-call professionals. That leaves you more time to relax or have fun!
It's much the same with your home, because a lot of the repairs and maintenance can all be organised for you by the village management team. You get a job done well by trusted tradespeople without all the hassle.
How much time would you save by not having to do it yourself, or having to organise quotes, wait around for tradies to show (or not) and hoping the job is done right?
By far, one of the greatest benefits to retirement village living is being in a community with people of the same age and stage of life. Friendships develop and grow over a game of bowls, a shopping trip, or a drink at the bar. Most villages have special interest clubs, organised outings or even short holidays on offer.
You may be happy with just a close friend or two, or perhaps you prefer to build a large friendship circle. In retirement villages, the choice is yours, as you’re bound to find like-minded people to enjoy activities with. Even if you’re not very social at all, there is comfort in knowing there are people close by should you ever want to reach out.
Along with residents, there will be staff on site to ensure your safety, wellbeing, and comfort, so you can just relax and enjoy a happy, hassle-free retirement.
Peace-of-mind is difficult to measure, yet easy to feel when it’s there. In a retirement village, it boils down to living in a safe, secure environment while being close to people you like and trust.
Village rules are also in place to help give you peace-of-mind. The rules should have the best interests of everyone in the community in mind. They should provide reassurance without being too unreasonable.
If you’d like to learn more about retirement village life, we invite you to come and see for yourself why people choose Renaissance Retirement Living at Victoria Point. Our community is designed so active retirees can live full, fun, and friend-filled life in a beautiful resort-style environment.
Please join us for an information session over lunch. Bring your family, meet some residents, ask questions, and have a tour of our stunning village.
Call today on (07) 3820 7700 or contact us to book a spot at our next information session and morning tea. We would love to meet you!