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A home for your hobby
With a vast range of developments across Britain, you can now choose a retirement property not just by region, but to suit the type of person you are, writes David Hoppit
The bird loverJoan Doyle, now in her eighties, had rattled around in a 17-room castle in County Kildare since the death of her husband five years ago. She loved the country views and birds, but her daughter Mary grew anxious about her.
“All the family now live in England and we were worried because she was trying to look after the castle and grounds on her own. She remains very active but we all felt that she would be better living closer to her family,” says Mary.
The final straw fell when the pigeons were getting out of hand, and Mrs Doyle had to climb on to the castle roof to get rid of them. A solution was found in the shape of St Paul’s Lodge, at Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex a development by Churchill Retirement Living.
The scheme, within a secure courtyard, has 42 one and two-bedroom flats that cost from £164,950 to £274,950. The homes are near shops and amenities but, more importantly, they are surrounded by beautiful countryside.
Mary says: “Mother has settled in and made lots of friends already. She watches the birds, including the pigeons, but doesn’t have to chase them off her roof now!”
Angling for some peace and quietWhen the idea of Firhall Village in the Scottish Highlands was dangled before an unsuspecting public a few years ago, it provoked some outrage. It required a minimum age of 45 and resident children were banned.
Some commentators thought it unnatural and elitist, but properties there are now selling like hot cakes.
“Children are welcome, just not for more than three weeks at a time,” says a resident. “At the end of the day we don’t have to live with noisy teenagers rushing around on their bikes. We’ve been there and done that.”
Whatever your views, people are increasingly choosing to spend time with like-minded people.
Firhall Village, developed by Caldedonian Retreats – one of the first purpose-built retirement villages – is a mile from the seaside town of Nairn and has country hotel-style communal buildings.
Owners have the right to fish for trout in the River Nairn and many activities such as golf are on offer. It falls into the category of “lifestyle” choice that appeals to some active empty-nesters.
The globetrottersPhilip and Shirley Barlow in their seventies seem to have found their perfect lifestyle – they spend six months at their home in Christchurch, New Zealand, and six months at their English Courtyard apartment at Abbey Mill in Prestbury, Cheshire.
Philip says: “We had a lovely home in a Northamptonshire village, close to our elder daughter, but leaving it for long periods always caused us anxiety. We were not really interested in a retirement property as such, but the security we have here was exactly what we needed.”
Shirley says: “We simply lock up and go, knowing that the managers will keep an eye on things. We don’t give security a second thought.”
New English Courtyard apartments start from about £350,000, with video entryphones and CCTV as standard.
The traditionalistsWhat do you do if you want to live near your home community but there are no retirement developments nearby? For four men in the Cotswolds village of Painswick, the answer was: design your own.
Known locally as G4 (the group of four) they got together 11 years ago: at the time they were not close friends, but all shared a vision of the future.
Over the following years a series of public meetings and strenuous lobbying gradually won the support of the local community and, eventually, the planners.
G4’s Leslie Brotherton, now aged 75, said: “Our vision was for the community to have its own world-class retirement village, with nursing home facilities, built to satisfy a specific local requirement as well as attracting those wishing to retire to the Cotswolds.”
The resulting development by Richmond Villages – Richmond Painswick – is characterful and built in Cotswold stone. The four have moved into the first phase of what are called “independent living” apartments at the development, where prices are between £429,000 and £799,000. Next year a further 32 “serviced suites” costing from £225,000 will be opened; and there will be 24 “close care” bedrooms for residents who need 24-hour care.
A weekly service charge averaging £80 covers everything except council tax and personal expenses, but a range of care packages, costing from £63 to £238 a week are also available. Read part one of retirement options for like-minded people
This article was created: 11 October 2006.
This article was last edited: 21 March 2007.
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