Why retirees are always ready to close the door and head off on holidays!
The lock and leave retirement lifestyle means having the freedom to not worry about your home at all while you’re away on holidays.
It’s all about having a home for your retirement that allows you to happily turn the key in your front door and head off on your next adventure – wherever and whenever you please!
There’s so much comfort in knowing that while you’re off having the time of your life, your home is surrounded by a caring community. Here's how.
You can see why the lock and leave lifestyle has gained so much popularity with retirees over the last couple of few years. With more people living longer, being more active, and having the funds to head off travelling regularly, it can be the perfect way to live in retirement.
It’s true though that being able to safely and easily “lock and leave” your home is usually more achievable when you live in a secure and supportive retirement community. So is it worth the move?
Here are five reasons why you might find the lock and leave lifestyle ideal for your retirement.
1) It's a great way to look after your home
If you’re only going away for a short time, you could of course just leave your pet (if you have one) in good hands and trust that everything else will be fine.
The only problem with this line of thinking is... what if everything is not fine? What if the inevitable unkempt lawn and garden, and bulging letterbox send a clear signal to burglars that no one’s home?
What if bad weather hits and your home is damaged? What if uninvited visitors (two, four, six or even eight legged varieties) decide to have some fun while you’re not there, and leave a big mess behind?
That’s not the type of “lock-and-leave solution” we’re talking about at all!
2) House-sitters aren't always reliable
Instead of locking up your home while you’re away, you could always try booking in a house-sitter, or finding a reliable friend or family member who is happy to take on the job.
Of course, while on the one hand it’s good to have someone in your home while you’re away, on the other.... there’s someone in your home while you’re away! You’re putting your complete trust in that person and relying on them to completely care for just about everything you own.
And if your house sitter changes their mind at the last minute, if they get sick, or for any reason they’re not able housesit as they promised, you then have big problems to sort out – when all you want to do is enjoy your holiday.
The perfect house-sitter? That’s someone who’ll look after everything for you, not bother you with questions while you’re away, and leave your home sparkling clean for when you return – oh, and naturally they’ll do all this for free. Good luck finding that magical person!
You’re far more likely to experience a horror story of arriving back from holidays to find a neglected home and garden, pining pets, the evidence of parties, and even damaged or stolen items. That’s a sure way to spoil your holiday.
3) Splitting the job doesn't really work
If you don’t like the idea of someone having the run of your home the whole time you’re away, you could instead try to enlist the support of your friends, neighbours and family.
Surely it’s simple enough! Just write up a detailed roster for who’s doing what, and when; then make sure everyone exchanges phone numbers; check in with them occasionally to make sure everyone’s doing what they promised; and away you go!
If you’d still like to roll the dice, you might find that this solution works for you. But it’s more likely that you’ll find things don’t go quite according to plan – and your property (and relationships) are damaged. Not the greeting you were hoping for when you arrived home from vacation.
4) You won't feel like you need a holiday to recover from your holiday!
If you decide to try locking and leaving your standard suburban detached home, the process is much more involved than it is in a retirement community.
There’s the pet sitter to organise, so that your furry friend isn’t left alone. Then you’ll have to arrange for someone to mow the lawn and maintain your garden – oh and take care of the pool if you have one.
You’ll also have to arrange for your mail to be redirected, or else to ask a friend to collect it every day for you to avoid advertising your absence. Then you have to pause your other regular deliveries, such as newspapers or groceries.
That’s a lot to take care of – and you haven’t even backed out of the driveway yet!
5) Living in a retirement village means true peace-of-mind
In a lock-and-leave retirement community, not only is your home safe while you’re away, the whole community is protected whether you’re there or not. Duty staff, security cameras, and well-meaning neighbours are all there to help keep your living environment safe.
The community’s gardens and lawns will always be kept maintained to a high standard, and common areas well looked-after. The pool will be a beautiful blue all year round – never brown with neglect!
A well-run retirement community team are a great support – not just while you’re away but every day. You can head off knowing your home will be secure as you enjoy a well-deserved worry-free holiday every time.
See the lock-and-leave lifestyle at Kensington Gardens for yourself
Kensington Gardens Albury and Shepparton were created to allow you to “lock and leave” your home and head off on holidays worry-free!
You’re welcome to come and visit us to tour our facilities, see our architect-designed homes, and get a feel for our lock and leave retirement community.
If you’d like to see Kensington Gardens for yourself, arrange your personal tour by calling us today or get in touch online to book a time to come in and visit us.
