Here's how you can make the right decision for your retirement lifestyle
Once you've retired from full-time work and sent the kids safely on their way, you may want to think about downsizing from the family home.
Even though it has been a perfect place to raise a family, in retirement there's a good chance your suburban home is just a little too big to comfortably manage (and you just don't need that much space anyway).So if you're thinking you might like to downsize your home, you may be wondering about the timing. When is exactly the right moment to step out of the family home and into your ideal retirement living?
In this news post we've put together some of what our residents have told us over a cuppa (or beer) about why they knew it was time to move into a retirement village.
1) You'll feel safer living in a retirement village
Did you know that falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among people over the age of 65? In this age group, falls account for 4% of all hospital admissions and are now more prevalent than traffic deaths.
Now before you say, “Falls are for old people,” let’s also consider the risk of heart attack, stroke, and any number of other life-threatening emergencies. In all such cases, isolation can mean the difference between life and death.
That’s why if you’re heading into retirement alone, or with a spouse who works, you want to live in a community that will keep a friendly eye out for you.
You will never feel alone at Kensington Gardens. All our homes are equipped with an emergency phone with 24 hour on-site response provided by the estate manager or the estate caretaker.
2) You'll have better things to do in retirement than look after a large house & garden
We know you’re capable. That’s not in question at all. You’ve been mowing your own lawn, maintaining the garden, and organising your own entertainment for almost your entire life! The question is not whether you can do tasks around the house... it’s whether you want to!
In retirement, you’ve earned the right to spend your time exactly how you wish. You can still fill up your days with as much or as little as you like, but with someone else looking after the ‘chores’ you get to choose what you do with your day.
And at Kensington Gardens you never need to worry about being bored! There are plenty of activities on offer, or you may just want to potter in the garden or get the caravan ready for your next adventure.
3) It's easier to manage the household budget
It could be time to say goodbye to those ever-increasing council rates, spiralling electricity bills, and the high cost of maintaining your larger-than-needed home – and instead have more control over your outgoings.
How would it feel to know what home expenses you’re up for each month? Residents at Kensington Gardens pay a low recurrent monthly charge to the management company to cover general outgoings. Internal maintenance is also included at our Albury estate.
All you need to take care of is your contents insurance, electricity and gas, and phone and internet (and internal maintenance at our Shepparton estate).
With your new smaller property, you should notice a substantial reduction in your living expenses.
4) Your health will benefit from retirement community life
Once you retire, it’s all too easy to slip into a pattern of doing nothing. More than half the Australian population is inactive, which studies show can increase their risk of developing dementia. Research has also found that about 13% of Alzheimer’s disease cases worldwide are attributed to physical inactivity.
At Kensington Gardens you’re more likely to maintain or even regain some of your health and fitness by enjoying regular use of the gym, indoor pool and a wide range of other activities. Take it slow with a morning stroll or pump it up with workouts at the gym. You choose!
5) It's just easier to put yourself first once you've retired
Why retire to a ‘village’ when you can retire to a resort? By far one of the biggest attractions for our residents is our beautiful Country Club. We really have taken on board what appeals most to retirees, and made it all available under the one roof.
There’s a ballroom that plays host to a great array of events, members’ bar, dining room and lounge area – all made for you to relax, make new friends and even invite friends and family. And of course, you don’t have to clean up afterwards!
Our ‘Gold Class’ style cinema is always popular, and our residents also enjoy the full size billiards table, well-stocked library with meeting room, computer room, and arts and craft areas. You might like to catch up with new friends over a coffee or a wine at one of the many indoor/outdoor lounge and BBQ areas.
You can keep fit in the fully equipped gymnasium or do laps all year ‘round at the indoor swimming pool, or just ease on into the king size spa pool. You’ll also find easy access to social and sporting facilities in the nearby community.
Own a caravan or motorhome? Kensington Gardens offers a lockable, purpose-built facility to store and preserve your investment safely undercover. There are even security sensors and back-to-base alarms in place. You’ll have a clean, dry, fully powered place to park (and work on) your van so it’s ready to roll out when you are.
There’s even a residents’ workshop area so you can continue to create, build and tinker without the need for all the extra space at home!
See for yourself the benefits of downsizing your home in retirement
Moving into retirement living isn’t about losing anything. It’s about gaining everything – freedom, security, luxury, friends, fitness, community connection and a better, richer more enjoyable life than you could ever imagine.
What’s more, it’s about choice. From choosing your home, to choosing your lifestyle, the activities you want to participate in (or not) and choosing the new friends you enjoy spending time with.
Just don’t leave it too late, or like many of our residents, you’ll also be saying “We should have done this years ago!”
To find out more, call our friendly Kensington Gardens team or get in touch online today.
