How a retirement community can offer you the lifestyle you're looking for
At Kensington Gardens we firmly believe that retirement really can be the best years of your life. And it doesn’t have to mean selling up and slowing down – unless that’s what you want!
For many people, retirement is the perfect time to take a fresh look at your life, and think about what would really make you happy. After all, you’ve earned it.
You’ve spent 30 to 40 years or more working or perhaps building a business, raising your family, and gaining financial security. Now that your kids have their own families and your work is winding down, it’s time to start thinking about yourself!
For many people, that may take a bit of practice, especially when you’ve focussed your energy on others for most of your life. That’s why retirement village living can provide the perfect ‘next step’ to give you more time and freedom to spend with family and friends, keep working if you want, volunteer in the community, or tick off some holiday destinations.
Here are the 7 ways your life can improve when you take the decision to move into a retirement village.
1) Your physical health can benefit with more time & attention
Living in a retirement village means you’ll have endless options to keep your body moving. Modern retirement villages have beautiful facilities that are more like a resort! It’s common to find a gym, tennis courts, a swimming pool, even croquet.
Many larger retirement communities have beautiful paths for walking or cycling and classes such as yoga, tai chi or stretching. Most villages are situated close to the broader community with easy access to golf, bowls or other recreation and sporting clubs.
2) In retirement you can spend more time on yourself
Just imagine how much more free time you’ll have with no mowing, garden maintenance, pool cleaning or gutter clearing to do! When you live in a retirement village, most maintenance is done for you as part of your management fees.
Some services will be included while others are extra if you want them. You can organise to have meals cooked for you and delivered and your cleaning done. It really can be like living in a resort.
Oh, you’ll also have less risk of injury when you’re no longer climbing a ladder or wielding a whipper snipper!
3) Your mental health can benefit from living in a retirement community
If you’re living on your own, it’s all too easy to simply “hibernate away” and avoid the outside world. Yet that can adversely affect your mental health over time.
In a retirement village you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of fun, stimulating, and interesting activities... with a bunch of people to do them with!
Being involved in a retirement community keeps your mind active and engaged and many residents comment on the sense of comfort and peace of mind that comes with living near people who are at the same stage in life.
4) Living in a retirement village can be easier on your finances
Moving from a large family home (with all its expenses and upkeep) to a smaller home where all the maintenance is done for you can save you thousands each year.
You might have a little less space, but do you really need all those extra rooms that sit empty (or filled with clutter) most of the year? There’s a lot to be said for letting go of the old and moving into a beautiful home that exactly fits your needs, both now and into the future.
When you make the move into a retirement village, the money from the sale of your house can set you up even more comfortably and give you some cash to travel, invest or spend on the family... or yourself! That financial security will also provide a buffer for when unexpected expenses pop up as they often do.
5) Family & friends can be a priority in a retirement village
In today’s busy world it can be difficult to catch up with friends who live further afield or have moved. Yet friendships are so important in retirement, possibly more so than at any other time of your life.
In a retirement community it’s easy to make friendships through shared activities and interests or just by living in close proximity. You don’t need to ‘make an appointment’ or travel very far to see one another.
Friends or family living outside your community will enjoy visiting too as there will be many more fun things to do... especially for the grandkids. As long as you’re supervising, they can enjoy the facilities such as the movie theatre or the pool while the ‘oldies’ crank up the BBQ.
6) You'll never be stuck for something to do!
When you live in a retirement village you’ll never be bored. With yoga on Monday, dancing on Tuesday, a bus trip on Wednesday, painting classes Thursday and golf on Friday, you might find you need the weekend off to recover!
Larger retirement communities may organise a host of activities such as regular group trips to interesting destinations, and welcome ideas from their residents for new activities. It’s good to know you’ll never be bored – and of course it’s up to you to decide how involved you want to be.
7) Retirement village lifes gives you a feeling of security
Living within a retirement community brings a different level of security than being isolated in your own home. You may have great neighbours where you are now, but do they keep an eye on your place around the clock?
Modern retirement villages have high levels of security systems in place to ensure your safety and peace of mind – not only when you’re at home, but when you’re away.
The lock-and-leave retirement lifestyle lets you travel for short or extended periods, knowing your home will be safe and well maintained while you’re gone.
See how Kensington Gardens could be the right move for you
If that’s holding you back is not knowing what retirement community living is really like, why not change that? Come and see Kensington Gardens yourself! You’ll soon discover whether our retirement communities are a good fit for you and the lifestyle you’re looking forward to.
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.
