How To Choose a Retirement Village

As we get older, we find ourselves facing a whole new array of changes in our life. When we are in our fifties, we may begin thinking less about work and our career and more about how we want to truly enjoy the time we have. The years of accumulating material possessions, once an important pursuit, seem to matter less when we start thinking about quality of life instead. As we enter our 50s or approach retirement, it’s the perfect moment to spend time thinking about how we would like to re-imagine and recreate our life.

Your 50s are a great time for people to start doing their research on the best options available for living and enjoying their upcoming years. Retirement villages are a popular option well worth considering. They offer many benefits, including access to upscale amenities and community living. If you are thinking of moving to a retirement village, it’s helpful to walk through what to look for in a retirement village. You’ll want to know what factors are most important, and how closely the features of these communities map to your ideal life in the future.

Carefully Assess Your Evolving Personal Needs and Preferences

When we are retired, we get to decide what we will do each day and how we want to structure our lives. Our life is full of possibilities, and perhaps for the first time, we have the power to create exactly what we want to do and who we want to be. During times of immense change like these, it’s important to invest time into understanding exactly what your goals are for the coming years.

Once you have your goals established, you will also want to take a careful look at what you will need from a retirement village and community. As an active individual in good health, independent living would be the way to go. If you or your spouse have health challenges, you might want a community that offers supported living options. Balancing your current situation with what the future may bring is critical if you are looking to make the best long-term retirement village choice.

Location of the Retirement Village

If you have family in the area or a social network that you love, you may want to look for a retirement village in your current area. When you choose a village near your existing community, you’ll be in familiar surroundings and can easily get together with family or friends whenever you want.

The freedom of retirement, for some, may also herald a time of fulfilling some of your life’s dreams. In this case, you might choose to find a retirement community that is in a coastal location, or a beautiful and picturesque rural area that you love.

Accessibility and Nearby Attractions

When you are enjoying retirement, you will find that you have lots of time on your hands. It’s a great time to pick up hobbies, and to take the time for your favourite pastimes, like golfing or walking on the beach. Ideally, the retirement village you choose will have much of what you really love nearby.

Accessibility is another key consideration. You will want to look for close proximity to hospitals or medical facilities, shopping and public transportation. You’ll want to assess how accessible the wider community is on foot or by public transport.

Amenities and Facilities

When you are touring potential retirement villages, you will find that they may offer very different facilities and amenities. You will want to find a village that meets your lifestyle preferences. Typically, you may find gardens, fitness centres and pools on the property.

Also check their schedule of activities, which may include hobby groups, and exercise or workout classes. You can also look at their social calendar, and see if the offerings within the community appeal to you. When you visit the village, try to drop by and observe some of the group activities. When you do that, you’ll get a good sense of the quality of their offerings and the vibe of the community.

Culture and Community Atmosphere

Your long-term happiness as a resident of a retirement village will be directly affected by the social environment where you live. During your visit, taking the time to talk with some of the current residents can yield key insights as to whether it’s a good match for you.

You will discover that each village has its own very unique feeling and vibe. The feeling of the retirement village can be influenced by the setting, demographics and the availability and types of activities. The management style and professionalism of the staff will also contribute to how a prospective village feels. For long-term happiness, it’s important to choose a village that is aligned with your own personal values and brings you a sense of comfort and belonging.

Feeling of Security

As we get older, it’s really important that we feel safe and have peace of mind where we live and spend our time. When you are making visits to and evaluating retirement living options, you will want to ask about security features found in the village or community and on the property. You can see if they have emergency call services in the homes or apartments, secure community access and trained staff onsite.

Ideally, you’ll want to find a close-knit community where all of your neighbours look out for one another. As a retiree, you may also travel more so you’ll want to make sure that others in the community could keep an eye on your place and do things like picking up your mail.

Financial Aspects

If you want to make the right choice when it comes to a retirement village, it’s essential to understand their financial model. Many retirement villages operate under financial models that include upfront entry contributions, ongoing maintenance fees, and exit fees. You will want to develop a thorough understanding of all of these fees before making a final choice.

The initial and recurring fees, along with the ongoing costs associated with living in the village need to factor into your decision. Before committing and signing a contract, you’ll want to do an analysis of your own finances and balance the retirement village costs against your personal financial situation.

Contracts and Legal Aspects

Contracts for a retirement village can be extremely complex and will vary across different communities. It’s vital to review the agreements carefully, and it’s worth consulting a solicitor experienced in retirement village contracts.

As a potential resident, you’ll also want to determine if the retirement village is offering leasehold, freehold or license agreements. It’s wise to pay attention to the refund policies, maintenance responsibilities and all fees. In addition to having a lawyer review the fine print, you may also want to have the contracts reviewed by your financial advisor.

Reputation and Accreditation

Before you visit a retirement village, you should take the time to do detailed research into the village or community. Looking at online reviews will give you a good feel for the place you plan on visiting, and will also give you ideas of questions that you want to ask.

Pay particular attention to how current residents feel about where they are living, and their comments about the responsiveness of management. You can also find out if the village is accredited by an industry association, such as the Australian Retirement Village Association (ARVA).

As you approach your 50s and begin to consider retirement, you’ll want to begin looking at your living options for the coming years. Retirement villages offer residents a vibrant community, social activities, and living choices ranging from independent to supported living.

To see how exciting the future can be, make an appointment today to visit a retirement village in your area, or in your preferred retirement destination.

Communities that tick all the boxes

Lifestyle Communities is an excellent choice for those seeking an ideal independent living option that ticks all the boxes. With locations spread across beautiful and convenient areas of Victoria, each community is designed to offer everything you need for a vibrant and enjoyable retirement.

Every Lifestyle Community is equipped with exceptional amenities tailored to suit a variety of preferences. Whether you enjoy staying active at the gym, relaxing in the pool, gardening, or connecting with others through social activities and hobby groups, there’s something for everyone.