Finding the Right Retirement Home for You

After years of working hard, it’s only natural that when the time comes to retire, you might want to go somewhere more serene, away from all the hustle and bustle. 

In fact, more than 43% of people aged over 50 in the UK say they plan on moving away after they reach the age of retirement, and most want to get away from big cities like London.

Retirement homes are a popular choice, offering all the amenities you’re used to in the form of a luxury park home. Pair this with a stunning countryside setting and a like-minded community, and it’s easy to see why so many people are desperate to make the move to a retirement home.

There are thousands of retirement homes for sale, and whilst all share the same goal of appealing to pensioners looking to spend their twilight years in peace, not all homes are built equal. Like with moving house, choosing to move into a retirement home is a big decision, and it’s important you make the right choice. Settling for the first home you come across isn’t wise – there’s a lot to consider.

We’ve been in the business of park and retirement homes longer than anyone else in the UK, and we welcome a swathe of new retirees to our retirement homes every year. This means we realise how much goes into such a decision. If you’re thinking of moving to a retirement home, here are some tips on finding the right one for you.

Choosing the Perfect Location 

First and foremost, you need to find the right location. This will be hugely important, especially for those with families who like to come and visit. As mentioned, most people choose to retire in the countryside, but this doesn’t mean you need to go miles out. For example, we have a range of retirement homes in Worcestershire that are immersed in the beauty of the Cotswolds, but are within close proximity to the city of Worcester and countless other towns nearby.

The benefit of retiring somewhere like Worcestershire, or even Warwickshire, is that you get all the benefits and serenity of the countryside, but you also have access to everything you’d ever need from a city - without actually having to live there. 

Ideally, the location you choose to retire in will have good transport connections so that family and friends can come and visit, be close to a town or city so you can access retail and healthcare services, and be in a peaceful countryside setting so you can relax and escape the hustle and bustle.

Budget

Once you’ve found the right location, you need to think about budget. You can’t get a mortgage on a park home which leaves you with three main options for buying:

• Buy it outright
• Get a bank loan
• Part-exchange

Most people sell their brick and mortar homes and use the money from the sale to purchase a park home. It is worth noting that the price of a park home can sometimes rival that of a brick and mortar house, so you must ensure that your existing mortgage is paid in full, or that the value of the home exceeds how much is left to pay off. 

You then need to look into site fees as you will need to pay a monthly fee to the park. This varies from park to park, so make sure you ask how much the fees are, what they include, and gather an estimate for bills. Like houses, the cost of living in a park home can vary from property to property, so getting a rough estimate of what you can expect to pay is ideal to help you budget better.

Park homes can decrease in value rather than increase, so budget will be a huge factor when choosing the right one. 

Onsite Facilities

The next thing you want to consider is the onsite facilities. Here at Allens Caravans, we pride ourselves on our luxury parks and the facilities we offer, but not every park is the same. We offer parks with golf courses, swimming pools, restaurants, lake fishing, and more, meaning you can pick the park that has everything on it you like to spend your time doing.

We also offer soft play areas and playgrounds at some of our parks because we know retirement homes need to cater to the whole family during holidays. Some parks have more facilities than others, so make sure you have a list of things you definitely want onsite as this will help you choose the right retirement home. After all, a retirement home is more than just the property itself – it’s a whole experience.

Our grounds are expertly maintained and manicured to ensure they are safe and accessible to everyone, and we also provide onsite security to keep our communities safe. Make sure you enquire about maintenance and security before deciding on a park.