The changing face of retirement housing
A recent report on retirement housing has revealed that the country’s ever-growing population of retirees are demanding a different kind of property for their retirement years as they live a more active life for longer*.
Social networks for the young and old alike are now often spread around the country, with friends and family living greater distances from each other meaning that having space to accommodate guests is often essential well into old age. Also, many more people are continuing to work past the age of 60 and there is consequently increasing demand for homes that provide space for a home office or study as well as being suitable for retirement living.
Jackie Eltis, General Manager at Denham Garden Village comments: “With an ageing population staying active for longer, it is increasingly important that retirement housing is designed to suit the changing needs of more socially and physically able retirees. It is also vital that this housing can be adapted as the owner’s needs change in the future. At Denham Garden Village all our homes have been designed with exactly this in mind.
“Testament to these changing demands is the fact that one of our most popular property types is the Hartsbourne. These cleverly designed properties have been created to meet the needs of different buyers by giving residents two completely different living options. For the more active, the property can be used as a typical two storey home, with a family bathroom and two double bedrooms on the first floor and plenty of space for a family dining room, hobby room or study alongside the kitchen, living/ dining room and bathroom on the ground floor.
Jackie continues: “For less mobile residents, the property can be used as a bungalow, with the ground floor functioning as a standalone living space including a spacious kitchen, a living / dining room and a large bedroom with full en-suite level access facilities, leaving the two rooms and bathroom on the first floor to be used as spacious guest accommodation or for a live-in carer.”
Denham Garden Village, a 327 home development for the over 55’s, has set a new benchmark for retirement villages in the UK. As well as a variety of stylish new homes including a number of two bedroom bungalows and three bedroom two storey dormer bungalows, Denham Garden Village boasts a wide range of community and recreational facilities.
Residents at the development can enjoy the onsite café bar, village hall and health and fitness suite and also take advantage of the doctor’s surgery. A care and support team is on hand 24-hours-a-day to enable people to continue to live independently in their own homes, a key ethos of the development.
All properties have been designed to meet the Government’s Lifetime Homes Standard, which ensures flexible living accommodation so that properties can be easily adapted to meet the changing needs of homeowners, such as reduced mobility.
The development is now complete. Prices of homes in phase three start from £370,000. For further information, visit: denhamgardenvillage.co.uk
* Knight Frank, 2010 Retirement Housing Report
