Retirement properties

When I was a bit younger I seriously thought that it would be good to move to a flat when I was older. Now I am that older person and have seen such flats I've changed my mind. There seem to be so many things that are 'not allowed'.
My current house wouldn't be particularly conducive to being elderly but a better planned home would be fine - and I have my eye on one. It's in a mixed street, has a bathroom downstairs as well as upstairs and the stairs would take a stairlift. The garden is reasonable too - larger than a postage stamp but smaller than a park.
I'd just hate to live around people of similar age - a mixture would be just the ticket and 'normal'.

My parents moved into the show flat of a retirement complex when my mother developed dementia. It was more like a semi detached bungalow, and they were allowed to bring their small dog. At the time there was a warden on site, so we felt reassured. But the wardens kept changing, some were better than others, and there would be long gaps between them when the only cover was provided by a call centre 40 miles away. There was a residents' lounge, but no other social facilities, and no trips or anything were organised.

There was a lot of bickering amongst residents, and my father worked himself into quite a state over the management fees, when unreasonable increases were demanded.

The problem came when it was time to sell after he died. It took over two and a half years, and in all that time we had to pay the management fees from his estate. It eventually sold for only two thirds of what he paid for it, don't ever treat these sort of properties as an investment!

Once you have purchased you are trapped - the service charges can and do go up by high % - this happened to my brother he has moved again now.

We downsized from a big house/garden etc, sold up and rented a Housing Association, (Pickering & Ferens) pensioners bungalow, the intention being once we had got the bungalow how we wanted it, to have a bloody good time travelling and spending the money from selling our house, but then unfortunately my Husband died suddenly, best laid plans eh? I must say though that I'm pleased we did it whilst we were physically able to cope with the upheaval, and I cannot fault the Housing Association as garden sorted, repairs sorted, no worries, all for £443 rent per month, I presume if on benefits, the rent would be subsidised, so thoroughly recommend it.

My mum and dad moved into a new sheltered flat in their early 70's the majority of the residents were aged 55 to 75. My dad died within a year and like others we were pleased mum was being kept an eye on and felt safe at night. Over time the age range extended and by the time she died the age range was 55 to 95 this caused a lot of problems, such a vast age range having very different ideas about how everything should be run. The Wardens/Managers came and went some were very good others might as well have not been there, unfortunately one of the second kind was around when mum died. Mum made friends and when she got to the stage she couldn't go out she was still able to talk to people over a cup of tea in the lounge but they mostly discussed their aches and pains which she got fed up with it. It worked but with big ups and downs.

After nine years it was constant funeral teas in the communal lounge
grannytotwins when my aunt died the wake was held in the communal lounge of the retirement complex where she lived - all the old ladies (and they were all ladies) turned up for the 'tea' and apparently they always did this; whether to pay respects or whether it was an 'outing' that made a change from daily life there we don't know.

When I moved to Devon after DH died I was only ??59 & lower limit for Retirement properties is 60 so I didn't view any.

I bought a Park Home (Mobile Home), I pay park fee (equivalent of ground rent) to Park Owner. All Utilities are my responsibility as are repairs. I have a small garden which I have to maintain. We are allowed a metal shed & a small dog or cat. Any "alert system" is also your responsibility.

Residents are from 45 up to 90s, friendly community, we are within easy reach of a post office/general store, bus route & not far from Town, Doctors etc. I made the right decision for me & have no intention of moving again.

I have a house, but am looking for a part share bungalow, I could take some equity out of the house that way. I have my name down on a list. I do not want an apartment as I have a small dog. The HT I have my name down with allow a small dog.

I have looked at a part share with another HT but it was very small and the lay out of the kitchen was really bad. Also the, quite large rear garden, backed onto a house and when I viewed there were 5 footballs in the garden from a house at the side of the property. So I crossed that off my list.

I expect the fees for all this with a management company are quite high cornergran.

I have just read that if you buy these flats you will be expected to pay between 10 - 30% of the sale price to the developer when the property is sold.

This sounds like it might be expensive cornergran.

What a rip off MOnica. Pity older people can't get together to form a cooperative and arrange their own ideal retirement places.

I would think the maintenance charges etc would be quite high cornergran.

I have been, vaguely, looking into retirement flat for me to move into in about 3-4 years time (if I am still alive), after my 80th birthday. I do love my house, but the (small) garden is really too much for me, and the stairs are becoming more of a problem. I used to say, that a gardener and a stair lift will solve those problems.
However, now I am feeling that a smaller place to run, all on a level and the idea of a community lounge down the corridor would suit me.
I am going to take my time and am interested in comments and experiences from all those who have had genuine experience of these flats. I am surprised that several of them have parking on a 'first come, first served basis'. Assuming I still driving my car then, I would really need to be assured of being able to park whenever I arrived home. Also, - taking into account the age group, I am astonished that few, if any, have a special room near the main entrance for us to park and charge mobility scooters. surely they do not want us driving these with dirty wheels through the public halls, etc.
I would really prefer a 2-bedroom place, but will settle for one bedroom provided that is a good size and there is also a good size sitting room.
Also surprised at several I have seen (on line) that have fitted bedroom furniture which only allows for a single bed. Have been by myself for many years, but do like my double bed.

My mum moved into one soon after she became a widow, I think she felt fairly vulnerable in her house particularly as there were several cowboy builder types knocking on doors in her road from time to time. She spent 8 happy years in her retirement flat before she died, she had a pretty good social life not only from activities organised there but also through her church, she always seemed to be doing something, lunches out, trips to Sissinghurst that type of thing The service charge was very steep if I remember rightly, not a problem for her because she had quite a lot of capital from the sale of her previous property. The common parts were very well maintained though, items were replaced frequently and halls and corridors were freshly decorated and there was a resident manager. The managing company took a hefty fee when I sold, I believe some savvy residents in these types of properties took over the management of their blocks thus reducing the fees. Good for them. It took me a while to sell it, maybe a year. Husband and I took to staying down there for a couple of nights at a time, it was in Sussex overlooking the beach so proved to be a nice bolthole for a while.

Terri apart from the hassle after your mum died, I like the sound of that place, where was it? I would love to find somewhere like that near the beach and in Sussex

I'll pm you humptydumpty with details.

Thank you

I expect the fees etc are expensive cornergran

I expect the maintenance charges etc are expensive cornergran

I expect the maintenance charges are expensive cornergran

My late mother in law stayed in a 'sheltered' complex, rented from a housing association. She had a lovely flat with good sized rooms and more storage than I have in my own bungalow! There was a manager who phoned through to them every morning and sorted out any housing problems. She also called relatives if a resident wasn't well. She actually found my late MinL when she had a heart attack, phoned the ambulance and phoned us to inform us what had happened. They had a weekly coffee morning and occasional concerts/parties, but there was no pressure to attend. She loved it and we loved it as we didn't have to worry about her safety. The rent was very high, but she did get financial help with it. I would love to live in one of those flats when I get older.