By Jack Wilcox
HAVE you ever wondered what life is like in a retirement village? I guess it depends on how old you are. To most people, it is the walled structure, not too far out of town, with restricted entry to everyone except the residents. Something like a reverse jail where the outsiders can’t get in and the insiders can get out. To the average outsider, the village has all the hallmarks of a cloistered religious order. Unlike a prison, each cell (house) has the same relationship with its neighbours as the homes in the outside suburbs.
The significant difference from the outside world is that the land is owned by an outside body. The houses are called villas and to underline this difference from a typical outside suburb, the villas are classified as manufactured houses, on land for which a significant rent is paid. What is the attraction?
Retirement villages are usually located close to common user facilities. My own village is located close to the main shopping centre, medical facilities and a hospital – all services important to an ageing population. To give you a by and large comparison, I live in a villa in a home that would cost about $600,000 and pay an annual rental close to $12,000 in an area where a home and land would be close to $1,000,000.
So importantly, you weigh up how much you can afford, the convenience of the location and how long you expect to be able to drive. Another feature is whether or not you have a partner. In my village there is a preponderance of single women who live on average, five years longer than men according to the Commonwealth Statistician. All these things are to be considered, because the decision you make may well account for the rest of your life.
Then comes the hard part, selecting a village. Rule one is ignore the advice of friends who have never been in a village. A dear friend of mine was dead set against the one I have now lived in for over ten years. ‘The houses are too close together. You will have no privacy’ he said.
It is one of the quietest and most private places I could have ever imagined. The neighbours are elderly. They go out by car several times a week. We only meet if on occasion we put out the garbage at the same time. You socialise with selected neighbours by choice. A sad but true event was a neighbour who died. Her absence was only noticed several days later.
A retirement village is a unique institution. It is the only place I know which is totally occupied by mature people from all over the world with a fascinating range of skills and stories.
Of course, you are subject to the rules and regulations of any rented location. Due diligence should pertain to what you can establish about the landowners and the residents, but despite the occasional altercation between other residents, my experience has been most enjoyable.
