Your children used to entertain the house; now they have moved out to start life on their own. You have retired from the job that once kept you busy. What now as retirement looms?
Retirement does not mean your good times have ended. You still need to be around people, enjoying life and not worrying about what bills need to be paid or when your next social event might be.
Moving into a lifestyle village is always an attractive option for those in their senior years. This is because with lifestyle homes come various benefits.
Here are some of these benefits:
1. Financial advantages
Flats and apartments are not ideal for your retirement. At this stage of life, you do not need to be worrying about mortgage repayments or rental strains. Owning a house will give you peace of mind.
Buying a house in a lifestyle village is very affordable as you do not have to buy the land. So selling your existing house will give you the capital you need to purchase your lifestyle home.
Another financial advantage is that you will not pay taxes or council rates for a house bought in a lifestyle village. Did I just hear you cheering?
2. Guaranteed security
In your senior years, you do not want to be worrying about intruders entering your property and you having to fend them off. It is so sad of late to hear of this happening. Lifestyle villages are safe and secure within gated facilities.
The residents keep a careful watch on their community. Any strangers entering the village are soon spotted and the authorities duly alerted if any suspicious behaviour takes place. Security is tight. The worry over your security can be lifted as you are in safe hands.
3. Entertainment
You still want to remain fun and energetic even after your retirement. Lifestyle resorts have a lot of fun activities to keep the you busy and entertained. There are plenty of facilities and amenities available. Swimming pools are a common feature as are barbeque areas for little get-togethers with the neighbours.
There are often group sessions of yoga or line dancing. You can challenge your mate to a game of chess while others tend to the communal veggie patch. So much to do with your time. What will you do first?
4. Less maintenance
As you get older, you want to work less and rest more. You no longer have the energy to garden or take care of your lawn. Lifestyle resort homes charge a low living maintenance fee. This allows the management to employee people to take charge of any maintenance that may be needed around the village. This also includes care of the facilities within the common areas.
5. A community feeling
It is always nice to be around like-minded people in the same stage in life as you. A lifestyle village creates a community of people with whom you can share this next chapter of life.
There will always be people to socialise and have fun with.
On many days throughout the week, there are groups sessions that you can be a part of. You will remain an active person due to the various activities and events that residents can participate in.
6. Great care
Seniors need medical and nursing care now and then. Lifestyle resorts have these facilities within the community. Seniors living within them enjoy this benefit since there are no transport costs involved with nursing care. It is easy to access medical and nursing care in case of an emergency.
In some villages, they have their own doctors surgery. This enhances the community feel as there is a deeper level of relationship between the doctor and their patients.
7. Rental assistance
Renting bills can be a burden to seniors if there is no source of regular income. Seniors living in lifestyle villages can apply for rental assistance. The Australian government helps eligible members in these communities to pay a certain percentage of their rental bills.
Image Pixabay License CCO
Clare Louise 
Raymond Bilger