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Downsizing is a liberating experience if you want to avoid the stress of running a large, costly property you no longer need
Imagine walking into a bright, fresh, modern apartment with enough space for you to entertain family and friends, and all the facilities you could wish for right on your doorstep — with most of the responsibilities of looking after it removed.
[pullquote1 quotes=”true” align=”left” variation=”purple”]At first the downsizing process felt quite daunting … but we are now so settled, we can’t imagine our lives anywhere else.[/pullquote1]
Of course downsizing can be a daunting prospect and emotional wrench if you are moving from a home you’ve lived in for many years. But nearly everyone who has done it not only wishes they had downsized sooner but report feeling almost light-headed with relief that the burden of managing a big house and garden has been removed.
The residents’ lounge at Audley St Elphin’s Park
That was how Mr and Mrs Lincoln, who moved to Audley St Elphin’s Park retirement village in Derbyshire felt: “Downsizing was our main motivation to move to St Elphin’s Park. We chose a cottage, which gives us the space we need but in a much more manageable way than our previous house. We have no obligations or the worries of maintaining a large family home – that’s very much the beauty of living here.”
Downsizing in later life offers a huge range of benefits to both you and the wider community.
• It frees you from living in large properties that are expensive to maintain and generally poorly designed for later life, and enables more families to move up the housing ladder.
• It releases the equity in your home so you have more money to spend enjoying your retirement.
• It lets you get rid of all your clutter and start afresh in a spacious, new home in a retirement village with stunning gardens and facilities which you don’t have to look after and maintain.
The library at Audley Binswood
The biggest fear some people have about downsizing is thinking that loss of the family home means loss of independence. In fact the opposite is true. A lot of people who move to retirement villages do so precisely because they are looking for greater independence. In fact many feel enslaved by the responsibilities that come with running a big house and can feel consumed with loneliness each time they walk into one of those empty bedrooms.
Downsizing to a two-bedroom apartment in an Audley retirement village lets you live life to the full in spacious style with facilities akin to those in a five-star hotel. There is a community of like-minded people on your doorstep if you want it and space for family to come and stay. But more important; everything is taken care of and you are safe in your own home.
[pullquote1 quotes=”true” align=”left” variation=”purple”]We have no obligations or the worries of maintaining a large family home – that’s very much the beauty of living here[/pullquote1]
Mr and Mrs Warburton
With restaurants, bars and gyms at your fingertips as well as an active social scene, and plenty to do with friends and family when they come to visit, you will feel freer in a retirement village and more independent than you’ve ever felt before. Mr and Mrs Warburton, who have just bought a two-bedroom apartment at Audley Clevedon on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales could barely conceal their joy at making the decision to downsize.
“We’re so delighted we made the decision to move to Audley Clevedon. At first the downsizing process felt quite daunting – we moved from a three-bedroom bungalow so we really had to be ruthless in what we kept. But we are now so settled, we can’t imagine our lives anywhere else.”
Start now by visiting some potential properties, experiencing the atmosphere and lifestyle they offer, and getting a feel for the local area. You never know – you might just fall in love all over again and begin a fantastic new adventure.
As one owner of an apartment at Audley Binswood Hall retirement village declared: “We came to look because I was curious, but there was no way we were going to buy… we reserved an apartment the next day.”
Click here www.audleyretirement.co.uk/downsizing for more downsizing tips and advice.
[colored_box variation=”purple”] To book a private tour at one of Audley’s villages, please call 0800 093 9696 or email info@audleyretirement.co.uk[/colored_box]
