How to choose where to live in retirement

No matter where you choose to live in retirement, we can guarantee the answer will look different for everyone. With more options than ever before, it’s worth thinking about how you want to shape your next chapter.

To help you make an informed decision, we have outlined a few key factors you may want to consider when choosing the next place you wish to call home.

How to decide where to live after you retire

There are many important considerations when deciding where to live during your retirement years, here are just a few.

Financial

Before you decide exactly where you want to live in retirement, it’s a good idea to take a close look at your finances. A budget can help you identify exactly what funds you have available.

Income – Be sure to include any income from your super or pension and detail all of your living expenses. Putting it all on paper should provide you with a clear picture of the funds you have available and how much you will have leftover to spend on the things you enjoy.

Expenditure – It is also worth considering the cost of living in your desired location. For example:

• If you choose to stay in the family home, have you factored in additional funds for maintenance, repairs, and accessibility modifications?
• If you are considering downsizing to a townhouse or apartment, you’ll need to factor in ongoing body corporate fees.
• And, if you are thinking about moving into a retirement village, you will need to factor into your budget the entry fee and monthly service charges.

At RetireAustralia, we’re transparent about the cost of living in our retirement communities and residents have certainty about your financial future. So from the day you move in, you will know what you will need to pay and the lifestyle, care and support you can expect, making it easier to factor this into your budget. You can take a look here.

Before you make any big decisions about moving, we recommend that you speak to a financial advisor.

Friends and family

When planning where you want to live in retirement, factor in how close you would like to be to your friends and family.

If you already live close by, you may want to continue living locally, making it easier to maintain your existing social connections and spend quality time with the people who matter most to you.

If you no longer live near family and you wish to spend more time with them, now might be the right time to consider moving closer.

Care and support

Whether we like it or not, most of us will require some assistance as we get older, and we know having the right level of care and support is key to maintaining an independent lifestyle and quality of life.  If you are looking to stay in your own home, you may want to explore what medical facilities are available in your local area and how easily you can access them.

If you are looking at living independently in a retirement village, have you thought about what you will do if ever need more support? Can you access in-home care services? Would you have the option to transition into a serviced apartment within the same community?

In RetireAustralia villages, we have a range of care and support options available to help you stay living an independent, active life in your own home – both now and in the years ahead.

Location

When choosing exactly where to live in retirement, the best approach is to decide on a spot that will be the best fit for your lifestyle and the things that mean the most to you. Do you want to live in the city, or would you prefer the county, or maybe even an idyllic bayside setting?

No matter where you choose to live, you’ll also want to consider if the location is:

• close to family and friends
•  near public transport
• close to local amenities like supermarkets, health care facilities, shopping and social hubs
•  in a familiar suburb
• close to your hobbies and interests.

From city to county to coast, RetireAustralia has a diverse range of communities to cater for different needs and preferences. You can view our communities here.

Liveability indicators

When considering where to live in retirement, there are a range of factors that support quality of life and make places more or less liveable. It’s worth working out which ones are important to you and ensuring you have researched these in the location you are considering for your retirement years. These include:

• the weather
• crime rates
• quality hospitals and medical facilities
• good internet connection
• recreational activities
• parks, gardens and green spaces.

Thinking about moving into a retirement village?

Retirement villages are a common and popular retirement living option in Australia. They are especially popular with singles and couples aged over 65 who want more security and support while living independently.

Retirement villages have a range of living and care options suited to different stages of life. Whether that means living independently in a villa, receiving daily support in a serviced apartment, accessing flexible home care services in your home, or recovering from illness, injury, or a hospital stay in respite care.

In a retirement village, you can enjoy the privacy and space of living in your own home without the worry of day-to-day property maintenance or gardening, giving you more time and the freedom to do the things you enjoy.

Another major feature of retirement village living in Australia is the sense of community, with residents creating an informal support network and social groups.

Residents in a retirement village have access to a range of facilities, activities and social events. The amenities in each retirement village vary and can include a library, swimming pool, gym, barbecue area, bar, and a community centre, to name a few. Village amenities can satisfy whatever it is that sparks your interest, and you can participate in as much or as little as you like.

Living in a retirement village can provide you with the added peace of mind that should you ever need extra support, you can access to flexible care and support, helping you stay safely in your community for longer.

Have any questions?

We hope you found this information useful and that you are feeling more confident about making a decision on where to live in retirement.

If you have any questions about retirement village living, please don’t hesitate to give one of the friendly RetireAustralia team a call on 1300 687 738. We would love to hear from you.

Find your nearest community and book a tour today!