How Retirement Villages Offer a Solution to the Downsizing Rightsizing Dilemma

Over the last few years, the media landscape has been abuzz with a generational blame game for various societal issues. Older generations are portrayed as undeserving beneficiaries of bygone economic growth, and younger generations are portrayed as financially irresponsible and entitled.

A focal point of this ongoing debate revolves around the housing market where older homeowners are often chastised for choosing not to downsize to free up space for younger, growing families. 

Many of these stories lack nuance or depth exploring the economic conditions that have created these tensions and are often the result of the press playing their usual tactics to sensationalise and exaggerate. 

But beyond the headlines, a compelling story is quietly unfolding within the housing market. The 2021 census round that 84% of households where somebody aged 65+ was the main resident were under-occupied*. And there are now 9.8 million households across England with at least two spare bedrooms, a number that has risen by 1.7 million in the last 10 years*.

The stats are stacked against the 65+ but the solution, however, is not to lay the blame at their feet. Long-term homeowners have deep emotional attachments to their homes, which may have been the culmination of a lifetime of hard work and investment. It is therefore understandable why the thought of moving out gives some people a bit of a headache. 

Retirement villages, however, represent a promising solution to the challenge of downsizing without compromising on quality of life. We at Inspired Villages, offer a unique approach to retirement with our focus on health, wellbeing, and community. We know that downsizing to a retirement village is not for everyone, but for some it can make a meaningful difference. Ann’s situation, for example, is all too common: her husband died and the house she called home suddenly felt too big for just her. And with no family nearby, it felt even bigger and impossible to maintain alone.  
 

“I liked having my own house and garden, then I realised everything was getting too much for me.”

She is now living closer to her family in a much more manageable 2-bedroom apartment at Ledian Gardens in Kent. 

Similarly, Jan was living in a 4-bedroom detached house with a large garden. With Jan’s responsibilities for her mother’s care changing, she began to reflect on how much time and energy she was spending looking after the house when her priority was her family. 
 

“I decided I needed to downsize. Now I have a 2-bedroom apartment with 2 bathrooms; it has everything I need.”

Jan and her mother now share a spacious home at Elderswell in Bedforshire where they both enjoy their independence. 

Amidst the complexity of the housing crisis, every positive action counts. We aim to build 34 villages to house over 8,000 people. Which could free up 5000+ properties on the UK housing market. 

It’s a win win situation, as we look towards the future. Retirement villages have the potential to enact significant change that benefits everyone by promoting healthy aging and building stronger, more resilient communities for people of all ages. 

Find out more about how we can support your downsizing journey. 

*Where baby boomers are refusing to downsize – fuelling the housing crisis (telegraph.co.uk)