The report, conducted by the National House Building Council (NHBC) Foundation, found that around 1 million older people across the UK would consider moving into some form of retirement housing, but only 128,000 private purpose built retirement properties are currently for sale.
The study, which also had contributions from Renaissance Villages, McCarthy & Stone, Churchill Retirement Living and PegasusLife, showed that nine out of ten older people said they loved their experience of living in their chosen retirement housing.
Amongst those surveyed, 63% cited downsizing and reduction in general home maintenance as the main reason for moving home, with 59% saying they wanted to be in a ‘safe and secure’ environment.
Neil Smith, Group Research & Innovation Manager at NHBC, said: “Our research found there is a high demand for more specialist retirement housing in the UK. Many people are keen to downsize from larger family homes to retirement properties, but there is a shortage of suitable alternatives when most of the current provision is in purpose built apartments. There is no doubt that retirement housing brings huge benefits to society by allowing older people to live independently for longer within a supportive and secure community of like-minded people.”
Since 2008, Blue Cedar Homes, who have offices in Exeter and Bristol, have been building specialist retirement properties across the South West and beyond, offering over 55s the opportunity to enjoy a safe and secure housing, with little to no maintenance. Blue Cedar Homes concentrate on small scale developments of 10 or so detached houses in a landscape garden setting.
Each of their developments is tended to by a locally employed visiting Estate Manager, who takes care of communal areas, private gardens and general maintenance. The new build properties enjoy low running costs and minimal upkeep, thanks to modern high quality fixtures and fittings throughout.
Nick Hole, Managing Director of Blue Cedar Homes, said: “This research has reaffirmed our understanding of what people are looking for when they choose to buy a retirement property. Whilst, like many specialist retirement builders, we choose to build in locations which are naturally desirable to live in, this study confirms that people are looking for much more from a house where they can really enjoy their retirement. It’s the attention to detail within our developments, such as gated entrances, communal landscaped gardens and summerhouses and a visiting Estate Manager which allows our home owners to truly relax in their retirement.”
Blue Cedar Homes currently have homes for sale across Cornwall, Devon, Monmouthshire, Somerset and Oxfordshire, more information can be found here.
Company Information
The Company
Key People
Land and Planning
Blue Cedar Home Ltd is registered in England no. 6444180. Registered office: Eagle House, 1 Babbage Way, Exeter Science Park, Exeter, Devon, EX5 2FN
Warranty
For further peace of mind, all Blue Cedar Homes properties carry a 10 year NHBC 'Buildmark' warranty.