Retirement villages are becoming an increasingly popular choice for Kiwis, with around 51,000 New Zealanders, equivalent to one in seven people aged 75 or over, living in a village as of 2023. However, the decision to move into a retirement village is significant, with various factors to consider. This article explores four reasons why retirement village life may be right for you and four reasons why it may not, helping you make an informed decision.
We know that retirement villages are extremely popular in New Zealand, with 51,000 Kiwis - equivalent to around one in seven people aged 75 or over - living in a village during 2023.
We also know that, in addition to people already living in a village, many others are actively considering moving in.
The question then becomes: why do some Kiwis move into a village, and others stay living in their own home or move straight to care? And what are some things to consider when deciding whether to make the move into a village?
We’ve prepared this article to support your decision. The article lists four reasons why retirement village life may be right for you, and four reasons why it may not.
Four reasons why retirement living may be right for you
1. Social connections
Many people choose to move into a retirement village because they are keen to live among a like-minded community, where they can develop friendships and social connections.
In a retirement village, you’ll always be guaranteed to be among your age group, and in the hands of a village manager who has your best interests at heart.
This village manager, and his or her staff, will organise activities to help bring residents together, including art and crafts workshops, bar happy hours, movie nights and talks from guest speakers.
These activities and connections can stave off loneliness, which is an issue for at least 10% of all Kiwis aged over 65, and has shown to be as bad for a person’s health as smoking.
Find out more: Twelve health benefits of moving into a retirement village
2. Easier to keep active and stimulated
Many people are also keen to move into a retirement village because, in a village, it is easier for them to remain active and stimulated.
Villages typically provide communal transport, to allow residents to access shopping or entertainment even if they no longer own a car or if the village isn’t located close to regular public transport.
Others provide fitness activities, such as gyms, exercise classes or swimming pools, along with places for other activities such as community gardens, bars, cafes and libraries.
Find out more: Facilities and activities: What to expect from retirement villages
3. Pathway to care
Retirement villages provide ‘independent living’ where residents, just like general community members, can look after themselves and can come and go from their homes as they please.
However, retirement villages also provide an important pathway to ‘dependent’ living, where residents need ongoing care.
In fact, around 65% of villages have an on-site care facility, so residents do not need to move location when they need to go into a care home. This is an important motivation for many incoming residents.
In addition, the fact that one member of a couple can move into care, and the other member can stay living close by to their loved one in an independent dwelling unit in the village, also provides peace-of-mind for many incoming village couples.
Find out more: Transitioning to higher level care: what you need to know
Some villages also offer serviced apartments, where you can continue to look after yourself in your own village home, but receive assistance such as meal preparation, laundry services, house cleaning and basic healthcare.
This is also known as assisted living, and is something of a middle ground between fully independent and dependent living.
Find out more: Assisted living
4. Low-maintenance lifestyle
The ability to enjoy a low-maintenance lifestyle is a major reason why many people find retirement living is right for them.
Research shows that, as people get older, the thought of fetching and paying tradespeople to carry out maintenance jobs, or undertaking these jobs themselves, becomes far more tiresome.
Compared to living in a general community home, the amount of time spent on home maintenance, and tending to gardens and lawns, can be dramatically reduced.
This is because, in a village, most maintenance services are:
- Provided without a resident’s involvement (such as for grounds or common buildings), or
- Less of a requirement because the dwelling was refurbished before the resident moved in; or
- Procured simply by calling the village office to get someone out.
Everything you need to know.
Four reasons why retirement living may not be right for you
1. You don’t have the funds
Moving into a retirement village is, at its essence, a property transaction usually involving the purchase of an occupancy right to a dwelling.
Villages in New Zealand typically don’t offer a rental arrangement. This means that residents need a capital outlay to buy into a village, as distinct from paying a weekly rental amount.
The national median price for a one bedroom retirement village dwelling, listed on Village Guide between February to July 2024, was $515,000. This compares to $800,000 for a two bedroom dwelling and $1.09m for a three bedroom dwelling.
Unfortunately, not everyone has the available funds, including from the sale of the family home, to make the move into a village.
Find out more: Search for retirement village dwellings by price
2. You don’t like communal living
Retirement living is an exercise in communal living, where residents are living alongside others in an established community.
By its nature, communal living also tends to involve a denser housing type - such as villas or apartments - compared to what would be found in many New Zealand suburbs.
The above scenario isn’t necessarily for everyone, including people who would rather stay to themselves in their own home on a larger land block.
3. You need to move straight into care
Retirement village dwellings are not suitable for people who require ongoing care.
This is because, in village dwellings, residents generally need to be able to look after themselves, as they would in their own home.
Some retirement villages offer what’s known as assisted living, where residents receive help with everyday tasks such as cooking and cleaning.
4. You don’t want to move
For some people, the thought of moving house, including shifting furniture and making decisions on a lifetime’s worth of belongings, is reason enough in itself to not move into a retirement village.
Equally so, many people find the downsizing process is a liberating one, by freeing up space through shedding things they no longer need.
In addition, this process will have to happen at some stage in everyone’s lives and is better done by the person who owns the belongings, rather than left to family members, friends or strangers.
Find out more: Ten tips for successful decluttering
Conclusion
Possibly the best way to determine if a retirement village is for you is to attend an open day, to learn more about the village culture and on-site activities. Fortunately, Village Guide lists these days in chronological order.
Another great place to head is Village Guide’s Resource Centre, where you can pick up some great tips about village life.
And finally, if you are searching for a village and have an idea of your potential location, have a look at Village Guide’s comprehensive search engine. This includes being able to search for villages where homes are currently for sale.
Further reading
The costs of living in a retirement village
The pros and cons of retirement villages
Twelve key differences between a retirement village and regular home
