Retirement is a significant chapter in your life that brings new opportunities for relaxation, enjoyment, and vibrant community living – especially for those looking to experience the benefits of living in a retirement village.
With eight retirement villages in popular suburbs across Perth and regional Western Australia, we’ve designed our retirement villages for retirees who want to love where they live. Strategically placed and offering a range of lifestyle benefits, you can choose from homes within large estates with extensive amenities through to smaller, more boutique-style villages.
But with so much choice available, how do you choose the best retirement village? In this article, we explore some of the main considerations to ensure you can surround yourself with what makes you happy in an enjoyable, safe and supportive retirement village that’s perfect for you.
Retirement village vs aged care living
When comparing retirement villages, one of the first questions that often arises is, what’s the difference between retirement villages and aged care living?
The main difference comes down to independence – something we all want later in life.
A retirement village focuses on socialising, safety, and convenience and is only available for people who are fully capable of living independently.
Aged care facilities are completely separate from retirement living, as they support elderly people with high care needs. They are designed for people who can’t live independently and often require 24-hour care.
Read our article for more information on the difference between retirement villages and aged care living.
Location, Location, Location
Do you love the salt, sand and sunshine of beachside living? Maybe you prefer a life of fresh air and greenery in the Perth hills? Location plays a big part in choosing a retirement village where you’ll love living.
At St Ives, our retirement villages are strategically located all over the Perth metro and regional areas, so you’ll never be short of choice. We offer five metropolitan locations, plus two stunning regional retirement villages for retirees wanting that perfect lifestyle in a rural setting, away from the rush of the city.
Each location has unique charms and advantages, so choosing one that aligns with your desired lifestyle and offers the convenience you’re looking for when accessing nearby services and amenities is crucial.
Your ideal retirement lifestyle
Delivering a lifestyle that offers security, convenience, and community, it’s easy to see why retirement villages have become such a popular choice for retirees.
But each retirement village will offer a slightly different lifestyle, so it’s important to know what you want in a lifestyle when making your decision.
Whether you’re looking for a retirement unit, apartment, villa or house, St Ives has a style of home to suit you. If you want a vibrant social life, choose from homes within large estates with extensive amenities, or go for a smaller, more boutique-style village if you’re craving peace, quiet and relaxation. You can always organise a private tour of one of our villages to experience the lifestyle first-hand.
If you want to know more about the many lifestyle benefits of living in a retirement village, read our article.
Finding YOUR community
When it comes to choosing your retirement village, community is key. Like choosing any neighbourhood to live in, the community you’ll be joining will play a big part in your decision. The truth is, every village community is different, and that’s the beauty of it, but it’s also essential to explore and get a sense of the community vibe before making your choice.
Most places will let you join a few events to see whether you fit in – we recommend heading to a happy hour get-together to catch a glimpse of what it’s like! Chatting with other residents is the best way to see if it’s a place you would enjoy living.
Make sure it meets your requirements
To make sure there are no unexpected curveballs once you’ve moved in, it’s crucial to check some of the requirements of your chosen retirement village.
Some of the key requirements you should consider include:
- Pets
- Parking
- Visitors
- Home Decorating
Usually, all this information will be on a standard fact sheet you can request from the village. The key is to find one that suits what you want.
Surround yourself with what makes you happy
Do you need a bit of help choosing the perfect retirement village for you?
Why not organise a private tour of your local village? Or join one of our regular events and have a chat with the residents, they will be keen to talk about their experience and share their reasons for choosing the village they’re enjoying their retirement years in.