CASE STUDY 6

IN 2003 George and Sarah Lewis came to look round Lime Tree Village, later they returned to see friends who had moved into an apartment.

Sarah instantly fell in love with the village and the apartment and was certain in her mind that this was the place they should spend the rest of their lives.

Sarah, 70, is a former book keeper while George, 71, retired as manager of an engineering department at ALSTOM steam turbines in Rugby. With two children and four grandchildren they had lived in their previous three bedroom link detached house - in the nearby village of Bilton - for 20 years.

The attraction of moving to a retirement village for the Lewis’ included:

- Peace of mind of knowing if anything happened to one of them, the other one would be within a community of like-minded people. There would be no old house to have to sort out and sell, all that has already been done. Importantly, there would be no chance of becoming lonely!

- A top floor apartment meant no stairs to worry about, all living space is on one level. There would be no street noise but yet good views over the village and surrounding countryside.

- Security of an alarm system - if there was ever cause to call the 24-hour on-site nurse.

- The chance to be with people of a similar age. In their previous property they had a mixture of age groups in the close neighbourhood and there had been some issues over noise and general misbehaviour.

- No gardening - George in particular was glad to see the back of their old garden which took up far too much of their time and became a chore they resented rather than a hobby.

Their reservations were financially-based:

- Selling their old house, buying an apartment and having enough money left over to pay the village service charge for a reasonable period of time. (George and Sarah pay approx £306 a month which covers all village services, external and ground’s maintenance).

- How this service charge will change with time is still a concern. (This is strictly a non profit-making charge. It is based upon the costs of running the village and guided by external charges from utility providers and other suppliers. A financial committee, made up of residents, meets regularly to monitor this and any other financial issues).

Any reservations George in particular might have had in moving to Lime Tree were dismissed within the first weeks of moving in.

George takes up the story: “Within a few weeks we had made about 50 new friends. We have never had so much fun. We are enjoying events that would never have happened at any of the other places we have lived.”

George and Sarah’s average week in the village now includes regular coffee mornings, drinks in the bar, games of snooker, line dancing, playing bridge, borrowing a book from the library, a game of croquet, and a regular walk through the 20-acres of woodland grounds.

In addition to the village activities, the couple swim each week and Sarah goes to the gym three times a week.

“We always have that good feeling whenever we come through the village gates and return to our home,” added George.

“I don’t know what we used to do with our time. We have never been so busy, and it’s all socialising, going out, and basically doing what we want to do instead of gardening, painting the house or cleaning windows.”

The village lifestyle has also given the previously quiet and retiring Sarah a new outlook on life. She admitted: “Every day is like a holiday and I can honestly say, I have never been happier. I’ve definitely changed as a person, I am more self confident, more contented. I am more sociable and chatty - I’m really having the time of my life.”


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