Relocating in retirement

When you’re preparing for retirement, it’s natural to start thinking about what you want that to look like - it’s an opportunity to cultivate your life the way you want, from finances, to lifestyle, to where you’d like to live.

There are so many reasons to embrace retirement, and relocating to a retirement community can help give us the space, environment and culture to thrive.

While moving in retirement may feel a little daunting, it’s important to remember that it’s an opportunity to start fresh. Our retirement communities have been designed with amenities that help you maintain independence, age positively and squeeze every last drop out of retirement.

It may have been many years since you last moved home, or the idea might feel a little intimidating, and that’s normal. That’s why we partner with The Senior Moves Partnership - we love the service they provide our new residents. They make moving hassle-free with services like:

Move Managers that support you every step of the way
Decluttering, always respecting that this might not be an easy process for you
Removals and storage
And help settling in

The Senior Moves team commented,

We believe the journey of retirement should be met with joy, ease, and peace of mind. With compassion, expertise, and personalised care, we empower people to embrace new horizons, and create homes filled with memories, comfort, and fulfilment.

Our top tips

Moving out...

There are plenty of tips to make your retirement relocation smooth too, so we thought we’d share the ones we’ve tried and tested over 40 years in the industry.

Take the chance to rightsize

We’ve always preferred ‘rightsizing’ over ‘downsizing' - choosing the right size home that suits you and your lifestyle now. It’s a chance to clear space, declutter, and move into a property that’s a more appropriate size for you.

For John Philips at Avonpark, “Downsizing didn’t worry me in the least. I didn’t really take much with me to my new apartment, I bought things to fit instead.”

Likewise, Anne Romaine, a Moat Park resident explained, “I don’t regret it, this was the best decision for me, and everyone here soon made me feel at home.”

Plan early

You can never have too much time to prepare. We recommend sitting down and making a checklist as early as possible. It should include everything you need to do before the move, from decluttering to meter readings, and, if it helps, set yourself a realistic timeline to get everything done by. For example, this week you’ll order some moving boxes online, next week you’ll declutter your wardrobe.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Moving home is a big task, so reach out to your support network if you need a helping hand. Get family and friends to come over for a day of decluttering, or box-packing.

If you want to take everything off your plate, bring in the professionals. The Senior Move Partnership have been helping people like you relocate in retirement for over 15 years and can make your move stress free.

We can also support with Home Buying and Managed Sale Services to make your move aas simple as you like.

Declutter

While it can be difficult to part ways with belongings, decluttering makes the transition to a new home easier and means you only take with you the most important things.

Letting go of possessions doesn't mean you're losing memories or experiences, but rather creating space for new ones; by decluttering you'll be able to start fresh and fully embrace this next chapter of your life.

Check out our guide to retirement downsizing for tips and tricks to decluttering.

Hire a moving company

Hiring a moving company can help to make the process much smoother as you don’t have to worry about getting everything from A to B, especially if you’re relocating further afield.

When looking for a company to use, there are a few things to consider:

Read their online reviews to make sure they’re reputable, using sources like Google and Trustpilot
Check they are licensed and insured to guarantee your belongings are protected
Take into account their experience in handling this type of move. For example, if you’re relocating across counties, can they handle long-distance moves?
Clarify what they cover: do they take your furniture apart for you? Will they unpack everything once you arrive?

Start labelling boxes

Now it’s time to start thinking about packing up. A great place to begin is by getting plenty of moving boxes and labelling them.

Labelling by room will make it much easier to organise the boxes when you arrive at your new retirement community. If you want to take it to another level, you can itemise everything in the box. Having a clear and easy-to-read labelling system makes all the difference when it comes to unpacking.

Check all your utilities

It’s important to make the necessary arrangements to cancel or change your utilities and final readings. This includes gas, electricity, wifi and a water meter if you have one, as well as any services that you may have. You’ll also need to let your local council know you’re moving.

Change your address

You’ll need to tell Royal Mail that you’ve moved and your new address, so they can redirect mail. You’ll also need to alert any other relevant companies, like your bank. Make sure to tell all your friends your new address too, or host a house warming party - a great reason to send your new address out to loved ones!

The same goes for a landline telephone if you have one.

Clean your home

Before moving out, clean your home thoroughly so it’s in pristine condition for the new owners. This can be quite a taxing job, so you might want to consider getting a professional to do it. Apply the same steps to finding a cleaner as you did to finding a moving company to make sure you get the right people for the job!

Moving in...

Pack an overnight bag

Pack a bag full of the essentials you’ll need for the first night or two in your new home, before you’ve fully unpacked. Make sure to include the toiletries you use daily, a change of clothes, medication and any of the documents you’ll need for your move.

Packing enough food for a few meals can be useful too and saves you going to the supermarket as soon as you move in. However, most of our retirement communities have great onsite shops where you can find everything you need to whip up a meal. We also have community support available if you’d like someone to get your shopping for you, so you can just focus on settling in.

Update your home insurance

Update your home insurance for your new property. Check with your current provider if they will let you transfer your existing cover to a new address. Moving home is also a great opportunity to see if there are better deals out there.

If you’re looking to make the process of selling your home easier too, we work with great partners that can take care of everything for you.

Settling in...

Get to know your community

Whether an evening at the bar, a session at the gym or an afternoon with the gardening group in the allotment, take your pick of activities once you’ve settled in. There’s so many to choose from, it’s easy to find your people. By getting involved in the community right away, your new home will really feel like home.

Our Lime Tree Village residents, Alan and Carol Murray told us,

We know more people around us now than we did in the last ten years in our previous home!

But, remember, only be as social as you like

Our communities allow you to be as social as you want, but there’s no pressure.

When you’re moving in, browse the vibrant social calendars and range of activities to see what takes your fancy. We’re sure there’s something for everyone – from running the bar, tending an allotment or simply enjoying your surroundings. But you’ve always got your own space to retire to and quiet areas around the grounds where you can enjoy time to yourself.

Bring the family over

It’s natural to feel a little homesick for your old place when you move. Inviting over familiar faces is a great way to remind yourself that home is a state of mind, and it’s about the people you fill it with that matter the most. Make plans with family and friends to visit your new home, and in between, stay connected with phone and video calls.

Most of our villages also offer guest suites, where friends and family can stay and spend the night. Our residents’ families often love our community amenities as much as our residents. With all the outside space to enjoy too, we find the grandkids can’t get enough!

Elmbridge Village resident Shirley Porter has her two teenage grandsons come to stay with her. They have even made their own friends at the village! Shirley said:

I love it here and would recommend this style of retirement living to anyone.

Find out more about your new location

Whilst there’s a lot on offer at the village if you wish to get involved, take the opportunity to find out more about your local area.

This is a good way to take advantage of your location, explore new places and find your new favourite activities and restaurants. For example, residents at our Thamesfield village in Henley-on Thames can enjoy the onsite amenities and waterside location or head into the bustling town which has so much on offer.

Likewise, residents Alan and Carol Murray from Lime Tree Village near Rugby said:

I didn’t realise that Rugby was so centrally located and has great access to both Birmingham City Airport and East Midland Airport. Additionally, we don’t need to worry about finding someone to look after the house whilst we’re away, as it’s looked after by the village.

Embrace the lifestyle

When you move into one of our communities, you benefit from all the wonderful facilities and services available. From hairdressers to refill shops, and wellness centres to billiards rooms, our facilities are designed to help you cultivate a stress-free, happy lifestyle.

Jenny and Steve from Lime Tree Village have noted:

We can have someone to clean the house, we get our laundry done and of course, we have use of the facilities in the beautiful Cawston House. There’s also a nurse on site so that’s very reassuring.

Relocating in retirement can feel like a big change, so remind yourself that you’ve made it to suit the lifestyle you want. Embrace the change and look forward to all the new experiences and opportunities that lie ahead.

Start enjoying the lifestyle earlier

Our final tip - why wait? Don’t just take it from us, hear it from our residents…

“Do it as early as possible, when you can enjoy the fantastic social life on offer here at the village,” say residents Brenda and Ken Walker from Castle Village in Hertfordshire. “It really is the best of both worlds.”

Mike and Pauline Pettet at Blagdon Village in Somerset, agree: “We’re always quick to recommend village life. In fact, the only bit of advice we tend to give people who ask is not to leave it too late. There’s so much to enjoy, it would be a shame to miss out.”

Frances El-Housami at Charters Village in West Sussex, wanted to add: “My main advice to anyone considering a move to a retirement village is to make a conscious decision to do it early in your retirement; I live such an active life here without the stress or worries of everyday life. There is a wonderful community feel here, it is peaceful and secure and if you need help, it is available.”

Following these steps will help make your retirement move simple, hassle-free and make sure you settle into your new retirement community with ease. But if you want someone to take care of it for you, the Senior Move Partnership are here to help. Sure, there’ll be some change to settle into, but the joy of the life you’re creating will make it all worth it.

A great way to get a sense of what life in a retirement community is like is to talk to current residents. So why not arrange a visit to one of our UK retirement communities? You could even take a peek at the properties for sale while you’re there.

Have a cup of tea with some of our residents and ask them what it’s like to live in a retirement community. Community living has so many benefits, join an open day to see them for yourself!