Choosing a home for the later years of life is an enormous decision, but who wouldn’t want to settle in a comfortable and plush retirement home similar to the ‘lush, untroubled’ and ‘sedate’ grounds of Cooper’s Chase the scene for Richard Osman‘s novel, The Thursday Club.
The location was inspired by the real-life retirement home where Osman’s mother lives, but for the film adaptation the location was Englefield House set on a sprawling, 14,000-acre estate in West Berkshire, where Pippa Middleton held her wedding reception.
While even the UK’s most upscale retirement homes can’t quite live up to this level of opulence, there are plenty of options for those in search of a more upmarket setting.
Retirement villages, also known as ‘Integrated Retirement Communities’, often boast several features including restaurants, cafes, wellness and exercise facilities, swimming pools, gyms, 24/7 on-site support – and much more.
These luxuries naturally come at a cost. In London, the cost of a flat in a retirement community is just as costly as buying property in the capital at any stage of life.
The price of a one-bed flat can be anywhere from £708,000 upwards, and this is for a leasehold where you only own the property for a fixed period of time – usually over for 100 years – with ownership being returned to the freeholder when the lease expires.
There are also different price-points when it comes to renting a flat in such a complex. Depending on location and the number of rooms it can range anywhere between £1,256 to £4,125 pcm, according to Lottie, a retiree service guide.
But the costs don’t stop there – regardless of whether you are renting or buying.
There are several extra bills that come with retirement villages, which could included anything from maintenance costs, household bills, additional care costs, sinking fees and sometimes even added bills for premium on-site services.
Here, we see how the cost of a relaxing retirement really stacks up beyond the initial payment for the property or monthly rent.
The Thursday Murder Club, starring Ben Kingsley, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan was filmed at Englefield House set on a sprawling, 14,000-acre estate in West Berkshire
The stately home, seen in The Thursday Murder Club, is where Pippa Middleton had her wedding reception
Wadswick Green, Wiltshire – £1,509.14 to £2,322.91 pcm
Nestled in the picturesque Wiltshire woodlands, Wadswick Green, is a retirement village with plenty for the green-fingered to do.
Located in landscaped gardens with 25 acres of woodland trails, ponds and mature trees on the doorstep, residents can enjoy a range of different walks daily.
It boasts a croquet lawn, a boules court, and even its own hives with bees producing their very own honey that residents can purchase.
But how much would one have to shell out to live in the retirement village set among the bustling wildlife?
Properties can be bought at Wadswick Green for £355,000 upwards, however, that isn’t the only cost you will need to keep in mind.
The monthly service charge can range between £631.14 to £881.91, with ground rent ranging from £200 to £400 pcm, depending on the number of rooms in the property.
Wadswick is surrounded by 25 acres of woodland trails with ponds and mature trees, where residents can enjoy a range of different walks
Properties can be bought at Wadswick Green for £355,000 upwards, however, that isn’t the only cost you will need to keep in mind
If you are located in the Pavilion in particular, the service charge includes utilities, as well as as 24 hour on-call support, chauffeur services, exercise classes, spa facilities, and building insurance.
It also includes a 15 per cent discount on food and drink, as well as newspapers bought on site.
According to their own budget calculator, outside of the Pavilion, a single occupant would pay £70 for utilities, £20 for media, £18 for a landline, £178 on council tax and £6 on insurance. Maintenance fees would also come to £71.
For one person, the community fee, which contributes to the day to day maintenance of Wadswick Green, would cost £661 a month, while care costs would stand at £17.
In total, for a single occupant Wadswick Green could cost upwards of £1,509.14 on top of the initial property purchase.
Mayfield Watford Retirement Village, Watford, Hertfordshire – £384.98 to £654.67pcm after purchasing a £359,950 flat
Mayfield is keen to keep its residents active, offering one-to-one training sessions in the gym and aqua classes in the pool, plus a sauna and steam room
In the 225-flat complex, one-bedroom apartments are on offer from £359,950 and two bedrooms from £424,950
Situated in Hertfordshire, Mayfield Watford Retirement centre prides itself on keeping its residents active.
With a cheerleading troupe called the Mayfield Bells and its own on-site trainer, members often perform at events around Watford.
Alongside, a pool, a cafe-bistro and village hall communal area, the retirement village also boasts a sauna, a steam room as well as access to extra support from housekeeping to personal care for a fee.
In the 225-flat complex, one-bedroom apartments are on offer from £359,950 as well as two bedrooms from £424,950.
Energy, water, council tax, television licence, home contents insurance are all the responsibility of the flat owner to pay.
Owners are also responsible for home contents insurance, as well as a management fee of either £635.77 pcm or £366.08 pcm with varying deferred management charges, which means the resident will pay more or less when their flat is sold.
If a resident chooses the first option, they would have to shell out 15 percent on deferred management fees, which on a property worth £380,000 would mean an estimated payable sum of £57,000.
However, if they chose the latter, the fee would stand at 30 percent which would mean upon sale of house worth £380,000, they would pay £114,000 in fees.
Service fees contribute to up-keeping the garden, maintenance, security service, Mayfield club membership, on site support teams, a minibus service, and social events.
Residents would also have to pay £266.80 for parking annually, with a £500 reservation fee for the apartment itself.
Extra services come at an additional cost, with home care visits costing between £22.70 to £32.45, welfare visits priced at £17.90, village companionship costing £31.53 for an hour and laundry services ranging from £7.48 to £21.41.
Danny House, Sussex – £3,200 pcm to £5,000 pcm
Set in 100 acres at the foot of the South Downs National Park, 450-year-old Danny House has been hailed one of the most luxurious retirement homes
Rooms in the lavish building vary from £3,200 pcm to £5,000 pcm, depending on the flat’s size, with a returnable 6-month deposit also required for move-in
Danny House located in Sussex, has previously been hailed as one of the country’s most luxurious retirement homes, and has even appeared on Channel 5 on a show of the same name.
The Grade 1 historic Elizabethan mansion was previously a private estate and a boarding school before being converted into a luxurious retirement community.
Set in 100 acres at the foot of the South Downs National Park, there’s plenty going on with a roster of 70 live musical performances hosted in the stately home’s Great Hall every year and weekly exercise and dance classes.
It offers residents the tranquility of the countryside while being close to Brighton and is only 50 minutes by train into London from Hassocks station – which is 10 minute away.
Unlike both Wadswick Green and Mayfield Watford Retirement Village, the retirement village boasts an ‘all inclusive model’, which sees meals, maintenance, heating, lighting, cleaning, council tax and services included in the rent. Parking is also free.
Rooms in the lavish building vary from £3,200 pcm to £5,000 pcm, depending on the flat’s size, with a returnable 6-month deposit also required for move-in.
Elmbridge Village, Cranleigh, Surrey -£2,811.09 pcm
Residents told the Mail the village has offered them a ‘whole new, exciting life’, with some saying it feels like they are ‘on holiday’
Located near the Surrey Hills, properties in the retirement village are on offer from £166,000 to buy, or to let for around £2,150 pcm
From keep fit classes and line dancing to croquet and greenhouses, Elmbridge is a well-regarded retirement village which offers the over-60s a full roster of activities in a picturesque setting.
Located near the Surrey Hills, the retirement village has a hair salon, GP surgery, a coffee lounge and a library, as well as a 24/7. Properties are on offer from £166,000 to buy, or to let for around £2,150 pcm.
However, it also comes with additional service charge of £455.33 a month for both single and double occupancy as well as a ground rent of £21.25.
Electricity, gas, water, landline as well as IT are not included with these fees, as residents also expected to pay for their own TV licence unless exempt.
Council tax is priced £2214.22 per year or £184.51 a month, with additional assignment fee charges of 12.5 percent when departing from the property.
Care costs and insurance arrangements are also the responsibility of the tenant, however they do not publicly disclose these costs on their website.
In total, without utilities, care costs, council tax and insurance, living in Elmbridge Village would costs around £661.09 a month for a property listed at £166,000.
Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire – £4,860.17 pcm after purchasing a flat from £399,950
This retirement village includes a grade II-listed former pottery, which has been restored with the help of Heritage Lottery Funding into a gallery and exhibition space
Twenty-eight apartments are situated within the property, which are worth up to £194,000 to buy or available for rent at around £809.08 pcm
Elsewhere in Newcastle-upon-Lyme lies the award-winning retirement village of Belong – a building previously restored with the help of Heritage Lottery Funding.
The Grade II-listed former pottery offers artistic opportunities for its residents from pottery to painting as well as writing workshops and dramas.
The art programme is supported by partnerships with local artists, museums and theatres, and resident outcomes won the IRC, a 3rd Sector Care Award and an NAPA Award for Creative Arts in 2022.
With independent living apartments and lodgings for those who require more care, this retirement village caters to all needs.
Twenty-eight apartments are situated within the property, which are worth up to £194,000 to buy or available for rent at around £809.08 pcm.
Care costs come at a weekly rate of £1,240 for permanent residents, while those on a respite stay are charged £1,340 per week.
There is also an additional fee of between £50 to £150 for bigger households which have ‘superior household of views’.
Care fees cover staffing, food and drink, activities being held within the complex, as well as laundry, utilities and WiFi.
Homewood Grove, Surrey – £710 to £1,090 pcm (without rent)
Homewood Grove is located near the popular town of Chertsey and offers a sophisticated way of life, with manicured gardens, a boules court and a croquet lawn
There are 116 flats within the retirement village, ranging from one, two and three bedroom flats on offer from £399,950
Located near the popular town of Chertsey, Homewood Grove offers a sophisticated way of life with design input by Laurence-Llewellyn Bowen.
Residents can enjoy manicured gardens, a boules court and a croquet lawn, as well as a swimming pool, steam room and sauna, gym and dance studio, a hair and beauty salon, restaurant, bar and lounge.
There are also nearby nature trails, cycle routes, woodlands, which can be accessed from Homewood Grove and Foxhills Country Club – which has three golf courses next door.
There are 116 flats within the retirement village, ranging from one, two and three bedroom flats on offer from £399,950.
While there is no contingency fund for any major repairs needed, there is an additional community fee of between £710 to £1,090 per month, depending on how many rooms a property has.
As outlined on their website, the community fee covers 24-hour on-call support, a village manager and support teams, TV and WiFi, concierge and scheduled transportation, activities, maintenance of communal areas, resale agency service, buildings insurance as well as communal utility costs.