The article on this page is a transcript of the entire article that appeared in the magazine 'Retirement Today'.

Retirement Downsizing - Go 'Up' Instead

By David Cooke

As everyone knows the accelerating number of pensioners reaching much higher ages has caused rapid growth in the search for a gentler, protected and dignified life style amongst those in this group. To meet this need there are many who have thought that they might wish to live in a quality apartment. Prolonged searches for the retirement property of their dreams, carried out with initial enthusiasm, have foundered on the rocks, created by builders and developers who express their views, through the properties they build, of what we all want, need and should live in during our later life.

This somewhat dictatorial attitude has caused many of the builders of national reputation to plan and build apartments with their minds on fifty years ago and have not looked at the present or future. So, we have thousands of retirement apartments with just not quite the amount of space we crave either for living or (most important when downsizing) storage; or even to carry out the simple task of doing the monthly household accounts on other than the dining room table.

If you have a considerable number of years experience of searching for that retirement "place", you may agree that many will either buy on impulse or suffer many disappointments in available choice and will have rejected potentially suitable residences on sight, principally due to lack of space. This process can also increase determination to "search till you drop" or to find the place which scores much more highly on a majority of personal need factors.

This dejection, particularly with those who are looking for a little "upmarketness" in their retirement residence, is caused by the typical 'two bedroom' cottage or apartment. At the very least they lack a study or similar area and essential storage space. This could cause the unacceptable jettisoning of the suitcases and other large items, which are important to keep in the first place, for one's forwardly planned and leisurely lifestyle. Also the standard provision in 'old people's flats' is the very doubtful benefit of communal clothes washing facilities. No thank you!

Slow down your dejection at this lack of thought by the 'planners' - because some developers have recognised that some of their 'late in life' market want more than minimal living space and that a lot of them have, in the last twenty years, come through a period of rapid technological development with such common items as home computers which need space provision. In a typical two bedroom cottage or apartment where do you put your computer and do your household administration?

An example of how this question is answered is at Sheringham House in Norfolk. Here, a building of great visual beauty and high quality design contains sixty four 2 bedroom apartments, penthouses and maisonettes which have terraces or balconies, study rooms, ceiling pargetting, Georgian cornices and fireplaces, dining and drawing rooms, quality fitted bathrooms and ensuites, large fitted wardrobes and storage cupboards, kitchens to die for and integral laundry rooms. Within the building there is a self contained club room and lounge with full size snooker tables and games table. There is a stunning indoor heated swimming pool and internal and external sun terraces, and the whole is surrounded by beautiful parkland, tended gardens and woodland. An exhausting mental and physical effort has been made to satisfy every need.

Many of those already living at Sheringham House have fallen in love with the place on first visit and could not move there fast enough once they had sold their existing properties.

For those who have already moved to a retirement apartment, and lack satisfaction, this makes a very desirable choice to trade up to a retirement property of elegant pro- portions, spaciousness and location. Sheringham town is minutes walk away. Fifteen minutes finds you walking along the promenade, and there are the towns of Cromer and charming Holt a few miles by car or public transport.

After you have parked your car in the underground garage, stowed your golf clubs in the custom built locker, had your TV tuned into the gated entrance view and zapped your automatic curtains closed, you can relax with your night cap and look forward to an amazingly fine style of life. The old adage 'must be seen' certainly applies here.