“The vulnerability is gone”

Everyone has their own motivation when considering making a move into a retirement village. Some want to downsize, others want freedom from home maintenance. Some are prompted by health concerns, and at times, it’s loneliness that encourages people to join a vibrant village community.

For Summerset Waikanae resident, Gavin Archer, it was the vulnerability of living alone that made him think to the future. “In my case, the problem was that I felt a bit vulnerable going forward as a single male living by himself. There was no support there. I thought, perhaps it's time to actually look to the future rather than hang on to the past,” said Gavin.

“I had heard about a Summerset development going in at Waikanae. So, I got in the car and drove down here. It was fortunate because the Sales office was a three-bedroom villa, so I could see straight away what a villa looked like.”

“I decided to purchase a three-bedroom villa, and it's great. Summerset has a full-time presence on the site, day and night. I don't have to worry about security. I don't have to worry about anything. The vulnerability is gone, and freedom has actually taken over from that particular emotion.”

While Gavin has settled into the village, he’s not sitting still. A keen traveller, Gavin plans to continue exploring the world. “I can decide this afternoon to go to Australia tomorrow. It's just lock and leave and go. If you've got your own property to look after, you can't really do that without planning it. You can't be impulsive. There’s a big benefit of being able to lock and leave,” said Gavin

“The other big benefit is that the people coming in here, we all come here on the same basis, we've got the same aspirations, and I find that everyone meshes together very well. I've got some great neighbours, best neighbours I think I've had in the six properties I've occupied. And that’s a benefit because we all come in with the same intention of making sure that the next stage of our life is well catered for.”

“And if in fact something happens, and I've got to go into a serviced apartment or other parts of the facility, I don't lose the identity of the village, which I’ve grown into, or the people. From that point of view, I've been quite enlightened by the change, knowing that I’ve got stability.”

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