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When Chris Powell and Pam Bavage walked in to a retirement village in Red Beach, they knew they had found their last home.
Walking out, they turned to each other and said “Wow something about that felt right. I could live here.’ A short six months later, the pair of best friends had signed up for apartments down the hall from each other.
Though firm friends living near each other in Snells Beach, it was never a plan to move in to the same village at the same time. In fact, Chris admits she had resisted the idea of leaving her house for retirement living until a health scare prompted a change of heart. “I was ready earlier,” Pam said, “I knew I wanted to move before I turned 80 so I could enjoy it.”
But it wasn’t until early 2023 that they seriously began looking, starting in Snells Beach before expanding their search to Warkworth and eventually to Rodney. Both Chris and Pam were very impressed with the sales process at Gulf Rise village, noting they were treated beautifully each time they visited.
Attracted by the newness of the village and what they referred to as an indescribable ‘buzz’, they made sure to include family and trusted advisors as another pair of eyes. Chris pointed out that it was not a decision they made lightly, “We both lived in big houses with gardens, on or own. So we had talked about this off and on for quite some time.”
A big part of moving house is leaving behind your social community but this didn’t bother the best friends with Snells Beach being a short drive away. In fact Chris still drives up often for everything from dentist appointments to her writing group meetings.
Leaning on each other through the process of selling their homes in Snells beach, the friends shared some advice for people considering their last move:
• Know your finances well. If this isn’t your forte, reach out to a trusted advisor. It’s also important to understand the financials and legalities at a retirement village as it’s different to owning your own home.
• Interview agents before choosing one and check their track record . You don’t have to list your house as soon as you decide on a retirement village. It’s important to know what the market is doing so you can choose the best time to sell.
• Make sure you have a clear sense of your unit size at the retirement village. It will be important when deciding what to declutter and what to pack. Don’t hesitate to go back for second and third looks.
• For those like us who are going through this process on their own i.e. without a partner. Be selective about your advisors. It’s your last house and you need to be comfortable with the decision.
• Do your homework and visit as many villages as makes sense to you. You’ll know when you find your ‘vibe’.
