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<\/a>The Grays<\/p><\/div>\n
One couple who downsized from their family home and moved into a retirement apartment are John and Pamela Gray who are 90 and 88 years old respectively. They rent a two-bedroom apartment through Girlings in Kingfisher Court in Surbiton, Surrey, which they moved into at the end of 2015.<\/p>\n
The couple had lived in their family home in Farnham in Surrey for 33 years but wanted to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren in Richmond.<\/p>\n
They chose to rent rather than buy as they didn\u2019t want the worry of maintaining a property at their age and wanted to make it easier for their family in the long term. They didn\u2019t want to leave them with the hassle of selling a property.<\/p>\n
John explained, \u201cThe apartment is ideal. It is warm and the other residents living at Kingfisher Court are friendly and it feels very safe. We don\u2019t have a garden to worry about and the location is very convenient, the buses go from right outside the door and there is a variety of great shops in the village including a supermarket.\u201d<\/p>\n
The retirement community at the development has proved an added bonus. There is a residents\u2019 lounge, usually buzzing with other people to chat to and there are regular social activities to enjoy including quizzes, coffee mornings and film nights, which the couple love attending.<\/p>\n
John adds, \u201cThere is a lot going on here and we really enjoy living here. As well as the social life, we like the reassurance of having a manager on-site, and although we haven\u2019t had to use it we have peace of mind that our apartment has the 24-hour Care Line in case of any emergency.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur daughter is much happier knowing that we are just down the road and often pops in to visit us and we see a lot more of our grandsons too. We are very glad that we made the move and couldn\u2019t want more from our home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gillian Girling adds, \u201cStepping off the property ladder can be daunting, but renting can give people freedom to move somewhere they have always wanted to live and use the money that would have been in bricks and mortar enjoying their retirement. Renting in a retirement development won\u2019t suit everyone but it can be a good option for those looking to downsize and live somewhere more age appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information on Girlings visit: Girlings<\/a><\/p>\n