The property landscape has changed dramatically in recent years, especially for home owners over the age of 50. The introduction of property aimed specifically at those of retirement age, or approaching retirement, has changed the playing field and people are increasingly being drawn to the lifestyle on offer at residential parks aimed at the over fifties.
Dave and Lyn Davis have recently purchased their second property at one such park; Shirmart Park in North Devon.
Mrs Davis explains: “We moved to the park a year ago. We originally had a smaller home, a forty foot one, and then a few weeks ago we moved to our new home on the same site, which is much bigger. We designed both of the properties ourselves from scratch. Not many people realise that you can do that – you don’t have to have a bog-standard, traditional home, you can decide the layout and how it looks. Our home is very contemporary because that’s the look we like, but there’s the option to have more traditional features – you can choose whatever you like.
“Some people think residential communities like this will be full of people in their late seventies or eighties, but where we live just isn’t like that. A lot of people get to fifty and they want to be mortgage-free but without losing their standard of living.”
“There’s a real community here; we tend to go abroad a bit now that they children are off our hands, and we can just lock up and leave, knowing that our property will be safe and secure with our neighbours close by. They’ve even offered to keep an eye on our garden and water our plants while we’re away; it’s just ideal for our way of life.”
If the idea of a park home appeals to you, but you have an existing property to sell, Quick Move Properties could make your move quick, smooth and hassle-free with their part exchange service. Gary self, owner of Evolution Park Homes and Lodges, who owns and manages the park where Mr and Mrs Davis live, says Quick Move Properties’ part exchange service is very popular with people looking to move to the park: “Residential parks are becoming increasingly attractive to home owners looking to downsize, live mortgage-free, or reduce the time and money required to stay on top of property maintenance.
“Part exchange takes away the hassle of selling your existing property, and in my experience that tends to be the biggest worry for someone when they’re looking to downsize. Using part exchange eliminates the risks and horror stories people hear about; things like sales falling through, buyers pulling out last minute, and renegotiations following a bad survey. When our customers use the part exchange service they know they’ve got a solid cash buyer, and they can stay in their existing property until the new home is ready to move into.”
“All of our customers tell me how easy it was for them; there was no stress, there was no worry, they weren’t chased by any solicitors or buyers or anything like that, and that makes a big difference to their move.”
Mr and Mrs Brown 
