If you’ve hit 50 and are looking at the next stage in life, you might find a residential park home the answer. Park home communities, like Red Deer Village in Glasgow, Scotland, are the ideal social setting for the mature semi or full-time retiree. They offer all of the perks of a bungalow, but with the close-knit feel of knowing you are surrounded by like-minded neighbours. We take a look below at when it’s time to consider the move to a residential park home.

Active Retirement Park Lifestyle

You may want to consider park home living when a large family house starts to become a burden. As we get older, we’re looking for less maintenance to free up our time to enjoy other things in life. Downsizing to a park home within a retirement community often means ditching the upkeep of a large garden. Furthermore, a one level property reduces cleaning and maintenance, whilst removing the worry of mobility on stairs in later years. Red Deer Village can even offer ramped access or handrails to our residential park homes for sale.

With all that spare time, you’re going to have plenty of opportunities to meet new friends and enjoy new hobbies. Red Deer Village’s residents hub offers regular activities such as bingo nights, knitting bees, social nights and quiz nights. We also host events such as our 20 year anniversary open day and Macmillan Coffee Afternoons. The village of Stepps also has much to offer, with regular food markets, a gym, Cardowan Moss nature reserve and even line dancing classes!

Furthermore, Red Deer Village offers a courtesy minibus to take residents for their weekly shopping and on monthly outings to destinations of residents choice. This allows residents to get out and explore, visiting towns they otherwise may never see!

Free Up Your Cash

There’s never a bad time to move to a residential park home, but you may want to move sooner rather than later. This gives you more time in your retirement to enjoy the equity freed up from selling a large family home. It may allow you the benefit of some added luxuries, such as more holidays, a new car or a really fun shopping spree!

Park homes are also typically more affordable to run than bungalows or bricks and mortar properties. This is because they have a high energy rating, so gas and electricity are less expensive. There is no stamp duty to pay on purchasing a park home and council tax is Band A, the cheapest available. Plus, Red Deer Village have currently reduced the prices of several of our residential park homes for sale, to help towards your moving and legal costs when moving to our retirement village.

Good Company

You may think that owning a park home is for those who are already retired or need help with their mobility, hence move to a one-storey property. However, park home communities like Red Deer Village have a broad audience, ranging from those who have been waiting to live here since they were 48, to couples in their 90s! Moving early can prevent huge upheavals later on in life and help you feel settled for years to come. With a large group of our residents already actively taking part in our activities and getting involved with the local community, if you’re outgoing you’ll fit right in! Even if you are shy, our event organisers are always looking to welcome new residents with open arms and get everyone involved. Many of our residents have made lifelong friends since moving to Red Deer Village.

Downsize Study

A report from Zoopla found that around 42% of over 65’s lived in a home that is “larger than they need”. Seven in ten over 65 households live in homes with 3 bedrooms or more, even though nine in ten homeowners either lived alone or with just their partner. Zoopla found that the average over 65 homeowner has lived in their home for around 26 years, with many claiming stress of moving, nostalgia and nowhere to host a large family are reasons to stay put. (Study found on This is Money.) However, park homes don’t always mean downsizing. Sometimes this can be “right-sizing”; matching your next property to your goals for life and retirement, and finding something small and easier to manage.

So, when is the best time to move to a park home? To truly reap the benefits of your new found lifestyle, we’d recommend the younger, the better. Make the most of releasing equity tied up in your property to fund your later years, and lead a very active lifestyle while you’re still young enough to fit it all in!  Avoid the stress of having to move or maintain a large home and relax, knowing you’ve found the place you’ll spend your older years.

If you would like to find out more about Red Deer Village or our residential park homes for sale, please feel free to contact us. A member of our friendly team will be happy to help!