Bournemouth on the south coast is Britain’s top retirement destination, according to Girlings Retirement Rentals.
8 out of 10 property searches on Girling’s website this year were for seaside towns, with Bournemouth in pole position, followed by Colwyn Bay in North Wales and Southport in Lancashire.
The desire to retire by the sea is supported by the latest census report (2011) which showed an increase in over-65s moving to coastal areas.
The coastal boroughs of Christchurch (29.6%), West Somerset and North Norfolk (28.7%) house more residents aged 65 plus than anywhere else in the UK.
One of the main attractions of living by the seaside is the health benefits. Researchers from the European Centre for Environment & Human Health at the University of Exeter last year analysed the UK census data to see how a person’s geographical location might affect their health. They discovered the closer a person lived to the sea, the better their health, even when they took into account social and economic factors.
One couple living their dream retirement in Poole in Dorset is Susan Taylor (59) and her partner Mohsen Daneshvari 64. When they retired they wanted to remain near Bournemouth where they had lived for over 25 years. The couple wanted to sell their one bedroom apartment and rent a retirement apartment in Poole – they didn’t want their money tied up in another property and decided that renting would provide them with greater financial freedom.
However, they were disappointed by the quality and the finish of the apartments they viewed. Then they saw an advertisement for Girlings Retirement Rentals, a retirement rental specialist and learnt they could rent through Girlings on an assured (lifelong) tenancy, giving them the long term security in their home they craved. They chose a lovely one bedroom apartment in Homelake House in Poole – a purpose built retirement development close to the shops, restaurants and coast.
Susan Taylor said, “Having an assured tenancy has made all the difference as it is long term and we feel we can really settle. All the facilities at the development are included, there is no maintenance and a house manager is on site should we need anything. The apartment is stylish and modern, and there is also added security at the development, which is another benefit.”
“We are very independent and love to travel and take cruises. We sold our apartment so we can access our money and really enjoy our retirement. We found an apartment in our favourite location in Poole just walking distance from the restaurants and shops, ten minutes from Poole Park and with gorgeous Sandbanks nearby. We are the youngest residents here but it doesn’t bother us. We feel like we are on holiday.”
Peter Girling, Chairman of Girlings Retirement Rentals said, “The majority of our enquiries this year have been for seaside apartments as many people dream of moving to the coast when they retire. Renting on an assured tenancy gives people the long term security they want in later life – people don’t want to be uprooted. Like the Taylors found, renting in retirement can make good financial sense. If people can sell their homes, release their capital and access cash when they need it, they can travel and live comfortably.”
Girlings has a choice of over 2000 retirement apartments in towns, the countryside or seaside locations, from Cornwall to Scotland. Seaside rentals start at £525 per calendar month for an apartment at Homesands House in Southport.
The top ten most popular seaside towns are:
- Bournemouth
- Colwyn Bay
- Southport
- Eastbourne
- Worthing
- Poole
- Torquay
- Portsmouth
- Southsea
- Brighton
For more information on Girlings Retirement Rentals please call free phone 0800 525 184 or alternatively visit the website www.girlings.co.uk
