You’re virtually there
THEY say “when one door closes another opens” and that’s one way to look at the latest lockdown: it gives you time to think. “If you are considering moving to a retirement village, lockdown is a good time to do your homework,” says Robin Hughes, CEO at Castle View retirement village in Windsor.
“Our website is designed to make it easy to find all you need to know without leaving the comfort and safety of your own home.
“Apartment sizes, features and prices as well as all the shared features and benefits are there. But of course nothing beats coming to have a look for yourself, and when you feel ready, we can offer completely safe private visits just for you.”
With the property market still allowed to operate during lockdown, Castle View is not the only retirement development to offer virtual viewing and the option to visit.
RangefordVillages has a virtual viewing platform on its website for developments in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and North Yorkshire, so people can view properties from the comfort of their own home.
But its marketing suites and showhomes remain open within government guidelines.
Sales and marketing director Angela McKimmie says: “We continue to receive requests for viewing appointments, however it will be down to personal choice as to whether a prospective resident wishes to visit our villages in person and some of our customers may now be within the vulnerable category who have been advised to self-isolate during the lockdown.”
A recent sale at RangefordVillages’s
BRIGHTER DAYS: The apartments in the centre of Mickle Hill retirement village are surrounded by beautifully kept gardens and grounds
Mickle Hill, in Pickering, was made entirely based on a one-to-one virtual viewing, backed up by a family member visiting the village on the purchaser’s behalf.
Viewings last 30 to 60 minutes and sales manager Yvette Jones says: “The tour is controlled by me and takes the viewer around the property, stopping in each room so we can chat and I can answer any questions.”
ONE-BEDROOM apartments are available from £179,950, with two bedrooms from £224,950 and bungalows from £275,000 (01751 440971; micklehill.co.uk). Facilities include a café bistro, bar, library, gym, shop and cinema.
Jan Warner, 81, moved into a Rangeford Villages development days before the first lockdown, leaving London for Wadswick Green, near Corsham in Wiltshire.
She has settled in with her new cockerpoo puppy, Floss, and says: “We go on walks twice a day.That’s the biggest advantage for people my age: having a dog keeps you fit, because it’s no longer just about you.
“AtWadswick Green the countryside is wonderful, we have so many routes and paths to explore, it’s just perfect for dogs. There are fewer cars as well, so it feels much safer.
“Having Floss has made such a difference during the pandemic. Ever since I got her, not a day goes by that I haven’t spoken to anyone.Virtually everyone stops to have a chat when we’re out and about.
“It’s very therapeutic to have someone else to think about as well, especially at this time when we have to self-isolate.”
Wadswick Green is for over-60s, with facilities including an indoor pool, gym, coffee shop, bar and restaurant, plus 25 acres of grounds with communal gardens that have a croquet lawn and boules pitch.
One-bedroom apartments are available from £229,950, with two bedrooms from £449,500 (0800 135 7420; rangefordvillages.co.uk).
Meanwhile, back at Castle View in Windsor, where one and two-bedroom apartments are for sale from £375,000 (01753 378127; castleviewwindsor.co.uk) CEO Robin Hughes says: “We also offer ‘try-before-you-buy’ stays for single people or couples to stay and really experience the fabric of the building and the community.
“Just call for a chat and Ruth can book your visit and tell you anything else you need to know.”
NO RUSH: Potential buyers can try out a Castle View apartment before making a decision