Downsizer market is full of beans

6,500 units across 150 communities and employees 2,500 people to do so.

“We don’t call this a retirement community,” says Stein emphatically. “Retiring means withdrawing. We call it ‘later living’. It’s marketing,” he admits, “but it does speak to our core values”. One-bedroom properties at Stanmore start at £450,000 and prices go up to £1.4 million for penthouses. The average price for a two-bedroom property is £800,000. There are also facilities and care charges which can be tailored to the occupiers’ payment preferences — and then there is the matter of your restaurant bill.

In the Hampstead building, called the Oren, you get a larger home at a larger price — £1.6 million for a twobedroom, with other property there, including three-bedroom apartments, at up to £5 million.

The Oren stands in two acres of grounds on West Heath Road, with views over Hampstead Heath. Designed by RIBA Stirling prizewinning architect Stanton Williams, it has a restaurant and private dining room.

The building has only 46 apartments compared to the 101 in Stanmore. The Oren also has a swimming pool attached to a wellness suite. And there is a cinema room and an events room, with activities organised by Elysian.

Elysian allows pets in both Stanmore and Hampstead developments and there is a staffed dog wash at the Oren — Hampstead Heath is lovely to look at but you wouldn’t want it in your home.

Both properties are launched this month. Agents are Preston Bennett for Stanmore and Glentree and Goldschmidt & Howland for Hampstead.

THE RETIREMENT market in north London and Hertfordshire is doing well, if your indicator is developer activity. There is building going on across the region in a variety of styles and at every price range. Pegasus Life, McCarthy & Stone and Churchill all have projects under way, there are new operators in the market, such as Elysian Residences (see left) and there is a significant downsizer market among the over-55s.

Pegasus Life is active in Harpenden and is also selling 79 Fitzjohn’s Avenue in Hampstead, north west London. Due for completion in summer 2018, the two- and three-bedroom apartments start at £2.575 million.

McCarthy & Stone is the giant in the sector. It is planning to build in Edgware and Denham and is on-site at both Studio Way, Borehamwood and Hindes Road, Harrow.

Also in Harrow, it has Randolph House on Northwick Park Road, where one-bedroom flats start at £399,950 and two-bedrooms at £559,950.

Two-bedroom apartments are for sale at Lancaster House, Ickenham, Hillside Manor: Heronslea homes from £525,000. Agent: Preston Bennett from £524,950 and one-bedrooms from £399,950.

In Willesden Lane, Willesden Green, north west London it is offering onebedrooms from £444,950 and twobedrooms from £599,950.

Churchill has two-bedroom retirement properties at Astonia Lodge in Stevenage, from £371,950.

Hertfordshire developer Heronslea Group has made a niche out of building downsizer apartments for the over55s in what Jason Rishover, the company’s chief executive, calls the “super suburbs”.

Hillside Manor, Harrow Weald, was once the home of the family behind the Crosse & Blackwell brand. Now there are seven Heronslea apartments in the grounds and rebuilt main house, stables and outhouses.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom show apartment is on the ground floor and has a private garden, accessed via the living area.

There is a range of layouts and a choice of two or three bedrooms. The cottage is set over two floors, providing two bedrooms, for instance, while the Stables is a three-bedroom, threebathroom home.

Hillside Manor is 10 minutes’ drive from Harrow & Wealdstone station. Prices start at £775,000 for the apartments and £525,000 for houses. Agent is Preston Bennett.

We don’t call this

It’s later living’