Larry and Liz had the best seat in the house to watch their local Ryman village being built: their family home, right across the road.
They went along to the open days and liked what they saw. There was just one problem. "We were too young at that stage," says Larry.
So they kept it in mind.
Larry had made the village's sales advisor, Leanne, a promise of sorts. "I'd indicated to Leanne that if she had one with a view, on a corner, and we were old enough, then yeah… we'd be in!"
A few years later, the couple had actually reserved an apartment at another village when Leanne called.
"She told us, 'If you come and see it you will buy it!' And we came and saw it, and we bought it!" Larry laughs. "We hadn't even put our house on the market!"
What made it so easy? They'd looked early, so they already knew what they liked. When the right apartment came up, there was nothing left to think about.
For Larry and Liz, moving early was a deliberate choice, and part of it was about their kids.
"We thought it would be nice for our kids if we were in a place like this…" says Liz. Larry adds, with a grin: "And they wouldn't have all of our stuff to get rid of!"
They'd also listened to the people who'd gone before them. "You start talking to people and often people say you need to do it sooner rather than later. We listened to that," says Liz.
Their house sold in two weeks and the downsizing began. Liz found it "quite cathartic". "Life is a cycle. You build things up and then you're starting to shed."
Retirement living was something they'd always talked about, so for them it wasn't an ending. It was the next adventure.
There's no single right age, but there is a pattern. The people who feel surest about their move are almost always the ones who started looking well before they were ready to move in.
Looking isn't committing. Going to an open day or wandering through a village doesn't sign you up for anything. It just means that when the timing is right, whether that's next year or ten years from now, you already know what you like, what you don't, and who to call.
Larry and Liz are proof. Years of keeping a village in mind meant that when the call came, the decision took about as long as the tour.
Not all of Larry and Liz's friends were convinced at first. Some had strong views about retirement living, but the couple found those views were mostly based on misconceptions.
"The most common thing is when people come to visit us in our apartment they say, 'Wow, it's quite big!'" says Larry. "It's an apartment, not a room, and it has a fab vista, plus there's the lack of worry about painting or maintenance… while the mind says it can, the body says it can't!"
Now, when friends complain about the endless list of jobs around the house, Liz just smiles. "We look at each other and say, 'Ahh, isn't this lovely?!'"
Larry and Liz at home in their apartment.
Practical things helped. There's a bus stop just up the hill, which makes getting out and about easy. Liz loves that it's "wonderfully safe here", and knowing care is on site was a big plus too. "The graduated care here was an advantage," she says.
But what really sealed it was the welcome. "We like it here because of the people, the good feeling we got when people greeted us when we came across," says Liz. Larry nods. "It's about the people. We actually love it, and that's why we did it."
They both love connecting with others. Liz has a background in counselling. Larry's had a varied career in teaching and broadcasting, including founding a radio station, and these days he's a celebrant. He's even officiated weddings in the village gardens.
"When you get talking to the residents here and you hear about the lives they have lived, they are pretty incredible," he says.
One evening still stands out for Liz. A fellow resident, a renowned violin teacher, invited some of her former students, now professional orchestral musicians, to play for residents for a gold coin donation. "It was amazing really. We're so lucky."
Family is always welcome, too. Their grandson loves visiting. "We did love that there was full encouragement of family coming to visit, and he just loves it here," says Liz.
For Larry and Liz, the real proof is in the coming home. "The testament for us," says Liz, "is when we go away and come back, we really love coming home."
"It's home," says Larry.
Choose the lifestyle that suits you.
More time for what matters to you.
Friends, hobbies, travel, family: nothing changes unless you want it to. You just get to do more of what you enjoy. And whether it's an independent villa, a serviced apartment or the reassurance of care on site, there's a place for every pace.
From independent living to serviced apartments and care, see which option fits the way you want to live.
Have a look around, keep a village in mind, and when the timing's right, you'll know. Or give our team a call on 1800 314 425.