Planning for the future does not stop just because you enter your later years. The pace of life inevitably slows down, and mobility issues can impact daily live.
Retirement villages offer senior citizens a place to call home with onsite facilities to help with everyday tasks and built to ensure residents can freely move around with lifts, safe walkways and adapted kitchens and bathrooms suited to the older population.
The latest Consumer Sentiment Study questioned people in Singapore and Thailand to ascertain the most important variables when considering a retirement village. The researched revealed that Singaporeans rank distance to public transport as the number one consideration. Singapore is renowned for its incredibly efficient and expansive public transport network, especially compared to Thailand, explaining why it tops the charts, unlike in Thailand where it is ranked the third most important aspect.
Why is buying near to a mass transit network a wise investment?
Property near to a mass transit network makes for a good investment. This is particularly the case for capital cities.
Proximity to green space is of utmost concern for both countries, and while this is Thailand’s number one priority, the same number of respondents in Singapore felt the same. Having a surrounding community of friends and family also is within the top list for both countries suggesting the strong family connections both countries hold. Retirees in Singapore appear to be more astute as their third most important variable is a retirement village with an attractive price and with a shorter lease.
The research also revealed that those questioned in Singapore have a stronger preference to live in their own home rather than living exclusively with other senior citizens because of their desire to live near family. While in Thailand, the cost is the biggest drawback to moving to a retirement village, with many wishing to stay with their family or in their current homes.
Interestingly both respondents from Thailand and Singapore do not feel a stigma is associated with living in a retirement village. They identify the need for them, but they are reluctant to spend their later years here for fear of living away from family or in a new and unfamiliar dwelling.