Making your retirement a happy one

By Marilyn Barber | newseditor@dorsetview.co.uk

You’ve worked hard all your life, and now is the time to enjoy your retirement, with comfort and safety being the priority – and affordability.

Equity release

Affordability is very much on people’s minds, with fears of galloping inflation, maybe the time is now right for you to think about equity release.

This could enable you to fund home improvements, pay off your debts, enjoy a dream holiday, or help out a family member,

For this, you need to ensure that the company you approach provides independent advice as it is a big step.

Equity release lets homeowners aged 55 and over release tax-free cash from their home.

With a lifetime mortgage, the loan amount and any built-up interest is paid back by selling the property when the last borrower dies or when they move into long-term care. With home reversion, you sell part, or all of your home, to a provider in return for a lump sum or regular payments.

Park homes

Or maybe it’s time to downsize, particularly if you are living in a large house and the family has moved out.

Park homes offer great value for money, costing much less than a house of the same size. In addition, they provide a comfortable and stylish new lifestyle and are warm and cosy.

Another plus is that residents find it easy to make friends in their new community.

Accessible bathrooms

When, some years ago, we had a bathroom makeover that included the removal of the bath and the installation of a walk-in shower, friends were critical, saying that it would render the house unsaleable as ‘everyone needs a bath’. Fast-forward to the present day and many people are doing the same thing for the sake of speed and convenience – and now, following this year’s drought, it also makes eco sense.

As a point of reference, a 10-minute shower only uses 25 gallons of water, whilst a full bath can use twice that.

And for those with reduced mobility, a walk-in shower makes absolute sense, and today there is a huge range of sizes including recessed and corner variations.

They can include a slipresistant – very important – low level shower tray, a grab bar and comfortable folding seat. Some even include a half-height door to enable a carer to help the bather whilst remaining dry.

For those who still wish to enjoy a relaxing experience in a full-length bath, you

can choose a walk-in bath with an extra-deep seat and a slip-resistant base. And for those with very limited mobility, there are baths with a powered seat to lower and raise the bather effortlessly.

Making a will

And finally for piece of mind, whether or not you have many possessions or much money, it is important to make a will.

Citizens Advice say that if you die without a will, there are certain rules which dictate how the money, property or possessions should be allocated. This may not be the way that you would have wished them to be distributed.

Unmarried partners and partners who have not registered a civil partnership cannot inherit from each other unless there is a will, so the death of one partner may create serious financial problems for the remaining partner.