Move to ‘the happiest places’ in the UK and rent in retirement in 2021

Property portal Rightmove.co.uk[i] recently published their happiest places to live index which highlighted several happy hot spots in the South West, including St Ives, which topped the list, along with Falmouth, Weymouth, Plymouth and Poole which made it into the top 20.  

Rightmove uses ten factors ranging from how friendly the neighbours are and how good the local services are, to the sense of belonging and the quality of nature and green spaces in the area to come up with their happiest places to live index.  

Commenting on the index Jamie Turnbull, Business Director at Girlings Retirement Rentals says the South West continues to a popular place for people to retire to especially coastal towns in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. 

Jamie says, “The South West is a beautiful part of the country and somewhere people often dream about retiring to. As well as being friendly with lots of nature and green space around, it’s also one of the sunniest places in the UK. However, this can make it expensive in some areas which can put off some retirees. 

“More retired people are choosing to rent as a lifestyle choice, as it enables them to free up capital if they own a home to enjoy spending on their retirement as well as no longer having to worry about maintaining a property, which can become harder as people get older.  

“Renting can be an affordable way for people to move to some of the popular coastal resorts. For those retiring in 2021 who are considering relocating to the South West we offer apartments in several lovely retirement developments throughout this region to suit all budgets.” 

Girlings currently has a one bedroom apartment in St Peters Court in Bournemouth town centre, within easy reach of the award winning sandy beaches and beautiful Bournemouth Gardens. This is £750 per calendar month on an assured tenancy, including service charges and maintenance. 

Or there is a large one-bedroom apartment in Homepalms House in the popular Devon resort of Torquay. This apartment is undergoing a kitchen and bathroom refurbishment ready for people to move into early next year. The development is close to town centre amenities including the harbourside and yacht marina, which has waterside restaurants, a theatre and shopping. This is £695 per calendar month on an assured tenancy, including service charges and maintenance. 

For those that want a bit of luxury in retirement, a two-bedroom apartment in the exclusive Sandbanks Road in Poole is a great option. Part of Girlings Diamond Collection, Sandbanks Road comprises 32 spacious and well-appointed apartments overlooking picturesque Poole Park. This is £2,735 per calendar month on an assured tenancy, including service charges and maintenance. 

One couple enjoying living by the sea in the South West areBarry and Pauline Jenkins who moved into a retirement development in Highcliffe-on-Sea in Dorset close to family in 2019, after returning from living in Spain.  

Barry explains, “We wanted to rent rather than buy because renting gives us the option of upping sticks and moving in about a month if we decide to, whereas you never know how long it’s going to take to sell a property. Renting gives us that freedom of choice.” 

“The apartment was the first one we saw that ticked all the boxes and since moving in we’ve been very happy. Highcliffe-on-Sea is a small town so we have everything we need close by and we’re only five minutes away from the sea.  

“We didn’t know anyone in the town apart from our family and living in a retirement development has been a great way to meet people. There are regular social events like bingo, fish and chip suppers, charity nights and weekly coffee mornings which we enjoy - we’re both outgoing people and have made lots of good friends.”  

“We took the flat on a six month contract to start with but are both so happy here that we don’t want to move again so we’ll change to an assured tenancy when it comes up for renewal. Homecliffe House is a wonderful place to live with a great atmosphere – and the social life is a real bonus!”