Case Study: Mr and Mrs Sach

Lorraine Sach, 73, and husband Tony, 76, moved to Wadswick Green from their 5 bedroom house in Essex 15 months ago to be closer to their daughter and two granddaughters. They are frequent travellers and often visit their son who lives in Boston, USA.

“We try to meet up at least once a year, often in Florida” Lorraine explains. “We love the theme parks, everything there is adapted for mobility scooters. It’s really hard to describe it, it’s such a nice place in late October/early November.”

At Wadswick Green, the management team has a key to their home, allowing the couple to travel and have peace of mind that their apartment is being looked after.

“All properties are sold on a lock up and leave basis,” Lorraine says. “We tell the team we are leaving, and they go in, water the plants, and leave the post on the table so it’s all ready when we return. We travel a lot and sometimes we’re away for up to 24 days, which is a long time. We know that if anything happens, someone will be there. It’s very safe.”

The couple also uses Wadswick Green’s housekeeping service: “I have the apartment spring cleaned every time we travel, and the floors hoovered and washed. That way it makes us tidy up before we leave, and we always return to a clean and tidy home!”

The couple’s one-bedroom Pavilion apartment, which was specifically designed for over 60s, is also better adapted for Tony, whose mobility is reduced.

“We don’t use the onsite care services yet because I can still help him,” Lorraine explains. “But I’m sure in the long run we will need it. The staff appear to be very good and efficient, and that is why we decided to move to Wadswick Green. It’s important to look at the future and consider these things.”

Downsizing from a 5 bedroom house into a smaller home was also the right move, she says. “Downsizing was an enormous task; I would say the moving process took about 12-13 months in total. But it allowed us to release some equity, which we now use to fund our travels.”

The move also allowed them to see their daughter and granddaughters more often: “It’s really nice to be closer to family. We just received an invitation to see our granddaughter’s school show, for example. Before we would have needed to drive for hours to see her and spend the night in a hotel. It’s nice to have more opportunities to see them.”

When hosting and entertaining family, the couple always heads to the Greenhouse, the village’s onsite restaurant.

“It’s a homely place, and very convenient. We love it and spend a lot of time there as it is in the heart of the village. In fact, just this morning we were returning from a cruise, and as soon as we arrived to Wadswick Green the first thing I did was order breakfast!”

The onsite amenities, which also include a swimming pool with Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, gym, spa and hair salon, were what attracted the couple to Wadswick Green.

“We had visited several retirement places in the area, but Wadswick Green was the nicest one by far. The guest suite is very convenient as an extra room, because when our son comes to visit, he has his own space and he can recover from jet lag in his own time. I also swim a lot; the pool facilities are wonderful.  The staff at Wadswick Green are lovely, which makes all the difference - they’re very approachable.”