Eco features a plus for retirees

13 April 2023 in Retirement Living

Sustainable building practises are important to protect our environment and keep our world healthy for future generations.

In retirement communities eco-friendly and sustainable building design is becoming increasingly popular, and not just with those who love the environment.

“The desire to downsize to a smaller home is often partly driven by people wanting to spend less of their retirement income on power, water and home maintenance,” MYVISTA CEO Irene Mooney said.

“So, even if people aren't specifically stating they are looking for eco features, greater sustainability is still the outcome they are, in effect, hoping to achieve.

“Naturally they would still like to be comfortable and live in a nice home, so the demand for properties that meet both of these goals is definitely there.”

“Considering the lifestyle differences between retirees and working-aged individuals, green features are both more important and more attainable for retirement communities.

This is especially the case when it comes to retirement apartments, which are becoming an attractive choice for many.

“Retirees spend more time in their homes so they have to pay money for the energy they consume while they are there. Sustainable features mean smaller bills to pay while they live there,” Ms Mooney said.

“Also, with the hotter summers we now seem to experience in WA, residents will likely be more comfortable in an apartment that can easily be cooled.

“High-density retirement communities, such as apartment complexes, make it more financially viable to include sustainability features such as solar power and electric recharging stations.

“Many of these features would be out of the price range of individual homeowners.”

According to this morning, installing and considering sustainable design features when building the MYVISTA Retirement Living Apartments in Mirrabooka had resulted in a design that combined practicality and comfort for the residents.

“Some of the sustainable features that can be found in MYVISTA’s Retirement Living Apartments include extensive use of LED lighting throughout the building and two stations for electric vehicles,” she said.

“The open-air atrium and the wide walkways allow for natural light, fresh air flow and cool breezes to circulate, which also helps to reduce the overall power cost for residents.

“The complex has deliberately avoided duplicating expensive and environmentally taxing features such as bowling greens and tennis courts because these are already available close by in the community.

“Apartment complexes themselves are also a practical response to limited land availability and take up less space than the traditional single level village.”