The cost of growing old

park381 · 29-12-2007, 09:01

Some Baxenden residents met with a company called Warfdale who propose to develop the old Hill Top Nursing Home site. The company plan to build a 6 storey building which would be a mixture of 1 and 2 bedroom homes.
Guide price for a 1 bedroom apartment was £140,000, but on top of this there would be a monthly service charge of approx. £380 for extra services. Wow that is a service charge of £4560 per year.
Warfdale stated that the apartment owners would have to meet certain criteria such as age, dependency and medical condition, and loads of cash in the bank

Conversion plan comes under scrutiny - News - Accrington Observer

derekgas · 29-12-2007, 10:39

People will buy them, and pay the service charge because it will be viewed as prestigious, down south, developers have found a way around the land shortage and planning issues, they buy a big house and turn it into apartments (flats is of course the alternative word), or they knock a big old house down and build luxury apartments (posh flats).

WillowTheWhisp · 29-12-2007, 11:08

Seems a bit steep to me.

yerself · 29-12-2007, 11:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Seems a bit steep to me.

It is. The poor old dears will be knackered after that walk up Manchester Road.

park381 · 29-12-2007, 12:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

down south, developers have found a way around the land shortage and planning issues

Not just down south but round Hyndburn, look at the apartment blocks now in Huncoat (new build), Ossy, and even the development near Church traffic lights.
The apartment block thing was a directive from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. To build so many "housing units" on a certain area of land. This is why where there is a new build site, there is a mixture of Houses, detached, semi and apartment blocks.
The apartment blocks are no better than the tower blocks of the 60's

cashman · 29-12-2007, 12:18

in other words,save all yer life n let us Rip You Off, should be the Wharfdale logo.

derekgas · 29-12-2007, 12:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

in other words,save all yer life n let us Rip You Off, should be the Wharfdale logo.

Sounds like our government cashy, pensions, taxes etc etc

shillelagh · 29-12-2007, 14:57

You think thats steep down Helmshore they are building 'a development' of apartments 1 and 2 bedroom guide price supposedly the cheapest is around £249,000 the most expensive (meaning the penthouse) £350,000.

MargaretR · 29-12-2007, 15:38

There is a real need for more single bedroomed accommodation as the numbers of 'oldies' in our population rises.

I know many 'oldies' who want to downsize, but they can find none at a price they can afford.

This luxury apartment trend will just milk any 'inheritance money' from those fortunate enough to have some.

What we really need is more small 'social housing' at reasonable rent - the oldies can move out of family sized housing - ie building small housing units will free up the bigger ones.

I was an owner occupier for most of my lifetime and recall being appalled at the thought of ever being a tenant. Now that I am, I realise that it has many many advantages, especially for us oldies.

Good quality later life depends a great deal on having housing which makes fewer demands on you physically(ie smaller/no stairs), and in a location which is reasonably quiet, with good public transport access.

WillowTheWhisp · 30-12-2007, 23:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by shillelagh

You think thats steep down Helmshore they are building 'a development' of apartments 1 and 2 bedroom guide price supposedly the cheapest is around £249,000 the most expensive (meaning the penthouse) £350,000.

Those aren't aimed at people who need sheltered accommodation type flats are they?

shillelagh · 31-12-2007, 00:10

No theyre not Willow.

By the way did you know the caravan site at Acre has an age thing on it ........ you have to be over 50 and semi-retired or retired to buy one of the caravans on that site?
I only know this because about 15/16 years ago i was thinking about buying my own place and one of the caravans came up for sale on it. I thought not far from home, and everything in it, it was about £15,000 asked about it and they said oh sorry you arent old enough to buy the caravan and explained about the age thing on it.

WillowTheWhisp · 31-12-2007, 00:26

I'm having a blank moment here - where's Acre?

shillelagh · 31-12-2007, 02:12

Where Winfields is, the other side of the roundabout from maccydees - if you go past winfields there is a caravan site on your right in the trees Carter Place.

entwisi · 31-12-2007, 07:35

There is a massive shortage of old peoples accomodation. My mum has applied for one putting down Baxenden as we'd like her to be near to us so its easier for me to look after her. With teh social stuff like Siobhan being able to call at Nanna's on the way home from school and mainly because she's struggling in the house she'd lived in for > 50 years in Springhill(Stairs and numerous general health problems). She has been given the top number of points but the council still can't give us any idea how long its likely to be.

Its teh same all over town.

park381 · 31-12-2007, 09:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by entwisi

There is a massive shortage of old peoples accomodation. My mum has applied for one putting down Baxenden as we'd like her to be near to us so its easier for me to look after her. With teh social stuff like Siobhan being able to call at Nanna's on the way home from school and mainly because she's struggling in the house she'd lived in for > 50 years in Springhill(Stairs and numerous general health problems). She has been given the top number of points but the council still can't give us any idea how long its likely to be.

Its teh same all over town.

That is a shame, because Hill Top used to be a very good Home for the Elderly. When you say council do you mean HBC or LCC ?