TWENTY years ago, the prime reason for downsizing or moving was to be closer to families and grandchildren, whereas today’s generation of retired people are primarily moving to improve their own lifestyles.

In a recent survey, Pegasus Retirement Homes has found that its buyers’ top 10 reasons for moving have changed. The company also found that the average age of buyers has increased and they have often downsized once before to a bungalow or apartment before moving into a retirement property.

Pegasus’ new data shows that the primary reason older people choose specialist retirement property is because they want an almost zero maintenance home, so that they can enjoy more leisure time.

Their secondary motivation for buying is because they want to delay going to a care home.

The top 10 reasons given for buying a retirement property are: 1. Easy to run 2. Want to move now to avoid going into care 3. Closer to family 4. Lower bills 5. Like the area 6. Lonely in current home 7. Don’t want noisy neighbours 8. Security 9. Better lifestyle 10. Releasing equity Karen Roake, Pegasus sales and marketing director, said: “Older people are more active for longer than in previous decades, and they treasure their independence. Our top 10 list of reasons for moving has not changed dramatically, but the order that they appear on the list has definitely changed. This is the first time that ‘easy to run’ has topped the list.”

A chain reaction It’s official – the number of buyers in a property chain affects the chance of completion drastically.

For anyone who needs to sell their house fast, it is important to minimise the risk of the house sale falling through wherever possible.

Quick Move Now has analysed more than two years’ worth of data to find out the effect that the number of buyers in a chain has on completion success and found it to be extremely important.

The findings show that when there are three buyers in a house chain, which is not an uncommon situation, only 40 per cent of sales reach completion. If there are four buyers in a chain, only 14 per cent of sales complete – a huge 86 per cent chance of the sale falling through!

So, after all the effort of arranging viewings, going through negotiations and agreeing a sale price, there are still no guarantees!

If speed is of the essence, when considering offers you should look at the risk of a sale falling through rather than just plumping for the highest offer.

If there is more than one bidder involved, take the time to assess each buyer’s individual situation in order that you can make an informed decision as to whether you accept that offer or not.