I'd never let my mum buy a retirement flat - they should be banned

I remember when retirement apartments became fashionable. They seemed to appear overnight – seemingly a dozen developments popping up on the edge of every major town.

Then, everyone started talking about them. The dream they sold was seductive. Sell the unsuitably sized family home, release some cash and move somewhere easier to manage. At the same time, make new friends and enjoy well-maintained amenities on site. Who wouldn’t want that for their parents?

But a few years ago, when buyers – or their families – began trying to sell after the homeowner had died or moved into care, cracks in the model started to show. Those cracks have now become impossible to ignore, and I’ll do anything to stop my loved ones from falling into the trap.

Writer Sadhbh O’Sullivan looked into her own forgotten subscriptions when she became a first-time buyer, and realised how much she was wasting on things she wasn’t using.

I’d long considered myself to be quite a reasonable spender. 

But the hidden costs across her bank accounts, like free trials that hadn’t been cancelled and memberships for abandoned services, proved otherwise.

It was full of small amounts, £2.99 here, £4.50 there. These small amounts added up.

According to a Nationwide survey almost one in five Brits don’t use every platform they pay for.

The bank suggests they could save as much as £400 a year by ditching them. 

National Trading Standards’ 2025 research found 4.7 million people were paying for subscriptions they didn’t know they’d signed up for.

In 2024, a government report found unused and unwanted subscriptions cost consumers up to £1.6bn a year.

Hunt them down

Banking apps usually list your ‘subscriptions’ separately from direct debits and standing orders so you can easily spot what you’re shelling out on.

Check everything

You can be debited through credit cards, E-payment services, your mobile phone bill, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Don’t vow to use a subscription you’re not going to, even if you
have good intentions.

Many businesses have changed from monthly to annual payments so look further back.

Make sure to track any subscriptions you have kept so you can cancel them, if need be, in future.

But staff say many people treat their shops like a tip.

Here they share the most useful donations they get, and the
ones that drive them mad.

The quality of donations over the last year has diminished.

Claire Stockman, head of retail for St
Luke’s Hospice [pictured], says many donations include used items from fast fashion like Boohoo and Primark, which they cannot sell for more than £2, if at all.

of what comes into St Luke’s Hospice is unsellable, Stockman says.

She adds its soiled, damaged beyond
repair or smelly.

Harriet, a volunteer at Crisis in Dalston,
says people bring in clothes that are dirty and stained – things that they cannot sell
on Vinted.

She also sees dirty kitchenware and technology that no longer works.

There was a box donated after someone’s family had passed and in it were all these medals. I researched them and the whole collection ended up going for £2,340…

A good donation is anything new with tags on, anything that hasn’t been opened, or higher quality items.

Items that have been well looked after are more likely to sell and generate a better price for charity too.

Harriet adds that knick-knacks and wine glasses are surprise hits in her branch.

Here, psychologists, career consultants and sleep experts give their best advice on how
to beat the gloom that the
work week is looming…

Pave the way on Friday

Psychologist Maria-Teresa Daher-Cusack says to wrap up tasks and not to leave big or difficult things for Monday. And write a to-do list for the next week so you know what to expect when you return after the weekend.

Get outside early

Doctor Naheed Ali says getting out on a Sunday morning – not sleeping late – helps regulate the circadian rhythm that can become skewed over the weekend.

On Sunday spend time away from technology to allow yourself a personal reset away from doom scrolling.

Put yourself in the best position to rest by avoiding large meals, screens and caffeine.

If possible don’t stack your Mondays with high-pressure tasks.

Don’t just save joyful things for the weekend. On lunch breaks, try to do something you enjoy.

If the Sunday scaries are constant, listen to them. If every Sunday fills you with dread and nothing seems to quell it it’s worth asking if it’s the job, the culture or the career itself. No one should spend half their weekend bracing for impact… ” says Victoria McLean

But no country’s energy system is 100 per cent secure and large-scale blackouts, although rare, are possible.

Here’s how to prepare, and what could happen, if we do have a blackout.

If the UK’s power went down tomorrow, these are the ways it is likely to impact you first.

For EV owners that are already on the road, Professor Keith Bell, who works in electricity planning, recommends that those with an EV with reasonable charge use it as a generator, like your own store of electricity.

In the case of the power system going down, petrol isn’t a totally safe option as queues at petrol stations could be huge and places are likely to run out of fuel.

The longer the power takes to return the worse things are likely to get. In 2021 Storm Arwen physically damaged power lines across the UK.

During the 1977 New York blackout, which lasted 25 hours, there was civil unrest, resulting in widespread looting and arson, although intense heatwaves are thought to have exacerbated the situation.

To get updates during a power cut – a car radio can be used, but in severe weather it might be safer to stay inside.

A minimum of 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended.

The Government recommends opting for torches over candles, for safety reasons.

Using screens in a way that benefits your child’s development is key and balancing educational content and entertainment with offline activities ensures a well-rounded routine.

For younger children, try scavenger hunts, garden games and nature walks. For older ones, hikes
and biking trips.

Designated screen-free times helps children develop a routine that balances screen use with other activities.

It’s an excellent way
to bond and develop critical thinking skills.

Getting creative, through drawing, painting or model construction, enhances cognitive skills and offers an alternative to screens.

Arrange playdates or group activities with friends, or for older kids try an overnight camping trip in the garden.

Showing that you value offline time encourages your children to do the same.

Implement a reward system where screen time is earned through positive behaviour. 

Discuss the importance of balancing screen time with your children so they understand the reasons behind the rules.

Some studies suggest so.

These are the eight brain-boosting foods registered dietitian Fareeha Jay
recommends people consume as part of a weekly diet…

They contain several nutrients thought to support brain health, including choline, vitamin B12 and iodine.

Caffeine can reduce inflammation and
slow the degeneration
of brain cells.

It’s packed with antioxidants and high in vitamin K, which is essentially for healthy brain cells.

Your brain uses Omega-3s to build brain and nerve cells – so a diet rich in them may slow age-related mental decline.

These improve heart health markers, which is linked to a lower risk of neurological disorders.

They contain compounds which have been shown to improve blood flow to the brain, cognitive function, and memory.

There’s this assumption about being put out to pasture… but now that we’re living and working longer, we have to challenge myths around ageing and remember that over-50s are a crucial part of the workforce…

Yet more than a third of those between 50 and 69 believe that their age puts them at a disadvantage when they apply for jobs. 

The Age Without Limits study from 2024 shows that 37 per cent of workers between 51 to 70 felt badly treated in work because of their age.

We need the same level of career planning in
our fifties as our twenties. It’s possible to reinvent yourself again.

It’s nonsense that older people can’t pick up how to use new tech.

Do you need a pay rise? Could you trade some of that money you earn, to work a bit less, and do more things you enjoy?

Become full-time childcare

Grandparenting on the horizon? If you don’t want to do childcare, have the conversation early – even before a child becomes pregnant – that you plan to continue working and love your job.

Accept redundancy too quickly

It’s going to be so much harder to get back into work if you don’t have a plan before you take that leap.

Everybody thinks early retirement is the dream but the reality can be different. There can be loneliness, lack of purpose and a sense of invisibility. 

Boneless chicken thighs are all meat and a much tastier product.

If you plan every meal all week, there’s no leeway for necessary last-minute changes of plan (or leftovers).

There are so many products that children want to fill the trolley with – all kinds of exciting eye candy. It’s cheaper to go alone.

Consider a vegetable box delivery

Having a Riverford box delivery helps Morris avoid impulse buys and go to the shops
less – even though the box is pricey. “It is expensive, but of great quality and organic”.

Track your spending

It doesn’t need to be an elaborate spreadsheet but without some kind of metric, it’s impossible to spot where you
can or must make cutbacks.

You can save plenty
over a year by never buying branded products at full price.

Do a quick cupboard stocktake. You might find you already have three jars of one thing.

Packing fruit, biscuits, and nuts etc into a Tupperware to take out is more cost effective than buying tiny packaged portions.

“Faking” a takeaway at home can sound like a cheaper option, but if it’s something you don’t usually cook – that needs new ingredients – it could work out pricier.

Returning a few things to the shelves that you won’t need in the near future can save you a healthy amount.

Every time you make do with what’s at home,
you save big.

Try a week or a month of shopping local,
and you might be surprised at the results,
in terms of cost and other benefits like supporting local businesses, and
avoiding car journeys and traffic.

These properties were originally marketed on a simple promise: peace of mind. Retirees would enjoy their later years in comfort and company while retaining their independence – a perfect balance.

But the financial reality is much more complicated, and this is where the dream turns into a nightmare.

Developers generally arrange funding to build these developments, from buying the land to building and marketing the properties. But the ongoing cost of operating these developments is significant, and those costs fall onto retirees – often through a litany of additional fees.

The ongoing cost of maintaining the communal facilities is typically funded through hefty monthly service charges. With the cost of living spiking over the past few years, those charges have substantially increased.

I’ve seen cases of residents paying around £1,000 per month – or £12,000 per year. I’ve also seen examples of these fees increasing by over £100 a month year on year. These charges are effectively uncapped, meaning an elderly homeowner could end up trapped with unaffordable bills.

According to Lottie – an organisation that helps families find retirement living options – service charges can be an average £524 a month across the UK, but can be higher for larger properties or in certain areas. That means even a typical home costs £6,288 a year. Over five years, that’s £31,500 in fees – but service charges can rise each year.

Then, there are the fees charged when the property is sold, often called “exit fees”, “deferred fees” or “contingency fees”. These are usually presented as paying for future maintenance of communal facilities and any emergency works on the development.

According to Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, these fees average around 12 per cent of the sale price. On a £500,000 property, that’s £60,000 taken upon sale. But there are some examples where sellers pay as much as 30 per cent.

Battersea Place, a retirement development in London, offers two options: pay a “deferred membership fee” of 20 per cent of the original purchase price, if sold after three years or more, or pay 30 per cent of the sale price after three years or more. On a £500,000 flat, a 30 per cent charge is £150,000.

These fees are before you even get to the standard costs of running the home, such as utility bills, council tax, insurance and other living expenses.

The real kicker is that if you die, your family is left to foot the bill. Service charges continue to be charged on the empty apartment, and that contingency fee is taken from the sale price – eating into your family’s inheritance.

The growing awareness of these charges has made these retirement flats considerably harder to sell. In turn, valuations have fallen. Some families have reported having to flog these flats at a significant loss because they are so desperate to get rid of them.

Even if a child wants peace of mind for their parents, not many parents want to leave that burden for their children.

Some buyers may have gone into this with eyes wide open and didn’t care, because they thought it worthwhile for the peace of mind on offer. They didn’t want to deal with maintenance or loneliness – they wanted to enjoy the services that come with these extortionate charges.

Except, in some developments, residents say those services have started disappearing too. As The i Paper revealed last year, one development in Manchester axed cleaning and bin collection from being included as services, despite residents paying almost £1,000 monthly.

Elderly residents of the development are now forced to take their own bins out to a bin store in the car park and lift heavy industrial bin lids to throw their rubbish away.

Residents said they now had to fork out for their own cleaners and laundry – services that were sold to them as included – and claimed they felt pressured into silence when they pushed back. It certainly didn’t feel like that promised dream of peace and tranquillity.

Having seen how these developments really work and the impact on real families, I will do everything I can to stop my mum from buying one. I can’t imagine how stressed she would be paying those huge fees and knowing her family would be burdened with them too.

I’ve also spoken to real residents who say their development is no longer a happy place to live because of the constant battles with management to keep services and prevent fees rising.

Leasehold flats are a mess in their own right due to the service charges attached to them, and that has dragged down those property values significantly over the past few years. We have only just begun to get to grips with the leasehold scandal. We can’t afford to wait for retirement flats to become the next one on the same kind of scale.

We desperately need more suitable homes for an ageing population, but we do not need another set of unsellable properties or another financial trap ruining families’ lives.

Either these charges need to be better regulated so buyers regain confidence in buying the properties, or we must stop any further developments being built on these terms and sold with the false promise of peace of mind.