From family home to freedom: Embracing life after downsizing

Retirement doesn’t have to mean slowing down; it can simply mean switching gears and taking life in a different direction.

For many Australians seeking out an over-50s lifestyle community, quality homes and an impressive collection of amenities are a must. However, there is an increasing drive for home buyers to also prioritise the freedom to ‘lock up and leave’ when the call arises.

Taking a new direction
After more than two decades raising their family in Sydney’s St Clair, Robyn and Gary (61 and 64) packed up their home of 23 years to downsize at Teraglin Lakeshore, a waterside Hometown Australia community near Lake Macquarie.

With close access to the Pacific Motorway, Newcastle Airport, and train links to Sydney, Teraglin Lakeshore is a great starting point for travellers.

Less than a year into their new lifestyle chapter, the couple is reaping the rewards of their retirement decision, discovering a dynamic and welcoming community while also taking time out to explore.

The pair own a caravan and have already travelled extensively since moving north, including a trip to Vietnam and several road trips around regional NSW. “We just shut the door and go now. Before, we had a big house with all those creature comforts and a dog, and while we loved him, it’s been a massive relief not having those responsibilities anymore,” Robyn says.

The ease of travel has been one of the couple’s favourite perks of retirement living.
“The neighbours will water our plants, collect our parcels, and keep an eye on things while we’re away. There’s a really nice sense of community here.”

Robyn says their decision to choose Teraglin Lakeshore was based on the community’s offerings and its convenient location. “We had a plan in place for roughly where we wanted to live. So, we put a pin in the map and said, ‘Let’s find somewhere two hours from this spot.’”

The pair knew they wanted to relocate from Sydney’s bustling western suburbs but still hoped to stay close to their grown children and grandchildren. “We were looking to move somewhere that wasn’t too far away from them, but also far enough away that we had our own little piece of heaven,” Robyn adds.
 
Robyn and Gary spent about six months exploring lifestyle communities across the Central Coast before landing on Teraglin Lakeshore, halfway between Sydney and Gary’s extended family on the Mid North Coast.

“We probably looked at about 10 communities. We’d drive around on weekends and walk through the villages to get a feel for what they offered,” she adds. “It was a big step because we basically retired, sold our house, and moved in one go.”

Life at Teraglin Lakeshore 
Proximity to Lake Macquarie, along with Teraglin Lakeshore’s peaceful bush setting, had Robyn and Gary hooked. The 23-acre community features a long list of amenities, including a pool, tennis court, bowling green, shared barbecue facilities, and a clubhouse.

“I’m quite social, so I wanted to know what the interactions were like with community members,” Robyn says. “They have community dinners here, which are lovely. And there’s something on every day of the week; craft, lawn bowls, bingo, darts, swimming, you name it. And it’s up to you how much you want to be involved, there’s no pressure.”

Robyn says since the move, the couple has taken up lawn bowls and darts. “My husband’s not one to jump straight in and meet people, but we would go down for a game of darts or pool, and the next thing you know, he’s chatting away.”

The pair renovated their Teraglin Lakeshore home to suit their lifestyle, creating space for family visits and hobbies. “We have a room for guests and another room that’s my craft room and home office,” Robyn adds.

Despite leaving family behind in Sydney, she says the time they now spend together is time well spent. “It’s more about quality time now rather than quantity. When our kids and grandchildren come, they’re excited to go to the lake, go fishing, or go to the beach,” Robyn explains.

A new chapter
Preconceived notions of over-50s communities might be hard for some Australians to shake, but Robyn says this next chapter is a new beginning. “A lot of my friends say, ‘Oh, you’re in a retirement village now,’ and I say, ‘No, I’m not - I’m in a lifestyle village,’” she says.

For the active couple, making the move earlier rather than later was a conscious decision to capitalise on the convenience of a master-planned community. “We hear it so often where people say, ‘When we retire, we’ll travel,’ and then life can sometimes take over, and someone gets ill,” Robyn says. “Sixty is not too young to make a change. We wanted to enjoy this stage of life while we’re healthy and active.”

Although she says downsizing was emotionally difficult, especially letting go of decades of family belongings, the step was also liberating. “Start downsizing well before you decide to sell. You realise there’s a lot of stuff you really don’t need.”

Now settled into their new routine, Robyn and Gary say the move has given them something many retirees are chasing - freedom. “We worked hard to get where we are,” Robyn says. “Now we want to enjoy our twilight years together.”

And with another caravan trip already planned, Robyn and Gary’s retirement is already shaping up to be less about slowing down and more about making the most of their newfound freedom.