Lifestyle

A Retirement Village is a purpose-built and secure building offering accommodation for people of retirement age.

The Shires is a retirement community available to people aged 55 and over, offering 72 luxury 1- and 2-bedroom apartments set within beautifully landscaped gardens. It offers residents retirement living with all the benefits of a vibrant and active community of like-minded people on the doorstep.

The Shires retirement community has communal facilities available for residents to use which include a bistro, bar, lounge, Village Hall, library/IT, hairdressers and beauty room, wellbeing room, shop, laundry room and landscaped gardens with allotments. Each resident will have access to an updated monthly activity guide advertising classes, live entertainment, and upcoming events.

To become part of our thriving community, call our Village Team on 0121 449 4870. They’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, and can arrange a personal tour so that you can truly experience all that The Shires has to offer.

Yes, your home is your own. All retirement apartments are offered on a Leasehold basis of 125 years from the development’s completion.

The purchase price comprises the cost of the property, solicitors’ fees and stamp duty.

All of our residents will pay a monthly service charge and will be responsible for paying for their own utilities and council tax.

Heating and electricity billing is based on a meter system, so that you only pay for what you use in your apartment.

Please see our ‘Costs Explained’ factsheet for further information.

Deferred management charges have various names within the retirement housing sector such as exit fees, contingency funds and transfer fees amongst others. At The Shires, there is a 1% per annum deferred management charge up to a maximum of three years. The fee is capped at 3% no matter how many years you live at the development.

This fee is held in a separate ‘rainy day’ fund that is in place to cover any large repair or maintenance bills. The deferred management charge also contributes to a contingency fund in case of unexpected costs at the development, which ensures that there are no surprise bills or large increases in annual service charges and ensures that the building remains in good repair for all residents to enjoy for many years to come.

Yes, we have staff on-site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies. There is also a round-the-clock backup emergency call system in place.

The Shires offers the peace of mind of a secure and safe place for our residents to live. The building is accessed using a personal key fob for the front doors, which open into a lobby area with a staffed reception desk.

To enter any of the residential areas of the Village, key fob entry is also required. Each apartment has its own lockable front door with door camera entry that allows residents to see who they are letting into the building. CCTV is also in operation across the site.

There is also an emergency alert system in each apartment that can be activated by a wristband or neck pendant.

We have ample parking on-site with full wheelchair accessibility into the building. Parking is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Shires has four 7.2KW charging points on-site which are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Residents are free to choose whichever care provider is best suited for their individual home needs. The Shires will not employ care staff, but the Village team will be happy to help you to arrange a suitable care package should you require assistance in the future.

Our friendly and professional team is always available to lend a hand, whether for a few days or on a longer-term basis. We offer residents a number of helpful services that include cleaning, shopping, laundry, bed change with laundry, escort to appointments and dog walking. And, of course, residents only pay for the particular services they require.

Every 6-8 weeks, a general contractor will visit the site to complete residents’ small jobs. These are booked in at Reception. This is a chargeable service and will be billed based on time spent on the job.

The Shires has its own Village Shop that sells newspapers and other everyday essentials.

Residents are more than welcome to have visitors stay over in their homes on a short-term basis (six weeks). As The Shires is your home, no permission is required, and all family and friends will be welcomed with open arms. Visitors can also use the on-site guest suite, which is booked through reception and charged for separately.

We understand that pets are an important and much-loved part of the family, so they are welcome as long as residents can manage their needs and arrange for them to be taken care of in the event of illness or absence. The Shires also offers a dog walking service.

The Shires is built to the highest building regulations standards to ensure the best possible protection against noise. Additionally, all floors are solid concrete which is an excellent barrier against noise transfer. All windows and doors are also double glazed to reduce outside noise.