As the UK grapples with a housing market that’s increasingly stretched at both ends, one solution that’s often overlooked is the potential of the retirement housing sector. Specifically, age-exclusive developments for the over-55s could play a crucial role in easing pressure on the market by encouraging downsizing, freeing up larger family homes, and ultimately ensuring a more efficient housing lifecycle.

At Cruden Homes, we’ve long recognised that there is an increasingly sizable group of people whose housing aspirations are largely overlooked by the current market. The over-55s demographic, which makes up a significant and growing proportion of our population, are looking for much more than just a place to live. They want homes that support their active lifestyles and offer convenience, style, and a sense of community. Unfortunately, the current housing stock for this age group remains woefully inadequate.

This is where age-exclusive living comes into play. Developments designed specifically for over-55s, like ‘The Avenue’ in Barnton, Edinburgh, offer an appealing alternative for those looking to downsize without compromising on quality or community. These luxury homes are tailored to meet the needs of this demographic, providing features like energy efficient and low-maintenance living, with stylish shared spaces that are far from the ‘beige’ stereotype, allowing people to build relationships and live life to the fullest.

The case for age-exclusive developments also has an impact on the broader housing market. One of the significant challenges facing families is the lack of available, appropriately sized homes in established locations. Many larger family homes are occupied by older adults whose children have long since flown the nest. Yet, these homeowners often remain in their properties simply because of the lack of suitable alternatives to meet their needs, or because, quite frankly, the perceived effort of finding the right home and making a move is off-putting.

By creating more age-exclusive communities and by introducing tools and initiatives to make moving simple and cost-effective, older homeowners can downsize with ease, increasing the flow of family homes to the market. This not only improves housing availability for those at other crucial stages of the property ladder, but also improves the overall fluidity of the housing market.

Scotland, and indeed the wider UK, has a long way to go in catching up with international standards when it comes to retirement living. Research by Savills in 2022 on UK Senior Living highlighted that other markets such as the USA and Australia are a staggering 20 years ahead of the UK in terms of development of this sector, and they certainly do not experience some of the stigmas associated with retirement living that we see here in the UK. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity - one that Cruden is keen to continue to embrace.

The pandemic accelerated the demand for homes that offer a sense of community, security, and convenience - qualities that are becoming increasingly sought after in the wake of such an unprecedented global event. Age-exclusive developments are meeting this demand, providing not just a place to live, but a place to thrive.

We carefully designed The Avenue to do exactly that. It includes features such as a hotel-inspired Club Lounge, a guest suite for visitors to stay overnight, a concierge service and a shared BBQ area and outdoor growing space. Feedback from home buyers shows that age-exclusive living is making a very positive difference to their lives.

Unlocking the retirement housing market is not just a matter of meeting the needs of our aging population; it’s a crucial step in resolving the broader challenges facing the UK housing market. It’s time for the housing sector to recognise the potential of the over-55s market, to focus on creating more high-quality, age-exclusive communities and to help set a new standard for retirement living in Scotland.

• Hazel Davies is sales and marketing director of Cruden Homes