Retirement homes with a difference

INTERVIEW

Vivara Acron is a retirement project with a difference. The idea here is to take away the clichéd dullness associated with retired life. When you come here, it is to “Un-retire”. This project for those over 60, allows you all the comfort and luxury that a retired life should ideally have. All of this without the common concerns of paperwork, maintenance, security etc are all taken care.

Considering that your focus is on senior citizens, what is the profile of your clientele?
Apartments or villas available at Vivara, come in a price range that suits the urban middle class group. We have NRIs who are our clientele as well parents of NRI children who turn to us for safer environs. These people have travelled quite a bit and know what they want.

That is why you will find our homes in tranquil locations. Not in the heart of the city, but not too far either. Amenities such as wheel-chair access, skid-proof tiling, swimming pools, access to medical facilities as well as entertainment options are all provided.
The main idea is to bring together like-minded individuals of the same age group. And that is effectively done with this project. Many of the people may own homes in the city, but they also have a home here, where they can get away from it all. It is possible they bought their first homes at a time when the place was considered serene. But most metros today are crowded and dysfunctional. That is why we have several people investing in such projects.

How different are the amenities you provide?
Ergonomic, age appropriate fittings, wheel-chair access etc are a given in this project, but we take things a step further. First is relieving the burden of lease/ownership.
The project is more like a resort. You can stay here on a lease. No having to worry about rental payments, extended meetings related to ownership etc. If you would like to leave, you could effectively pick up your bags and leave. The idea is retain the essence of the project. Once an apartment is sold, a builder does not have a say on its future ownership. The idea of a retirement set-up can get diluted. This is the primary advantage we give our customers.

What makes your approach to retirement homes stand out?
We have what is known as a cafeteria approach to living in our homes. A retired couple could take the place on lease. When they vacate or when they pass on, the deposit is returned to beneficiaries. In fact we also provide the option of couples being able to earn from their deposit as well.

The trend in Indian real estate is to give excess inventory a retirement twist in order to be able to move the property. In such cases, the integrity of the project will be compromised when it changes owners. The way we approach all these aspects is what makes us stand apart.

How different is the planning and execution thought-process for retirement homes?
The process involved can be a complicated one. There are several aspects, largely the physical ones related to the project such as age-specific designs and fittings. All of these have to be age-friendly, while at the same time be affordable. The challenge is getting the physical features right and user-friendly to all those in the project.

What can you tell us of the amenities on offer?
The homes are fully furnished and equipped. The monthly expenses are only on utilities like electricity, gas and water bills of your home. Community expenses like security, common area maintenance and repairs, property taxes, etc. are included in the price of the apartment or villa.

Besides this there is a doctor on call with emergency medical transportation, an air-conditioned club-house, gymnasium, walk-in swimming pool, library and computer room, round the clock security and wonderfully landscaped gardens to name a few.