David and Annette Riseman happily admit to having high standards when it comes to keeping their home looking beautiful.
About a year ago, however, the house-proud couple concluded that the endless maintenance of their large property and garden in Sandstone Point was taking up too much time and money, and more importantly, was a mental burden when they travelled.
Investigating downsizing options, the Risemans – who recently bought a home at GemLife Bribie Island – went from knowing next to nothing about over-50s lifestyle resorts, to becoming enthusiastic and knowledgeable advocates.
“We had no idea about over-50s resorts. We just knew we wanted a more maintenance-free lifestyle,” said Annette.
“David and I were so surprised at how nice the homes were at GemLife and how well kept the resort was. But one of the biggest things for us is everything is secure. We have a caravan and love to travel, and at GemLife everything is done for you – there’s no gardens to worry about and everything is well maintained and kept looking good,” she said.
The Risemans were also pleasantly surprised at the size of the homes which were bigger than expected, as well as the build quality and finishes.
“All the homes are built beautifully – not just the display homes like at some places. The quality is consistent, and the homes have everything – ducted air conditioning, solar, security – nothing has been overlooked,” said Annette.
“The high ceilings add to the sense of space, the kitchen and living areas are well designed, and the alfresco areas are bigger than expected too.”
With the resort’s facilities added into the mix, the active couple joked that they won’t need to travel for a while.
“We couldn’t believe it. It’s like being on holidays but you live there, and you own it. We really had no idea how nice it was until we visited,” said Annette.
“We’re pretty fit and like to stay active, and we thought we might as well get in now and start to enjoy everything on offer.”
A former accountant, Annette was no slouch when it came to crunching the numbers and examining all the details about moving to GemLife Bribie Island.
“We did a matrix of the pros and cons, and the pros far outweigh the cons,” she said. “When you consider the money saved on electricity from the solar panels, club memberships and the government rebate for site fees, it’s so worth it. Add to that the peace of mind when travelling, the resort sold itself.”