The relaxing of many COVID-19 State border and lockdown restrictions, and the gradual introduction of a vaccine, means an increasing number of over 50s are starting to once again plan grey nomad-style travel adventures.
According to research by KPMG, domestic tourism could dominate in the post-COVID ‘new normal’ with the expectation that more Australians will spend their travel budgets on exploring our backyard.
The good news is that retirement living operators are ready for over 50s who want the perfect home base for their road trips.
New home designs with garages or carports large enough to accommodate recreational vehicles (RV), along with generous on-site RV parking, are becoming more commonplace in retirement and downsizing communities.
Below is a great guide of what's available out there.
Halcyon
Another provider now offering dedicated RV home designs is Halcyon. Chris Carley, Project Director for B by Halcyon on the Sunshine Coast, says the move was a response to the needs of people entering their communities.
“Halcyon added these to our suite of plans due to the increasing number of customers who have both a caravan and/or a motorhome,” he says. “Historically, Halcyon has provided a substantial hardstand area dedicated for van, boat, or motorhome storage, but an increasing number of people are looking to enclose their motorhome in a lockable garage.”
Their RV home designs involved considerable planning, Mr Carley says. One – dubbed the ‘Kinabalu’ – has a double garage measuring 10m long and 3.4m high, providing ample space to comfortably house an RV alongside two cars parked in tandem.
“It's matched with one of our more popular floor plans, so it's a great house with great vehicle accommodation for people who have a motorhome or caravan. Alternatively, if they sell their van, they can do a conversion and end up with a two-car garage plus a media room.”
Carley explains the second RV design, ‘Minnamurra’, has a 9m x 3.4m garage for your caravan or motorhome on one side, and another garage for your vehicle on the other.
When it comes to catering for grey nomads, Carley says: “Halcyon communities have the best Neighbourhood Watch system bar none, where people can lock up their home and travel for three months, their neighbours will look after their gardens, keep an eye on their home and attend to anything else that might need to be done while they're away. They can leave knowing that they're home is in a secure gated community.”
Hampshire Villages
Nestled in the picturesque Richmond Valley in northern New South Wales, the Casino Lifestyle Village offers peaceful living within a welcoming community.
The Harbour home design available within the village incorporates an attached, covered carport perfect for housing your RV when you’re not on-road. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom home also include air-conditioning and an alfresco deck, where you can entertain family or new-found travelling companions.
The village has an active social group and a range of facilities, including a swimming pool and recreation centre, along with a generous communal space for RV parking. The Harbour home design can be purchased for as low as $200,250 with Hampshire's unique shared equity solution.
- FIND OUT MORE: HOW TO SAVE UP TO $150,000 WHEN DOWNSIZING THROUGH HAMPSHIRE'S SHARED EQUITY SOLUTION
RV Lifestyle Village
Situated within strolling distance of the beach and minutes from boat ramps, shops, cafes and the world-famous Mon Repos Turtle Centre, the RV Lifestyle Village Oceanside community will be opening this month.
The community has been specifically designed for the needs of active travellers and is conveniently located at Burnett Heads, near Bundaberg in Queensland.
The spacious, architecturally designed and eco-friendly homes all back onto a six metre 'green zone' of landscaped gardens and community space.
They include ducted air-conditioning, alfresco entertaining areas, Miele appliances, and a butler's pantry. Grey nomads, however, may be more enamoured with the oversized 16m x 6m RV garages.
Village facilities include a resort-style lagoon pool, bowls club, games room, art and craft studio and an RV wash bay with gantry.
Their range of two- and three-bedroom homes are priced from $486,000.
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Latitude25
Another offering in popular Hervey Bay, Latitude25 is one of the area’s newest fully planned secure and RV-friendly lifestyle communities. Designed with the needs of grey nomads top of mind, the luxury address features modern homes complete with massive garages.
At 16m long and 6m wide, the garages can house two 4WDs and two caravans. They are also fitted out with a professional standard epoxy-covered floor, LED lighting and 15 AMP power.
Residents can enjoy facilities including a swimming pool, tennis courts, recreation centre and bowling green within the security of a gated complex.
Prices for one-to-three-bedroom homes in this dedicated recreational vehicle lifestyle community range from $450,000 - $660,000.
Hometown Australia
Hometown Australia offers Australia’s biggest range of residential land lease communities, many located in idyllic coastal holiday spots such as Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay and Gold Coast regions, the Mid-North, North Coast and Port Stephens regions of New South Wales, and South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula.
This gives adventurous grey nomads a huge range of choice when seeking their perfect retirement living home base.
Many of their homes have a high-roofed carport adjacent to the dwelling for dedicated RV or boat parking.
Most Hometown Australia community homes have two bedrooms, a study, and either 1.5 or two bathrooms, while their villages include lifestyles facilities such as swimming pools and clubhouses.
Palm Lake Resort
Waterfront sites are rare in land lease communities, but you’ll find them at Palm Lake Resort Eli Waters, on the beautiful Fraser Coast.
This secure new gated complex also beautifully accommodates the needs of grey nomads, with villas boasting 16m long drive-through garages with epoxy flooring – perfect for your RV or caravan.
The two-bedroom luxury villas also feature ducted air-conditioning, solar power, generous living and dining areas, covered alfresco entertaining and a roomy kitchen with quality appliances.
Onsite facilities include a swimming pool, tennis courts, recreation centre and bowling green, all surrounded by lush, landscaped gardens.
Tallowood Medowie
Offering resort-style living in the scenic Port Stephens region of New South Wales, the Tallowood Medowie community by Vivacity offers elegant, high-quality housing and facilities for over 50s.
After 18 months of planning, the new community started welcoming residents in 2020. With 216 homes across a sprawling 20 hectares, the average site size of 276 square metres is the largest in the area.
For grey nomads, the masterplan includes 30 dedicated RV/caravan/boat parking spots within the village, with more off-site parking options being investigated.
Conclusion
While COVID-19 has changed the face of travel, research shows the RV industry was thriving even before the pandemic – especially among Australians aged 55+.
The Caravan Industry Association of Australia’s 2020 report found that in 2019, Australians took a record 14 million caravan trips – up 9 per cent on the previous year. And Australians aged 55+ represented the strongest growth market, with an increase of 10 per cent. This group also accounted for 44 per cent of booked nights.
The report notes that 21,465 recreational vehicles were manufactured in Australia in 2019 – the tenth year running this number has totalled over 20,000. Furthermore, an Australian Financial Review article notes that caravan sales have spiked around 30 per cent on average.
The 2019 surge indicates grey nomad travel has a bright future in the post-COVID era, as ongoing flight and cruise restrictions mean more Australians over 55 are embracing this safe and independent style of travel.
As Australia’s leading over 50s property portal, Downsizing.com.au is the perfect place for grey nomads to discover their dream RV-friendly retirement living home.
