What is Warden-Controlled Housing?

Sometimes it's good to know you have support

We know how important it is to keep your independent lifestyle when you retire. But sometimes, it's also good to know that there's someone nearby you can call on if you need a little support.

Having support is one of the main reasons why warden-controlled housing is a popular choice for those in retirement and we have similar aspects here at McCarthy Stone.

However, there are some differences to be aware of as well, so find out more about this UK retirement housing option and how it compares to life in our developments.

Warden-controlled housing is a type of sheltered housing or retirement housing in the UK, where a warden or scheme manager lives either on-site or close to the development. With this retirement housing option, you'll always have someone living nearby if you ever need a bit of help or if there's an emergency.

In many ways, warden-controlled housing is similar to one of our retirement communities. In both cases, you'll usually have:

A secure, self-contained property.
Help and security nearby if you need support or have a problem.
Shared areas, such as a communal lounge and garden.
A community of like-minded people for you to mix and socialise with.

The difference between warden-controlled housing and McCarthy Stone

The main difference between warden-controlled housing and our own developments is that our helpful teams might not live in or near the development itself. But, that doesn't mean you'll be living without support readily available when you need it.

Depending on the development type you choose, support options include 24-hour emergency call systems, Estate Management teams, on-site House Managers and flexible levels of personal care. We offer three types of retirement communities: Lifestyle Living, Retirement Living and Retirement Living PLUS.

Our products

Our Lifestyle Living properties are low maintenance options that are designed to maximise space and light. As well as receiving an outstanding property in a prime location, at our Lifestyle Living developments, we’ll take care of the gardening and exterior maintenance of your property and we’ll provide a high level of security, including door camera entry, fire-detection system and, at selected developments, a gated car park.

You'll also have a 24-hour emergency call system that comes with every property, so you can be sure that you'll be able to get the assistance you need, day or night.

With a Retirement Living apartment, you'll have a dedicated House Manager who's on-site during office hours. As well as making sure everything in your development runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis, they can help to organise events and activities chosen by the homeowners – and they'll be a friendly face for you to call on if you ever need to.

A Retirement Living PLUS apartment, on the other hand, is much closer to warden-controlled housing and some other UK retirement housing. While you might not have a warden permanently living on the development, you'll have:

An Estate Management team that's on-site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They're happy to help with all sorts of errands, such as delivering your post or collecting your prescriptions
An hour of help around the house each week as standard. That could mean getting help with the washing up or changing your bedding, or just doing a bit of dusting or vacuuming – it's really up to you
A flexible level of personal care and support. If your needs change, then so can your care – you'll only ever pay for what you need

So, if you want the independence of owning your own home, but you'd like to know that there's always someone nearby in case you ever need a bit of help, a Retirement Living PLUS apartment could be the perfect choice.

Whether you’re looking for options on UK retirement housing or not, why not take a look at our luxury retirement properties for sale, and see if any of them look like a good fit for you.