The number of pensioners in Germany is growing. A new trend is now offering seniors the opportunity to live in the same building while doing their shopping and visiting the doctor at the same time. In the evening we go up to the roof to celebrate. Provided you have the necessary change.
The provider Wohnvoll, for example, advertises that the first “village” will open in Bergkamen in North Rhine-Westphalia in 2024. This is just the starting signal: “From 2024, six to ten Wohnvoll Villages will be opened each year,” says the company website.
As early as next year, Lively will open a comparable project in a converted cotton mill in Gronau in the Münsterland region. It’s called “White Lady”. The advertising slogan promises: “Living with variety, living together: Living with service in Gronau!”
Other providers, such as Lively and The Embassies, are also vying for customers with the idea of “everything under one roof”. Some call their concept “clubs” – sounds more exciting than “residence for the elderly”.
The Embassies even speaks of the “next adventure” (“your next adventure in life”). This should take place in “individual premium apartments” with additional services that can be booked – such as yoga in the morning and a book club for afternoon tea.
In principle, the providers are concerned with connecting the individual areas of life with one another: living, living, celebrating and indispensable everyday tasks. At the same time, those who are interested should live under one roof with like-minded people. “Relax in your own apartment and cultivate friendships in common areas such as the roof terrace and garden,” says Wohnvoll’s advertising slogan. Contact and communication are therefore very important.
The idea seems to take off. Wohnvoll currently has three properties under construction. The number of its “secured locations” is currently 22, by 2025 it should be more than 60.
The Embassies is still in an earlier planning phase – where the first project is to be built is open. You can choose among others Zurich, Geneva, Vienna, Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon. So a colorful mix of cosmopolitan cities and regional metropolitan areas.
The buildings are usually centrally located, which is also reflected in the costs. They are well above the local average rents. There are definitely differences between the individual providers.
For example, The Embassies estimates a membership plus your own luxury apartment at 6,000 to 9,000 euros a month. At least that’s the plan, as reported by “Welt”. The package includes amenities such as personal assistance, 24-hour reception, private offices, and “wellness, spa and fitness,” according to the company’s website.
If you settle for less in terms of service, you get away with it cheaper:
In the Lively project in Gronau, interested parties can get a 71 square meter apartment for around 1,750 euros a month. This includes services for one person. This is reported by the “world”. With two residents, the price including service increases to 1900 euros per month. Just under 27 euros per square meter. Also not suitable for every budget.
The first planned residential full village is significantly lower in terms of costs. In Bergkamen, a 39 square meter apartment with a balcony, fully equipped kitchen and storage room costs 13.10 euros per square meter. That’s 511 euros. In addition, there is a monthly flat rate of 200 euros for caretaker services and use of the common areas. The bottom line is 711 euros per month, as the report says.
So 18.23 euros per square meter. While according to the official rent index from Bergkamen, the square meter price for new apartments reaches a maximum of 8.01 euros, a good ten euros per square meter less.
The project is probably still affordable for many, especially for pensioners with additional income from a private pension scheme. But the apartment is not in a cosmopolitan city.
If you are interested in one of the objects mentioned above, you should inform yourself in detail. And make comparisons with other providers.
And make it clear: in old age, the cost of living does not fall as much as some people think. Even if there are no costs for unemployment and life insurance, the majority of the costs remain the same in old age. Experts estimate that in old age seniors have to reckon with about 80 percent of the costs that they also have during their working life.
The FOCUS Online Guide answers all important questions about pensions on 135 pages. Plus 65 pages of forms.