In an exclusive interview with Ludick and Helena Janse van Rensburg, who moved to Oasis Life Clara Anna Fontein in March 2022, we spoke about their retirement transition, which unfolds as a story of embracing change and community. The couple spoke to us about the lifestyle they’re experiencing at Oasis Life and how choosing the Life Right model of retirement has been a liberating choice for their entire family.

Making the Move

After 38.5 years in their large Durbanville home, Ludick and Helena sought a change. Oasis Life’s unique blend of open spaces and thoughtful community planning captured their imagination, drawing them to a Type 3 house and the promise of a hassle-free lifestyle. The unique layout of the development, featuring wide and landscaped pavements, plenty of open green spaces with walking paths and strategically positioned houses, set within an ideal location, instantly appealed.

“What I really enjoyed about finding Oasis Life at Clara Anna Fontein, is that unlike other exclusive retirement estates in the area, we are much closer to central Durbanville here, which means we can remain close to all the amenities in the suburb we’ve grown to enjoy over the years. We knew we wouldn’t feel separated from the hub we’ve built our lives around,” explained Ludick.

The couple viewed the development site in April 2021, chose their house off plan and moved into their new home in March 2022. “This gave us time to get our things in order. We were planning to move into a townhouse. We’d lived in the same house for so long and were tired of maintaining a big property and garden. However, we didn’t feel we were ready to move to a traditional old age home.

What stood out for us was the plot we came to see, and our sales consultant was very helpful. The plan gave us a very clear indication of what we would receive, and we wanted the openness that comes with this estate and its views.” The couple expressed they found the way the houses were planned and built to be very interesting, saying, “So much thought has been put into the layout of this development and this makes so much difference to everyone’s individual experiences living here.”

The couple highlighted how the absence of walls contributed to their feeling of liberation, reminiscent of their earlier years living in Durbanville. Ludick explained, “When we moved into our first forever home thirty years ago, none of us had walls around our properties and our children played in the streets. As the neighbourhood evolved and got older, younger people moved in and were more interested in their own privacy. The trend became to wall off your property, so over time, we felt closed. Coming here felt like a relief as there were no walls around us.”

“We felt liberated again.” – Ludick

Upon moving in, they were happy to find new friends amongst senior peers across all ages. “Oasis Life is fantastic. What we’ve found here is that whether you’re 60, 70, 80 or 90, we don’t see and feel that age difference. We relate so well to one another and get along. It was great to meet people in their eighties who are so youthful in their thoughts. We are enabled to keep up with the times here and remain active, safely. We don’t stagnate here.”

Apart from the various fitness activities and new hobbies to explore, Helena highlighted their involvement in many purpose-driven activities, such as knitting for charity and how all the activities are designed to create a connected community, drawing individuals out of their shells and encouraging them to try new things.

“Living at Oasis Life taught me to be an extrovert.” – Helena

Residents are encouraged to take part in art classes and all sorts of other activities. “One of our friends showed us some of the pots he’d made, and we were so impressed. We’ve found that a common sentiment here is that you think you can’t do something until you’re encouraged to try it and then you surprise yourself.” Sharing his personal experience, Ludick says he impressed himself in exercise classes and described how doing things together is less intimidating, as, “even if you’re not on the same level – it doesn’t matter here.”

“I never imagined retirement could be like this. It wasn’t the hard transition I imagined as the community was so welcoming. I’ve enjoyed the socialising and new connections we’ve made through trying new things.” – Ludick

As human beings we are designed to be social and age together within our communities. Helena described how their children love to visit them at the estate and how the grandchildren call the club house ‘the restaurant’, as it doesn’t feel like the more typical dining hall one would imagine finding in a retirement village. “Coming here is a wonderful experience for them and this makes us so happy,” she exclaimed.

They continued to say, “What is very special about retiring at Oasis Life at Clara Anna Fontein is that we are also surrounded by young people. Our children and other younger parents living on the greater estate often come for coffee and breakfast at our club house to work. Likewise, we enjoy going to the other clubhouse and mingling with residents across all age groups in the broader community.”

Touching on security, Ludick said, “I love that we can walk and walk for many kilometers with absolutely no fear and greet those we see along the way. Everyone is friendly and approachable. “Residents invite one another to various events that are created by the Oasis Life management team and the residents themselves. As the communities grow, all residents are invited to events across all established estates.

Choosing Life Rights as a Lifestyle Investment

Initially hesitant about the Life Rights model, Ludick and Helena found the anticipation of living in a beautiful brand-new home without needing to worry about future maintenance and chores too great to resist. The commitment from Oasis Life’s management team to be consistently engaged and supportive in the day-to-day resort-type lifestyle experience of residents, coupled with the active and continued involvement of a dedicated developer to keep everything in excellent nick, became the most decisive factor.

Helena remembered, “When we told our son about Life Rights and our wish to move here, he said, “Go for it, you have both worked so hard your whole life, you deserve to enjoy yourselves. Our son is in finance, so he understood that the Life Rights model was an investment into our lifestyle rather than an investment into property as an appreciating asset”. Their son’s primary concern was the monthly levies. When they sat together to compare their current monthly expenses to stay in the house and compared this to the levies associated with the Life Right agreement, it then made sense to move to a brand-new home with fewer obligations and stress factors.

“This is our lifelong holiday. It is humbling to be here, and we don’t take it for granted.” – Helena

Helena encourages prospective residents to prepare for the move by decluttering and planning well in advance. The couple concluded that the Life Rights model became a clear and obvious choice when considering the frequent unexpected expenses along with the energy needed to maintain a larger property in one’s senior years.

Ludick and Helena’s story is a testament to the freedom, solidarity and joy that the Life Rights model, coupled with a thoughtfully designed environment, delivered by a reputable property developer can bring to those who want to retire earlier than previous generations have done and enjoy their senior years with a minimum of fuss and stress.

“We hope this story inspires others to reimagine their retirement at Oasis Life and delight in the moments that matter most.” – Ludrick