Having spent the past 40 years in her own house in East Hawthorn, Margaret was ‘‘tired of looking at gutters and with general maintenance things, having to chase up trades people … also, when things go bump in the night what that does to your heart rate, thinking the world is falling apart!”
When downsizing, she wanted to stay in the area. “That was important,” she says. However, when she first saw marketing materials for Morgan Glen Iris, architect designed premium contemporary retirement apartments, she initially thought, “No, no, that’s not me – that’s too glitzy.”
Located in Melbourne’s blue-chip east, Morgan Glen Iris is adjacent to the scenic Back Creek Reserve. Friends in the area would walk along there and observed the building as it was under construction, impressed by what was revealing itself – the sculptural facade, the way the low-rise building is nestled into the wooded site, the quality of the finishes.
When one of the friends commented that she and her husband “could easily live there” (given that the shared facilities include a restaurant, Gold Class-style cinema, fully stocked library, gym and salon equipped for massage plus hair and beauty treatments) Margaret took a proper look herself.
She was instantly sold, especially on the location. “The aspect to the bushland, the bird life, the grassed areas adjoining Morgan” all impressed her and she moved in in January. Morgan Glen Iris offers a range of one and two bedroom apartments, which are ready to move into now and Margaret chose a ground-floor apartment that looks right out into the bushland.
With a walking track surrounding the property, she likes being able to see other residents taking their daily strolls, which gives her brief contact with others – a friendly nod or wave brightening her day.
“Whereas if you’re in your own home, you probably are away from the passing traffic, so to speak, and sometimes that can be a bit lonely,” she says.