Confidence to move
Boomer + beyond has partnered with ARCO on new consumer research exploring how older homeowners think about later living.
The report, Confidence to move, was developed from research conducted for ARCO’s What Next 2026 conference. It looks at the decision to move through the lenses of independence, certainty, care, tenure, rental and consumer protection.
The strongest theme running through the work is confidence.
Older homeowners are often deeply settled where they are. Many are not actively looking for change. Yet they are also aware that later life can bring new questions around health, mobility, maintenance, support, family responsibility and long-term security.
For Integrated Retirement Communities, the opportunity is to make the decision feel clearer, safer and more positive before a moment of crisis.
Click here to download the full report, ‘Confidence to move’.
What the research tells us
1. Many older homeowners are deeply settled
The starting point is not dissatisfaction.
In the research, 73% of respondents said they feel very comfortable and settled where they live. Only 4% said their current home no longer suits their future needs.
For many people, the current home may not be perfect forever. But it still feels right today.
That creates a high bar for later living. The offer has to be weighed against home, neighbourhood, routine, memory, family and control.
2. Certainty is central to the decision
The financial question is about more than affordability at the point of purchase.
Older homeowners want to understand what they are committing to, how costs may change, and whether there could be unexpected exposure later.
95% said they would prefer costs to be simple and predictable. 89% worried about fees increasing over time. 86% worried about ongoing fees being expensive.
For the sector, financial clarity is not a detail in the model. It is part of the confidence to move.
3. Care is valued when it protects independence
Care can reassure, but the way it is framed matters.
75% liked the idea of care being available if needed. At the same time, 88% said they would not want to live somewhere that feels like a care home.
The strongest care story is often a quiet one: support available in the background, their own front door, privacy, freedom and control.
4. Rental can help broaden choice
Ownership still carries strong emotional force. It is linked to security, control, stability and legacy.
But the research also shows uncertainty around tenure. 56% were unsure whether they would prefer to buy or rent in a later-living development or retirement community.
Where rental appeals, it appears to be linked to simplicity: less worry about resale, easier financial planning and fewer ownership burdens.
Rental has a role to play, but it needs a confidence story of its own.
Click here to download the full report, ‘Confidence to move’.