Are your parents over sixty and starting to think about retirement - or already retired? This stage of life often brings big changes, from shifting priorities to new lifestyle goals, like travelling more or spending quality time with loved ones. If they live far from family, they may be missing important moments - birthdays, milestones, or simply day-to-day connection. And if health issues arise, being close to support can make all the difference.

Retirement can bring uncertainty, especially if your parents are managing debts, a mortgage, or health concerns. Talking openly about their plans and offering emotional support is a great first step, even if the conversation isn’t always easy.

If they’re both over 60, Homewise could help them secure a suitable home and free up funds for a more comfortable retirement. Our Home for Life Plan has already helped thousands of families, and our friendly team is here to support your parents every step of the way.

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How Homewise could help your parents

Find the perfect home

The Home for Life Plan is a Lifetime Lease and can be applied to nearly every property on the open market in England and Wales. The property doesn’t need to be advertised with Homewise. We offer a bespoke saving* on the price of your parents chosen property, so your parents can move to their dream home for less and live there mortgage and rent-free for life. The Home for Life Plan is not a loan or equity release, just a smart, secure move for those over 60.

Be secure for their lifetime

We’re a family-run business at heart, and our values and ethos come from how we would like to see our own families treated. If it’s not good enough for our own parents, then it’s not good enough for our customers. You can trust we’ll always be honest with you and your parents, and if the Home for Life Plan is not the right option for them then we’ll say so.

When it is the right fit, the Lifetime Lease offers peace of mind: your parents can live in their chosen home rent and mortgage-free for life, and if both are on the lease agreement, the plan continues until they’ve both moved into care or passed away. Meaning, even if one parent passes away, the other remains fully protected, with no additional housing costs, giving them one less thing to worry about.

Free up funds for their retirement

Planning for retirement can be tough, especially if your parents are dealing with debt or an existing mortgage that limits their moving budget. If you’re helping your parents find a new home, it’s best to get a clear picture of their affordability from the start.

Use our free quick calculator to see how much the Home for Life Plan could boost your parents’ budget by. With more to spend, they could widen their property search, clear debts, and free up funds for a more comfortable retirement, without taking on new financial burdens.

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During the initial phone conversation with our customer account handlers, we would go over the options available, so you’d all know what the boosted budget would be straight away. Being open and honest about the Home for Life Plan is important and we believe that family support is vital when making important life decisions.

You are invited to participate in any phone calls or consultations with your parents and we will arrange them at a time that suits everyone involved. If you are unable to attend, then we can provide you with recordings and are available to answer any questions you might have.

If you have any questions about the Home for Life Plan please get in touch, we have a team that is happy to talk to you and answer any questions you may have. Please note that if your parents are currently talking to us and you want to discuss their circumstances, we are unable to share any details about their account without their permission due to GDPR.

Safeguard future inheritance

Many parents prioritise leaving an inheritance, sometimes at the expense of their own comfort, but most families simply want their loved ones to enjoy a happy, secure retirement. With the Home for Life Plan, your parents can do both. They have the option to safeguard up to 50% of the property’s future value, protecting a potential inheritance or funding future care, all while living rent-free in a home they love for life.

Enjoy a stress-free move

Moving can be overwhelming, especially if it’s been a while since your parents last did it, but our free Move Simply service is here to help. Our experienced team can support them with as much or as little of the process as needed, from selling their current home and handling searches to negotiating offers and managing the chain.

We’re here to take the stress out of moving and make their transition to a new home as smooth and simple as possible. Visit our Move Simply page to learn more about how we can help.

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Choosing Homewise and the Home for Life Plan

We know choosing a Home for Life Plan can be a complicated decision for our customers and it’s a big decision for loved ones too. Before proceeding with any Home for Life Plan, an independent solicitor, acting on behalf of the customer, must sign a certificate confirming all parties fully understand the agreement.

We’re open and honest about how the plan works and will always take the time to explain each aspect of it to our customers and their families. Before any commitment is made to the Home for Life Plan, we will speak with you and your parents to go over the Home for Life Plan and ensure that we go through everything, so everyone understands it clearly. We are also available to answer any and all questions that you and your parents may have.

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Your parents wouldn’t be asked to make a commitment to the plan until after they’d found and were ready to make an offer on their next home. Of course, even after this decision is made, your parents are free to change their minds right up to the point of exchange, as they would be with any normal house purchase.

We know the Home for Life Plan doesn’t work for everyone but for those we do help it makes a huge difference and we’re really proud of what we do. We have helped a lot of customers to find their perfect lifetime home, you can read about how we have helped them in their own words by taking a look at our independent reviews.

Our mission is to revolutionise retirement in the UK. We want to help people retire happy and be secure in a home they love for their lifetime.

There are many situations where the Home for Life Plan could be the right solution to help your parents to find the right home. The reasons for wanting to move vary. It could be that they want to:

Move back from abroad
Move closer to friends and loved ones
Be independent after getting a divorce
Clear their outstanding mortgage or existing debt
Downsize to a more manageable property
Set aside funds to enjoy their retirement

Whatever their reason for wanting to move, we were able to help them to achieve their goals and enjoy their retirement.

Still have questions about Homewise?

Visit our FAQs page where our frequently asked ‘what happens if…’ questions are answered or simply get in touch to ask us anything, we’re here to help.

In the meantime, if you or your parents are over 60 and interested in finding out more about how our Home for Life Plan could help boost your budget and help to find the perfect home, you can use our online calculator. It’s incredibly simple and quick to use and could help provide you with a better understanding of your potential budget.

*Savings range from 8.5% to 59% and depend on the customer’s age, personal circumstances and property criteria. Only available to those over sixty years old.

Originally published 22/06/2018. Updated May 2023 and June 2025.

Is the Home for Life Plan right for my parents?