A video presentation explaining the retirement village concept is available from the Senioriales Group A sales representative can also be contacted.

• The company can organise a three-day trip to France and drive you to new and existing locations. You pay for transport and accommodation.

• If you decide to buy, you pay a deposit of €3,000, followed by a seven-day cooling off period during which you can change your mind and receive a full refund.

• If you proceed, you organise a mortgage. Legal contracts are signed and witnessed by a solicitor. At this stage, the home is yours

• You pay on a phased basis, at agreed construction stages; 95 per cent of payments are made by completion. You then inspect and ask that any snag list be dealt with. The process takes up to 18 months, depending on the construction stage at which you buy. Each home has a two-year guarantee for fixtures and fittings and a 10-year structural guarantee.