Retirement Living. The life you’ve been looking forward to.

We understand there’s a lot to consider… but we can say one of the great things about living in our communities is that it’s really easy. We take care of various things for you so you’ve got more time to do the things you love. You have total freedom and flexibility so you can live a rich, joyful lifestyle. All the costs of living (such as rates and insurance) are bundled into one easy, fortnightly fee and typically work out to be cheaper than living in your own home.

Living in one of our communities gives you the chance to enjoy life with like-minded people. It’s really secure and help is on hand for your peace of mind. You’re also protected by the obligations and responsibilities of the retirement village legally.

Have you had a walk around yet? A tour is a great starting point to get a feel for a place. It’s a good idea to visit a couple so you can compare. Want to discuss your situation with us? We’re here to chat any time. We give you a dedicated Client Advisor who is your one point of contact and happy to answer all your questions.

Youfirst is good news for you. It’s our new flexible pricing model which gives you more financial options so you can make the most of your retirement.

You can opt to pay less when you move in…and defer some of the costs for when it’s time to re-sell. So that you have more money to enjoy while you’re living in our community.

Or if you are considering income such as a pension, youfirst gives you the option of paying more when you enter and receiving a larger payment when it’s time to re-sell.

We can explain it more to you and are happy to answer all your questions.

No, it’s quite different from buying a house in the residential market. The contracts, processes and costs are different.

Usually when you buy a home it is on a freehold basis, which means you own the property. Most retirement village transactions are different because you are not actually purchasing the property – you are purchasing the right to reside in the property (at Lutheran Services you acquire a Licence to Reside).

A Licence to Reside means you can be in your retirement village unit until you decide to leave. You don’t need to pay stamp duty and you don’t need to pay registration associated with the title of the unit.

In order to purchase a Licence to Reside, you pay an amount to the retirement village, which is called an Ingoing Contribution (this is the cost of the unit).

Confused? Let us try to explain it really simply. You don’t ‘buy’ your unit…you pay an amount (Ingoing Contribution) that gives you a Licence to Reside. We hope this helps. Your Client and Community Advisor will be happy to explain it to you in person.

This is what you pay to go into your unit. Most retirement villages work this way.

When you pay your Ingoing Contribution, you pay for your Licence to Reside in your unit in our community. That’s what you pay to get in.

With our youfirst flexible payment options, you get to choose what Ingoing Contribution you pay. There are options to suit you financial set up.

An Exit Fee is accrued while you live in your apartment and it’s something you need to pay when you leave. It’s deducted from your Exit Entitlement.

How much you pay is based on a percentage of what you paid to enter our community (your Ingoing Contribution – the cost of your Licence to Reside).

So when you leave, we repay you your Ingoing Contribution less the Exit Fee you’ve accrued while staying there.

An Exit Fee can sometimes also called a Deferred Management Fee by some retirement villages.

We’re happy to explain all this to you and answer any questions you may have.

You will be paid your Exit Entitlement when your unit has been sold to someone else. Once they buy your unit, you’ll get your payment within 14 days. If your unit doesn’t sell within 18 months, Lutheran Services will pay you the amount.

When you move to one of our communities, you’ll get a Residence Agreement.

You’ll also get a Prospective Costs Document. This has all the details of the commercial arrangements about your purchase of the unit.

After you sign these contracts you will have a 14 day cooling-off period. So if you change your mind it’s OK, you have options.

This depends on which payment option you choose. There are various options available for you with our youfirst flexible payment model.

In terms of living in your unit…all your daily costs such as rates, insurance, grounds and maintenance are bundled into one easy fee. You pay this fee each fortnight and it typically works out to be cheaper than living in your own home.

You will need to pay for your own power, water, phone and internet. Your building insurance is covered in your daily fee – if you want to insure your personal contents then that’s up to you.

Building insurance is covered in your daily fee. If you want contents insurance for things inside your home then you will need to organise that.

Until your unit is sold you’ll need to pay the General Service Charge which is the general day-to-day running of your community. This is one of the components of your fortnightly fee (not all of it).

If your unit doesn’t sell straight away, you pay this charge for 3 months. Then you just pay a portion of it for up to 9 months. Regardless of whether your unit has sold or not, you won’t have to pay this fee after 9 months.

We have a range of different options so you can find the right fit for you. We refurbish all our accommodation options so that they are in a great condition when you move in.

Yes, of course! We love visitors. Just chat to the site manager if your visitors plan to stay for more than a few weeks.

We can do that for you. We offer a Home Care Service at all our Lutheran Services communities. This can be government funded or you can pay a fee-for-service, whatever suits your situation. You can also add extra services on if you’d like more help around the house.

You just need to be 70 years or older. If you’re a couple then you just need one person to be 70 or over.

Our communities are pet friendly and pets are very welcome within reason. We understand how important pets are – so let’s chat about your companion to make sure they are compatible with living in our community. Once you move in, we’re happy to arrange pet care and vet visits to make sure your best friend is as well looked after as you are.

Yes, we take security very seriously. That’s one of the advantages of retirement living is that you can shut the door and we’ll keep an eye on things while you’re away.

Let us know when you’re going to be away for an extended period (just as an extra precaution).