Karaka Pines Villages FAQ's

Like any property you might own outside the village, the capital gain is the increase in value that happens between the time you buy and when you sell.

Karaka Pines Villages is different to traditional retirement villages because we think it’s only fair that you should be the one to benefit from the capital gain, not the village management. When you sell we deduct any fees owed including any facilities fee due and pay you the balance. This can mean you are hundreds of thousands of dollars better off with us.

Fees vary depending on the village you live at. Please visit the page for the village you’re interested in for details. But in a nutshell there are two types of fees – the one-off facilities you pay when you sell and leave the village, and a weekly fee that covers all the on-going costs of running a community like insurance, rates, the on-site staff’s salaries and grounds maintenance.

The fees page gives you a background to our fees and why we think they’re fair for you and us too.

It’s designed to be simple and easy. When you decide you’d like to move to a Karaka Pines Village you’ll sign an Application for the home you are interested in. At this time you’ll pay a small deposit of $1000 which is fully refundable.

You then sign an agreement known as a Occupation Rights Agreement (ORA). The ORA includes a 15 day cooling off period but you are free to withdraw up until your home goes unconditional. Like the sale and purchase contract you will be familiar with from when you bought and sold your family house, this agreement entitles you to live here until you want to sell and move out. You pay the agreed purchase price, less the deposit, upon the commencement date of the agreement – typically the date you are moving in.

Like you would in your home outside the village, you will pay for your own power, water, phone and internet services.

Yes a trust may pay for the unit but the Occupation Rights Agreement is in the occupants name and is relinquished when the occupant moves out. A couple can have both names on the ORA.

At most of our villages the entry age is 65. Kempton Park is generally over 60.

The choice is entirely up to you. Some residents like to be totally involved in everything that goes on, while others prefer to live quietly.

Our villages are vibrant communities of similar aged residents with varying interests and different circumstances. It makes for a satisfying and easy-going retirement no matter how you prefer to live.

Prior to selling, the unit must be refurbished to bring the home up to a near new condition. This can be handled by the village manager but is a cost to the resident. 

Refurbishing the unit means it will sell for a higher price which the resident receives.

The resident sets the sale price. There is no need to sell through a real estate agent as the Village Manager can handle this for you, although the choice is yours.

At Kempton Park, Roseland Park and Woodcroft Villages there are no deferred management fees, instead a termination and administration fee applies. At our other Karaka Pines Villages the Village Manager will not charge a commission to sell your unit – your only costs will be advertising and marketing.

You may sell your home at a Karaka Pines Village whenever you want – it’s your home after all. You can set the selling price and decide whether or not to accept an offer.

You can choose to use a Real Estate Agent or to use our village manager. However, you may only sell the unit to a person who is approved by the village manager as being suitable to join the community.

Your right to live in the village is personal to you. Your family are welcome to visit you and even stay for long periods (up to a maximum of 40 days), but they may not live with you permanently .

You can have other guests stay with you for up to 40 days. You can also allow other people to look after the unit while you are away, but they may not sub-let your home, and they must be suitable residents for a retirement village.

Many people who live in our villages love to travel. Just let us know how long you plan to be away and leave a contact address or phone number. Because we are regularly moving around the village, your home is kept under surveillance.

Out of consideration for other residents our Village rules don’t allow pets that are likely to cause a nuisance.

Normally birds and cats are acceptable. Small dogs might also be permitted, but they will need to be approved by the Village Manager first. If you already have a small dog, you will be usually be allowed to bring them with you, however requests for replacement dogs are mostly declined.

Sorry, structural changes to homes are not allowed.

You may decorate your home to suit your preferences, but please check with the Village Manager first to make sure it will be in keeping with the character and quality of the village. At the time of refurbishment these changes may need to be changed back to meet the village standard.