We recommend that you take as much time as you need to reach a decision and visit the village as often as possible. That way you will build up a detailed and accurate picture on which to base your decision. We are sure that our residents will be helpful in making your decision. Remember also that, unlike many villages, Heritage Gardens offers villas for sale on a freehold strata title basis, and on a leasehold basis with a guaranteed buy back price.
We encourage all prospective residents to take a full tour of our lifestyle village. Family, friends, relatives, and all other interested parties are welcome to join you in an inspection. To arrange an inspection, simply call Steve our helpful Manager.
The decision to enter a lifestyle village is one only you can make. Many of our residents joined us soon after retiring while others took longer to reach a decision. Many tell us they wish they had made the decision earlier. It’s a big, life-changing decision, so do your homework. Talk to a legal professional, ideally one with experience of the retirement living market, as there are some areas of difference to regular real estate. It also makes good sense to consult your accountant.
Residents are required to be over the age of 50 and can join the village either as a couple or on their own. If you are part of a couple, only one of you need be over the age of 50. As Heritage Gardens Lifestyle Village offers independent living, it is also important that you be able-bodied and of satisfactory health.
Whether you have found the villa that is right for you or you simply want to take the first step and start looking, make an appointment with Steve, our Village Manager, to discuss the purchase process. We can provide you with a copy of our Village Comparison Document (VCD) that contains information about the facilities, average costs of fees and charges, maintenance reserve fund and capital replacement fund, residents rights and obligations, resale process as well as village and accommodation information. You can also download the VCD from our website.
For a freehold property you will sign a Real Estate contract that will be prepared by the agent. This will be signed by you and then the existing owner at the sale price agreed between both Parties. Village management will prepare a Prospective Costs Document (PCD); a Residence Contract – an agreement between you and the Scheme Operator that gives you the right to reside in the village; a copy of the village By-laws; and a mortgage document. If you are purchasing a leasehold property village management will prepare a PCD and a Lease. Your Residence Contract is contained in the lease along with the By-laws. The PCD will quote the exact ongoing fees and charges that relate to the property you are buying and detail what is included in the unit and the services you are entitled to. Before you sign these documents, or any document, we advise that you seek legal advice. Legislation in Queensland allows you 21 days after signing your PCD to read your Residence Contract and get advice. After signing this document you are allowed a further two week cooling off period to be sure you are comfortable with your decision. So you have time to carefully consider your decision, and we will not rush you. You are also entitled to seven days cooling off period on the Real Estate contract after this document has been signed. Once you are satisfied with all of the documents and they have been signed the normal real estate process follows through to settlement. If leasehold, the lease is registered against the title, providing you with extra peace of mind that your rights are the same as a freehold owners.
Purchasing or leasing your villa or apartment is very like buying your current home. Your new home is provided to you unfurnished. You will no doubt prefer to bring much of your own furniture that you have treasured for years so you can add your own sense of style.
The Body Corporate is responsible for everything on the exterior of the unit and the grounds, whilst the resident in a freehold property is responsible for the interior of the unit. There are however a number of government initiatives available to assist retirees with home maintenance, and our manager would be happy to provide these details.
Leasehold properties are fully maintained by the Scheme Operator (Lessor).
Residents pay quarterly fees to the Body Corporate and the village operator. These range from $788 per quarter for a one bedroom villa up to $1,516 per quarter for a two bedroom villa. These fees consist of: a general service charge which covers office administrative and operating costs including insurances and the village manager’s wages; a maintenance reserve charge which goes towards the maintenance and repair of the community hall; Body Corporate charges for administration and sinking funds which cover expenditure for repairs and maintenance of the common grounds and buildings. Residents also contribute to council water rates which are currently $12.50/month and are charged every 4 months. Residents are responsible for their own electricity charges and council rates. Leasehold residents do not pay rates directly, however, this is aggregated in your quarterly fees. You are also responsible for your own telephone, personal contents insurance, and other chosen services you may wish to connect to your villa such as streaming services and Internet. On sale of their home, residents also pay a Deferred Management Fee (DMF), or exit fee.
This will depend on your personal circumstances but there is no legal impediment to your mortgaging your property if purchased freehold. Unlike most other retirement villages, Heritage Gardens offers some of our villas and apartments on a freehold basis, so you have title to the property and should be able to secure a bank loan, however the Scheme Operator does have a 1st mortgage over the property to secure his entitlements in relation to the DMF and you will need to inform your lender of this.
As with any real estate purchase, the main costs – after the price of your villa – are the normal legal expenses and government charges for Stamp Duty and title registration. Buyers are charged a nominal fee for the costs of the operators legal expenses and Freehold properties also have the cost of the mortgage registration. A decision to lease a unit removes the cost of Stamp Duty and Mortgage fees.
An emergency call system is provided to every resident and consists of a pendant which can be worn around your neck if you wish or left in a handy spot in your home. Calls are monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days per week and call outs are attended to by our manager, who lives onsite, as well as a local security firm.
Of course, we love to see you have family and friends visit and/or stay with you for a holiday. Visitor car parking is available along with community barbecue facilities, a fully-equipped community kitchen, the swimming pool – everything you might need to entertain family and friends, just as you would in your present home. Unlike other villages we do not place a time limit on how long guest can stay with you in the village. We only ask that they follow the By-laws whilst they are here.
Yes, of course. We welcome pets, but small ones preferably. We do have a few rules about keeping control of your pet to protect the safety and comfort of other residents and the local wildlife. We ask that you seek approval from the Body Corporate before bringing a pet into the village.
Heritage Gardens is located in a quiet cul de sac at Earlville, with Stockland Cairns a comfortable 165 meter walk away. Right next door is the Barr Street Markets where there is a large medical centre, discount chemist, pathology, restaurant, and a fabulous butcher. It is less than 10 minutes’ drive to the Cairns CBD and there are numerous transport options with public transport close at hand and ComLink and St Johns providing regular services to the village.
You can make alterations to the interior and exterior of your villa within reason. External changes that can affect the overall look and/or value of your villa, such as awnings and patio enclosures, do need approval from the Body Corporate. Alterations to leasehold units will need the lessor’s permission. Alterations involving electricity and plumbing also need approval from the Body Corporate and Council approval may also be required for some works. Residents are encouraged to improve the standard of their homes as it maintains the standard of the village and may lead to attractive capital gains for the owner when selling. Obviously there are policies in place to protect the safety and comfort of all residents and to safeguard the aesthetic qualities and integrity of the village.
Your purchase contract and your PCD will include a complete list of fixtures and fittings. Variations of fixtures and fittings may apply between villas. It will depend upon a previous occupant. Leasehold units are offered fully renovated, with new tile flooring, new electrical fittings, new air conditioning and contemporary kitchens and bathrooms.
Not necessarily, but many residents have found the affordability of Heritage Gardens has allowed them more financial freedom having sold their previous homes. If you have to sell your house before you can purchase, your contract may be signed subject to the sale of your home. If you do not sell your home within a reasonable time frame then if both parties agree, you may terminate the contract or you may be able to get an extension to your contract.
Yes, of course. Our large pool is a big hit with the grandchildren. We just ask that young children are adequately supervised for their own safety whilst swimming.
This will vary depending on the size and facilities available with your villa or apartment. Most have a lock-up garage but that is usually used for car parking. Please contact our Village Manager to discuss this.
Of course you may. Each villa has its own garden in front on the common land and in the rear on your exclusive use area of common land there are also gardens established. If you are a keen gardener, have a chat with the Village Manager about taking care of the garden outside of your villa. Otherwise all lawn and garden maintenance is taken care of by our professional gardeners.
Because Heritage Gardens is designed to provide a sense of security and stability, we do not permit rental or sub-letting of villas.
It is advisable, but your choice. You do not need building insurance as this is arranged by the Body Corporate, but you should consider insuring your personal contents.
Heritage Gardens is an independent living environment so we do not have medical professionals on site. However, we welcome the services of visiting healthcare professionals such as general practitioners, physiotherapists and podiatrists. With a large discount Chemist, Doctors surgery, and Blood collection right next door to the village, as well as Xray clinic opposite, your health will be well looked after.
At Heritage Gardens, we pride ourselves on security. Any resident leaving for an extended period is asked to notify the Village Manager as a further precaution.
The committee works with the village management to maintain and enhance the retirement community lifestyle. Committee members are nominated and elected by residents annually.
The market determines the value of any freehold residential property but, in a retirement village, there are some factors which add value to resale potential. Stable management, attractive surroundings and relevant services and activities all influence buyers. The only restriction is that buyers must be aged 50+. Leasehold units have a previously agreed buy-back price, and do not require the departing resident to refurbish to the standard the unit was in on entry, as is the case with the freehold units.
The Deferred Management Fee, or exit fee, is based on the sale price of your strata title villa when you leave, or on the agreed buy back price for leasehold. It is on a time dependent sliding scale, and varies between freehold and leasehold units. The Prospective Costs Document is specific to each type of ownership, and will detail this.
We can help you sell your villa, and our manager is a Licenced Real Estate Agent who only sells our properties and therefore has a good understanding of this market. You can of course choose to use other agents, the choice is yours. We have regular inquiry from people who would like to move into the village so, once you decide you would like to sell your villa, we can contact enquirers to see if we have any possible buyers. Agent commission costs and any other selling costs will be your responsibility and of course, we list your villa on our Units For Sale page as a free service.
The Village Manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of the village. He/she oversees all maintenance issues, ensures the village is running on budget, and looks after the general well-being of the village residents.
The village will always be a village, operated in accordance with the Retirement Villages Act, and your tenure will always be protected. A statutory charge is held over the village, which means should Heritage Gardens go into administration, the bank, or an alternative operator as elected by the bank, will take over the running of the village, but you will always own your home. If you have leased a villa, your lease has been registered against the title, giving you further statutory protection.
Yes. When you purchase at Heritage Gardens, you do so on a freehold strata title basis. Should you transfer the title to a close relative, we establish an agreed value of the property to establish the Deferred Management Fee, or exit fee, payable to the Management.
Retirement Village legislation (Retirement Villages Act) exists in every State and Territory of Australia. While it is not uniform, it addresses a range of common issues and reflects the input of retirement village residents, community groups and the retirement village industry. Your tenure at Heritage Gardens Lifestyle Village is protected by this and is designed mainly to protect the rights of residents. It covers such areas as resident consultation about community management and re-selling entitlements.
The Lessee will buy your lease back at a previously agreed price within 10 months of you vacating the villa.
