FAQs.

Cottages, townhouses and Wendywood Apartments are self-care so it is up to the resident to ring reception and request a visit from our maintenance men to change your light bulb, unblock your drain, or assist you in any way they can. We can help you to get settled in, for example we can help with phone connection, TV tuning, putting up picture hooks and arranging furniture etc.

There are some rules for living in the Village, as required by legislation, which are provided with the document pack for new residents. These are a reasonable set of rules designed to protect the rights and lifestyle of residents in the community and also relate to the continuing relationship between the resident and the Trust.

We accept expressions of interest from anyone aged 75 or over.

We have around 120 people in our Independent Living Units at any one time, and a 66-bed Care Facility (21 in the rest home, 30 in the Total Care unit and 15 in the Dementia unit).

A new resident will purchase an ORA in a cottage, townhouse or apartment, and the price is refunded to the resident on their exit from that property, (less the amenity contribution and admin fee), once a new resident has bought an ORA in that same unit.

The amenity contribution is the deduction made according to a set percentage based on length of time the resident has owned the ORA and represents a contribution towards the cost of the village amenities and the cost of refurbishment of the cottage/apartment.

An administration fee plus GST is also deducted. The Village is run by Kerikeri Retirement Village Limited which is a not for profit Charitable Company. All income of the Village is used in the running, maintaining and upgrading of the Village under the direction of the Board of Trustees. Residents pay a fortnightly fee to cover rates, water rates, property insurance, exterior maintenance of their cottage/townhouse/apartment, staff wages, gardening, emergency call system and other general costs. On inquiry, we can discuss these financial aspects further with you.

Current prices are available from our Village Manager. Click here if you would like her to give you a call.

Our retirement village is a housing development designed specifically to suit the requirements of the over 60s. Our residents live in their own cottages, townhouses or apartments and enjoy the independence of living in their own home without the burden of maintenance and gardening - as most of this is done by the Village. Residents are able to enjoy a more relaxed and secure lifestyle. Our village also houses a Care Facility and Social Centre.

We find that our park-like grounds, larger-sized villas, and proximity to town and amenities are all significant attractions.

Also – our innovative thinking and action around things like environmental sustainability and ‘Aging in Place’ (care comes to you rather than you having to shift around to find the appropriate care as you age).

We offer a full package of care facilities in one place – from Independent Living through to Rest Home, Total Care and Dementia.

Finally, we find that many people are attracted by the fact that we are a Charitable Company, centred around the community in which we are situated. We are not owned by a large or multinational corporation.

You can make an appointment with our Village Manager through our reception on 09 407 0070.

Give us a call and we'll see what we can do!

Yes, you may cancel the ORA by giving notice to the Trust within 15 working days after you have signed the ORA. Any deposit will then be refunded to you with interest. This is a statutory requirement designed to give you some further thinking space. We want you to be happy in your decision.

To live in a cottage, townhouse or apartment, you would buy an Occupation Right Agreement (ORA). These are a special form of licence governed by the Retirement Villages Act 2003 and regulated by the Registrar of Retirement Villages and the industry Code of Practice 2008.

The ORA is the agreement between the resident and the Kerikeri Village Trust and outlines the terms of your right to occupancy in a cottage, townhouse or apartment for the life term (health permitting) of one or more partners, and to enjoy the facilities of the village. The title to the land and buildings remains with the Trust.

The ORA can only be issued in the names of the residents occupying the dwelling, however the funds used to purchase the ORA can come from a family trust. A separate deed will need to be drawn up between the parties involved to legally identify where the funds come from and where they are to be distributed on termination of the agreement, to protect the assets of the trust.

No. The ORA cannot be transferred

This is not permitted under the terms of the ORA.

Kerikeri Village Trust insures the buildings, (which includes fixtures such as carpets, floor coverings and fixed chattels), and this is covered in your fortnightly fee. You are responsible for insuring your own contents and personal belongings, including your private motor vehicle. You will be responsible for the excess on any insurance claim arising out of any damage done by yourself or your guests to the dwelling or community buildings. We recommend you take out cover for accommodation should the cottage or apartment become uninhabitable in the event of fire or natural disaster.

The Village Manager is responsible for managing the maintenance of the buildings and grounds in the Village. The Trust also operates a sinking fund in respect of maintenance. A long term maintenance plan is updated and presented to all residents at the village AGM and a copy of this plan is available to residents on request.

Not over the dwelling, but you may grant a security over your interest in the refund due to you at the termination of the ORA. Professional advice should be sought before giving such a security.

While there is no ‘right time’, many of our residents move when one or both of them is retired and they want to live in a village with like-minded people and services on hand that allow them to make the most of their leisure time.

The Retirement Villages Act 2003 requires the appointment of a statutory supervisor who represents the interests of the residents. The statutory supervisor deals with the financial transaction of entering into and termination of ORAs, reviews annual accounts of retirement villages and acts on behalf of residents where appropriate. The statutory supervisor attends several residents meetings in the year. A Deed of Supervision made between the Trust and our statutory supervisor is available for inspection on request.

In addition, your legal interest in the Village is secured by an encumbrance over the Village land held by the statutory supervisor which ranks ahead of mortgage securities, with the benefit of this protection remaining should the Village ever change hands.

The Retirement Villages Act 2003 also provides for the establishment of a Residents Advisory Committee. This committee works with the village management to ensure we meet the needs of the residents. You are always welcome to talk to our Cheif Executive or Village Manager about any concerns or issues you have.

The Village Manager is available during office hours for most of the working week and is in charge or the day to day administration of the village. Currently our Village Manager is Frances Shaw and you can reach her on 09 929 5836.

We are a member of the Retirement Villages Association (RVA) of New Zealand and pay close attention to their recommendations and standards to deliver a high quality level of service to our residents. Every three years the RVA conducts a full accreditation of the Village to ensure that their standards are being met.

We allow transfers between dwellings and the terms of transfers are set out in our ORA. Typically our residents would transfer from a cottage to a smaller apartment or the Care Facility. In the case of a transfer from a cottage or townhouse to an apartment, the amenity contribution is not charged twice but any remaining liability will be charged on the new dwelling. In the transfer process, whether between dwellings or from a dwelling to the care facility, only one services fee will be charged.

When you permanently leave your cottage or apartment, your ORA will terminate. It is then the responsibility of the Village to sell the next ORA on the cottage or apartment. The value of the new ORA will be based on annual valuations and actual similar sales that have occurred in the Village. You will receive payment for your cottage or apartment once the new resident has taken occupation. The sale process is governed by the regulations of the Retirement Act 2003 and Code of Practice 2008. Until a new ORA is sold, the fortnightly fee continues to be payable, (we still have to pay rates and insurance etc), but if not sold within 6 months the fee reduces to 50%. Our disclosure statement, available on request, gives details on the length of time we are taking to resell ORAs.

We welcome any concerns or complaints you may have and you can click here to download a copy of our Complaints Procedures document.

Complaints do not have to be in writing but should be directed to our Village Manager to ensure prompt action and to enable us to keep you informed of the outcome. Every complaint will be recorded and we will do our best to ensure your confidentiality. If you are unhappy with the outcome , we will assist you to access the Advocacy Service.

Our dispute resolution policies and procedures follow the requirements of the Retirement Villages Act 2003 and the Code of Practice 2008 and you can click here to download a copy of our Complaints & Disputes Procedure document. New residents are given full information on where to turn in the event of a dispute. We are proactive in providing guidance and resolving matters. We want our residents to be happy living in our Village and satisfied with our level of service.

Should our cottage, townhouse or apartment residents ever need care, they will receive priority in obtaining a room in our Care Facility ahead of the general public. While this is subject to availability of rooms, our staff do their best to keep our residents within the village where possible.

In a situation where one spouse requires care while the other remains in their cottage, it can relieve the worry of care while still allowing them to spend time together on a daily basis.

In our Care Facility we also offer specialised care at hospital level and care for residents with dementia. See our Frequently Asked Questions for the Care Facility for more information.

Emergency call buttons are provided in each cottage or apartment. These are monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by our Care Facility staff. The staff includes a Registered Nurse who will have overall responsibility for the callout regardless of whether the RN or a Healthcare Assistant attends first. We find that our residents are more willing to use the call bell if they are in discomfort, knowing familiar care staff will come rather than wait until a dire emergency to ask for help.

If you have a small well-behaved animal we will usually allow you to accommodate it in a cottage or townhouse. We will however, ask you to remove the animal from the village if it becomes a nuisance to other residents. We do not usually allow animals in our Wendywood apartments.

Yes, you can order meals to be delivered to your cottage, townhouse or apartment. Generally meals are ordered on a pre-arranged regular basis and cancelled when the resident is away for any reason. Some people order roasts on Sundays only. Others have their meals delivered every day and sometimes twice a day. Our main meal is delivered at mid-day. Some people keep it in the fridge and heat it up for their dinner. A main meal with dessert is $12.00, (as of August 2016).

We run a service known as Village Support which can provide a full range of services to you at reasonable rates. These services may include, cleaning, help with showering, shopping for you, daily visits to help with medication, and other appropriate services. Talk to our Village Support Co-ordinator Joanna, contact Reception for her phone number.

Certainly within reason, but we ask our keen gardeners to work “alongside” the gardening staff and discuss what they would like. Together they come up with a plan which often involves the gardening staff doing the digging and planting.

We arrange regular social activities for Village residents. These include dinners, afternoon teas, outings to cafes/restaurants and places of interest plus other events organised within the Village, such as our Village Fete and Christmas concert. Some events carry a charge while others are free to participate in.

We operate a bus and several vans to assist us with outings.

There is a range of regular social activities held in the Village such as cards, bowls and dinners. You are also welcome to use our library.

Friends and family are very welcome to stay with you in your cottage, townhouse or apartment for up to five weeks and may use the communal facilities whilst in your company.

Of course. Just let Reception know when you are leaving and due back. We’ll look after your home and garden in the meantime.

There is lots of information on this website or you can click here to request an information pack. These are also available by calling reception on 09 407 0070.