Moving into a retirement village can be both a stressful and daunting time for everyone concerned. It is important to make the transition process as smooth as possible to reduce stress for all involved. Listed below is a short process that should be followed before entering into a retirement village contract:

  1. Find a suitable retirement village – there are many retirement villages spread throughout New South Wales, and picking the right one is important. Some are private facilities and some are run by local churches. Choose one that supports the kind of community in which you would like to live.
  2. You should make contact with the retirement village manager to discuss the costs associated with moving into a particular village. After the initial fee, there will be ongoing fees and often there are numerous hidden costs for the additional services provided (e.g. cleaning, meals, etc.)
  3. If you do find the right retirement village, you will be asked to put down a deposit. This takes the property off the market for a set period. At this time you will be given a Disclosure Statement which sets out your financial obligations.
  4. If you intend to sell your current residence to fund moving into the retirement village, then speak to a real estate agent about putting your property on the market as soon as possible.
  5. Once you receive retirement village documentation from the village or their lawyers, you should have these reviewed by your legal representative. These documents are usually quite complex and will generally require a person with sound legal expertise to highlight any abnormal clauses. Seeking legal advice will also allow you to manage the sale of your current property in a more timely manner.
  6. Once the retirement village documents are signed, these will be returned to the village lawyers, pending the sale of your current residence.
  7. Once your current residence has been contracted to be sold, the legal representative will then arrange for your current residence and the purchase of your retirement village to occur simultaneously.
  8. Before moving into the retirement village, it is important that you document the condition of the retirement village unit before settlement occurs. You should contact the manager of the retirement to have a condition report prepared. This avoids any dispute on your vacation of the premises such as cracked windows, broken locks etc.
  9. On completion of the sale of your current residence, cheques will be drawn in favour of the retirement village to cover your ingoing contribution to the retirement village. This will all occur on the same day. Once this occurs, you will move into the retirement village.
  10. As a matter of house keeping, whenever you buy or sell property it is important to update your Will. Ensure that you have a current Will in place and if you already have a Will, ensure you have updated it as part of your estate planning.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.