Offering a quiet lifestyle in a close-knit community

That depends on both the retirement village and the style of home you choose. As a guide, our retirement village starting prices are below. Please note there are additional costs as outlined in the next question, ‘How do the fees work? (in plain English please!)’.

Albany – starting from $430,000

Carine – starting from $1,450,000

Centro – starting from $580,000

Lesmurdie – starting from $630,000

Melville – starting from $430,000

Murdoch – starting from $600,000

Northshore – starting from $345,000

Like most Retirement Village operators, St Ives has a Deferred Management Fee (DMF) model in place, which is a way for incoming resident residents to pay part of their costs after they move out – saving residents money upfront so they have more to spend on enjoying their lifestyle during their stay. This is a model unique to the retirement living industry.

The model is made up of three cost units.

1 – Ingoing Contribution 

On moving into one of our retirement living communities you will pay a price for your home, determined by its size, location of the retirement village, market conditions, and a lot of other factors – just as you would for any real estate purchase.

2 – A monthly common services fee.

During your stay, you’ll pay a monthly ‘common services’ fee, which helps cover the running costs of the Village and amenities and keep everything maintained to a very high standard. Please note this does not include your other services, such as telephone, internet, electricity and contents insurance. The monthly common services fee varies across Villages, depending on what amenities are on offer. When reviewing the monthly fee, consider the fact that you probably already pay an equal amount in rates, upkeep and lifestyle costs.

3 – The outgoing costs.

When you leave your Village, you will be required to pay the below costs.

• The DMF, which is calculated as a percentage of the outgoing sales price. Remember how you paid less than comparable real estate in the area as part of the ongoing contribution? Well, here is where that gap is paid – this is why it is called a ‘deferred’ fee. The longer you are in a Village, the higher the DMF will be. All details of the DMF can be found in your contract and will be carefully explained by our friendly team before you move in.
• A refurbishment fee to bring your home back to its near original state. This helps raise the potential sales price of your home and makes it more attractive to potential. The refurbishment may include new kitchens, benchtops and tiling – just as you would do when selling any home.
• Fees associated with selling your home. St Ives Realty will market your home for sale and help negotiate the best price possible. This will involve paying a commission and other fees, such as marketing costs, just as it does for any real estate sale.

Looking for more information? 

More information on this model,as well as examples of the costs, can be found here.

A great short videoexplaining retirement living costs can be viewed here.

A comparison ofretirement living costs versus other options is available here.

Some food for thought aroundongoing life costs versus your current living costs can be read here.

*Property Council Retirement Census 2022

Retirement villages can only be accessed by people fully capable of living independently, whereas aged care or home care is a completely separate service industry that helps support elderly people with high care needs. That doesn’t mean you don’t have the security of aged care – and if you need to access home care services, you can easily arrange visits from allied health services. While our villages do not have health clinics on site, each location is a short drive from local practices.

A big part of retirement living is downsizing, so most people aren’t able to bring everything they own with them. While all our homes have been built with ample storage, and many feature a lock-up garage and additional storage, most of our residents take advantage of this opportunity to clear out the things they’ve been meaning to for years and just bring along the things they truly love. Many of our villages also come with caravan and boat parking, so you don’t need to leave your lifestyle behind.

All of the apartments and homes in our villages are enclosed, and many are gated, with swipe access to enter. All homes and apartments are for those of age who can live independently and have 24-hour emergency call systems in place.One of the other big benefits of living in a retirement living is the sense of security and peace of mind, knowing you’re surrounded by like-minded people who are all looking out for you. It means if you want to leave your property at any time, it’s simply a matter of locking and leaving and knowing you have a community keeping an eye on things for you.

Yes. All our homes, shops and on-site facilities have a 24-hour emergency call system linked to emergency services, which can access all places within the Village.