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5 Steps to find your Retirement Living

Step 1

Make a wishlist

Consider where you’ve always pictured yourself in your retirement. Is it somewhere by the sea or a serene country setting? What kind of activities do you like? Is it important to be near friends or family or are you happy to make new friends? Write down all your preferences and also what kind of home you’d like.

Step 2

Shop around

It’s time to do your research! Have a good look around online and then book tours of your shortlist. Be sure to ask lots of questions – you want to make sure you’re comparing apples with apples. Look at the location, the services on offer and the costs. Then talk through it all with your family and friends.

Step 3

Understand your costs

We know the costs can be a little confusing…but it’s important to know what’s what. Look at the deposit you’d need to pay, the entry price and the ongoing fees. Don’t forget the exit fees too! It’s a good idea to get personal financial advice from a professional who specialises in retirement, for your peace of mind.

Step 4

Paperwork and legal advice

There are several important documents to go through. They are the Village comparison document (VCD), the Prospective costs document (PCD) and the Residence contract. There’s also an entry condition report to read through. It’s a good idea to get legal advice for the contracts to make sure everything’s OK.

Step 5

Move in and enjoy

You’ll get a settlement date and then it’s time to move in and start enjoying yourself. You may need to downsize your home contents. Make a list of what fits into your new home and then work backwards to figure out the rest. It’s an exciting time meeting your neighbours and settling into village life. Enjoy!

Let’s make this easier for you

We get that this is a big move and it can be a bit daunting at first. Your happiness really matters for us… so we’re here to make life easier. One of the special things we offer Lutheran Services is your own dedicated Client and Community Advisor, who will happily answer all your questions and be with you all the way. Often taking the first step is actually the hardest – so let’s get started.

YouFirst

YouFirst

Our flexible pricing model

So you have more choice around how you retire, we offer flexible pricing to suit you. We call it youfirst and it gives you greater options.

It’s all up to you – you get to choose your purchase price. You could choose to pay less when you move in…and defer some of the cost of your new home until it’s time to re-sell. That way you get to keep more savings in the bank and continue enjoying your lifestyle.

Looking to get the pension? With youfirst you can opt to pay more when you arrive and then receive a larger payment when it’s time to re-sell.

Youfirst helps you benefit! Whatever your situation, youfirst will have an option to suit.

Get an idea of your costs

With our YouFirst Estimator

Pay more or less upfront, it’s up to you. Try our handy costs calculator to help you find the best pricing option for your lifestyle.

Here’s what these terms mean:

Base Price and Exit fee

The Base Price and Exit fee is our standard price and exit fee option.

Pay more upfront

With the Pay More Upfront option you get a higher purchase price, with a lower exit fee when you leave. This may be suit you if you are considering an income such as a pension.

Pay Less Upfront

The Pay Less Upfront option gives you a lower purchase price, with a higher exit fee when you leave. This means you can maximise the buying power of your money or keep hold of some cash for your lifestyle or that ‘rainy day’.

YouFirst Estimator

Our locations

So, where have you always wanted to live? Lutheran Services communities are spread across a variety of desirable coastal, inner city and rural locations. Discover our range of one, two and three bedroom town homes, villas and apartments. The perfect start to your exciting new chapter. Check out our featured locations or click here to see all our communities.

Orana Retirement Living

24 Macdiarmid Street, Kingaroy QLD
07 4162 6555

Orana is a retirement living sanctuary of well-maintained gardens where you can wake up to birdsong.

Tabeel Retirement Living

91 Alfred Street, Laidley QLD
07 5466 8300

A serene retirement lifestyle nestled in the beautiful Lockyer Valley.

Alondra Residences

25 Union Street, Nundah QLD
07 3858 3077

Inspired by nature and the essence of home, Alondra features 52 architecturally designed luxury apartments.

Get to know us

We look forward to getting to know you. Download our brochure and other helpful resources here. Why not pop the kettle on so you can sit down and have a good read through the information.

Lutheran Services Retirement Living Brochure pdf 1.90 MB
5 Steps to Entering Retirement Living pdf 127.83 KB
Retirement Living Wishlist pdf 399.58 KB
Downsizing Guide pdf 117.86 KB
YouFirst Flyer pdf 112.53 KB
Retirement Living Provider Comparison pdf 732.69 KB

This will make you smile

Be part of something wonderful with Moving Moments.

Kids say the funniest things. Stay young doing fun activities with a great bunch of kids at our Moving Moments program. Anyone over 65 can join in (over 50 for First Nations Elders) at our Biloela, Caloundra, Buderim and Gympie communities.

Here to answer your questions

We understand there’s a lot to consider… but we can say one of the great things about living in our communities is that it’s really easy. We take care of various things for you so you’ve got more time to do the things you love. You have total freedom and flexibility so you can live a rich, joyful lifestyle. All the costs of living (such as rates and insurance) are bundled into one easy, fortnightly fee and typically work out to be cheaper than living in your own home.

Living in one of our communities gives you the chance to enjoy life with like-minded people. It’s really secure and help is on hand for your peace of mind. You’re also protected by the obligations and responsibilities of the retirement village legally.

Have you had a walk around yet? A tour is a great starting point to get a feel for a place. It’s a good idea to visit a couple so you can compare. Want to discuss your situation with us? We’re here to chat any time. We give you a dedicated Client Advisor who is your one point of contact and happy to answer all your questions.

Youfirst is good news for you. It’s our new flexible pricing model which gives you more financial options so you can make the most of your retirement.

You can opt to pay less when you move in…and defer some of the costs for when it’s time to re-sell. So that you have more money to enjoy while you’re living in our community.

Or if you are considering income such as a pension, youfirst gives you the option of paying more when you enter and receiving a larger payment when it’s time to re-sell.

We can explain it more to you and are happy to answer all your questions.

No, it’s quite different from buying a house in the residential market. The contracts, processes and costs are different.

Usually when you buy a home it is on a freehold basis, which means you own the property. Most retirement village transactions are different because you are not actually purchasing the property – you are purchasing the right to reside in the property (at Lutheran Services you acquire a Licence to Reside).

A Licence to Reside means you can be in your retirement village unit until you decide to leave. You don’t need to pay stamp duty and you don’t need to pay registration associated with the title of the unit.

In order to purchase a Licence to Reside, you pay an amount to the retirement village, which is called an Ingoing Contribution (this is the cost of the unit).

Confused? Let us try to explain it really simply. You don’t ‘buy’ your unit…you pay an amount (Ingoing Contribution) that gives you a Licence to Reside. We hope this helps. Your Client and Community Advisor will be happy to explain it to you in person.

This is what you pay to go into your unit. Most retirement villages work this way.

When you pay your Ingoing Contribution, you pay for your Licence to Reside in your unit in our community. That’s what you pay to get in.

With our youfirst flexible payment options, you get to choose what Ingoing Contribution you pay. There are options to suit you financial set up.

An Exit Fee is accrued while you live in your apartment and it’s something you need to pay when you leave. It’s deducted from your Exit Entitlement.

How much you pay is based on a percentage of what you paid to enter our community (your Ingoing Contribution – the cost of your Licence to Reside).

So when you leave, we repay you your Ingoing Contribution less the Exit Fee you’ve accrued while staying there.

An Exit Fee can sometimes also called a Deferred Management Fee by some retirement villages.

We’re happy to explain all this to you and answer any questions you may have.

You will be paid your Exit Entitlement when your unit has been sold to someone else. Once they buy your unit, you’ll get your payment within 14 days. If your unit doesn’t sell within 18 months, Lutheran Services will pay you the amount.

When you move to one of our communities, you’ll get a Residence Agreement.

You’ll also get a Prospective Costs Document. This has all the details of the commercial arrangements about your purchase of the unit.

After you sign these contracts you will have a 14 day cooling-off period. So if you change your mind it’s OK, you have options.

This depends on which payment option you choose. There are various options available for you with our youfirst flexible payment model.

In terms of living in your unit…all your daily costs such as rates, insurance, grounds and maintenance are bundled into one easy fee. You pay this fee each fortnight and it typically works out to be cheaper than living in your own home.

You will need to pay for your own power, water, phone and internet. Your building insurance is covered in your daily fee – if you want to insure your personal contents then that’s up to you.

Building insurance is covered in your daily fee. If you want contents insurance for things inside your home then you will need to organise that.

Until your unit is sold you’ll need to pay the General Service Charge which is the general day-to-day running of your community. This is one of the components of your fortnightly fee (not all of it).

If your unit doesn’t sell straight away, you pay this charge for 3 months. Then you just pay a portion of it for up to 9 months. Regardless of whether your unit has sold or not, you won’t have to pay this fee after 9 months.

We have a range of different options so you can find the right fit for you. We refurbish all our accommodation options so that they are in a great condition when you move in.

Yes, of course! We love visitors. Just chat to the site manager if your visitors plan to stay for more than a few weeks.

We can do that for you. We offer a Home Care Service at all our Lutheran Services communities. This can be government funded or you can pay a fee-for-service, whatever suits your situation. You can also add extra services on if you’d like more help around the house.

You just need to be 70 years or older. If you’re a couple then you just need one person to be 70 or over.

Our communities are pet friendly and pets are very welcome within reason. We understand how important pets are – so let’s chat about your companion to make sure they are compatible with living in our community. Once you move in, we’re happy to arrange pet care and vet visits to make sure your best friend is as well looked after as you are.

Yes, we take security very seriously. That’s one of the advantages of retirement living is that you can shut the door and we’ll keep an eye on things while you’re away.

Let us know when you’re going to be away for an extended period (just as an extra precaution).

Other things we offer

Home Care

If you’re not ready for Aged Care, we can help you enjoy the lifestyle you love at home. It’s your home, your life, your way – we’re just there to help.

Aged Care

Others entertain, we engage our residents. Here you’ll make meaningful connections and have a laugh along the way. We go out of our way to help you feel at home.

Community Services

Our professional services are tailored to your individual needs. We offer a range of community support services delivered with care and understanding.

Let’s talk about you

We’d love to hear from you and answer all your questions about retirement living. Give us a call on 1800 960 433 or fill out the form and we’ll be in touch shortly.

We’d love you to drop by

You’ll get a better idea when you see it in person. Click here to book a tour of a location at a time that suits you.

Something else?

We’d love to hear from you. Click here to get in touch and a friendly member of our team will get back to you.