FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
Our Frequently Asked Questions page is a good place to start when deciding whether retirement living in Bendigo Domain Country Club is going to be right for you.
If you would like to speak to one of our Lifestyle Consultants please call 1800 550 364.
Country Club Living is part of the Gull Group and is one of the largest family owned retirement living businesses in Australia. Our central management team is based in Ballarat, Victoria.
You will enjoy the protection afforded by the Retirement Villages Act. This is state enacted legislation, so the legislation relating to retirement villages varies from state to state. Note that some villages, where site rental is involved, are not covered by Retirement Villages Acts, however all of our villages are covered by Retirement Villages legislation.
Pursuant to the Retirement Villages Act, a first ranking charge (similar to a mortgage) fixes on the land to protect all residents.
Our contracts are structured so that you do not have to pay stamp duty on a property transfer. This represents a saving to you of thousands of dollars when compared to purchasing a regular property where stamp duty is payable.
There are no other expenses initially payable by a new resident, other than the cost of any legal advice or conveyancing costs, which we recommend you undertake to ensure you understand the contract fully.
No. The entry price you pay entitles you to receive a long lease for a period of 55 years. Unlike some villages, there are no rental costs or site fees to be paid on an ongoing basis at any of our villages.
A monthly service levy covers the day to day cost of operating the village and providing the services and facilities. Under the Retirement Villages Act, the operator cannot profit on that levy. The resident is also required to pay the cost of power, gas and telephone usage in their own home and may be required to pay council & water rates. Your Lifestyle Consultant can discuss this with you, inform you of the current service levy amount and provide further details of what is included.
You will only require contents insurance to cover the contents of your own villa/apartment. All building insurances and public liability insurances are covered by insurance policies taken out by the village, the cost of which is covered by the service levy.
Yes. Your home can be left vacant for long periods, with the knowledge that it will be secure and applicable areas maintained during that period. For security purposes we ask that you notify the village manager if you intend being away for more than a few days at a time.
Yes, pets are allowed and quite common in our villages. Consent from village management is required, mainly to ensure that common sense prevails and pets are not a nuisance to other residents.
No. For the protection of all residents' rights and living enjoyment, we do not offer any dwellings on a rental basis. For the same reasons, residents are not permitted to rent out their dwelling to other people.
Yes, if your chosen dwelling is yet to be built, there may be an opportunity to choose the colour of some items, including floor coverings, drapes, bench tops and kitchen cupboards from a selected range.
There will be visiting practitioners scheduled at the community centre subject to availability and sufficient demand by residents. Country Club Living has also formed a relationship with Mercy Health that entitles residents to a discount on various home care packages that you may wish to take up when you feel the time is right.
There are limited spaces available for the storage of caravans at no cost, on a first come first served basis. If all spaces are taken at the time, a waiting list is kept for spaces that become available.
If you are selling your own home you will be able to arrange settlement to comfortably tie in with your unit/apartment. If construction is not yet complete, we will advise you of a suitable time to sell your home based on construction schedules.
Yes, most of our incoming residents need to sell their home, so our contracts are structured to allow for this. Your Lifestyle Consultant can further explain details of the conditions relating to the sale of a home.
When you decide which unit/apartment you would like to make your new home, a moderate deposit will be required for us to take the dwelling off the market while you sell your home and arrange funds. Your Lifestyle Consultant can advise you of the deposit amount currently required.
Yes, if you are unable to proceed with the purchase your deposit will be refunded.
Certainly, we encourage this because we want people to understand the Country Club lifestyle fully and be 100% comfortable with their decision. Each month we run social events whereby we invite both guests and residents, so you get to meet residents and talk to them about their experiences. Upcoming events can be viewed on our website.
When you have decided which unit/apartment you would like to proceed with, you will pay the deposit and sign an informal, non-binding reservation form which sets out the agreed price and your details, which will then be used to prepare a contract.
You can give us a call on 1800 445 350 (free call) or pop into one of our villages to meet with a Lifestyle Consultant or Village Manager. If you're tight on time, you may even wish to call ahead and make an appointment so we can set plenty of time aside to answer all of your questions thoroughly.
START YOUR LIFESTYE AT
BENDIGO COUNTRY CLUB TODAY
If you would like more information about our over 55 lifestyle community, please free call our lifestyle consultants on 1800 550 364 today!