Making the move to Hampshire Lakes

Moving house can be both exciting and challenging at the same time. To ensure the process of moving to Hampshire Lakes is as easy as possible, Anchor has compiled the following helpful information for new purchasers.

For many people, moving to a retirement village can help to get the most out of life - offering independence, security, like-minded neighbours and a vibrant community all in one place.

Choosing a retirement property is a big decision and we encourage you to seek independent advice and discuss your options with your family and your legal advisers in detail. 

Many people wonder about the changes in lifestyle that moving to a retirement village will bring. Life in a retirement village can be as action-packed or laid-back as you like, and while it can present a wealth of new opportunities, there is no need for you to change your usual activities or routines at all. Retirement villages provide you with an abundance of opportunities to take up new activities and make new friends, or simply provide new venues for an already busy social life. At Hampshire Lakes, the village team help organise regular functions for residents. Families and friends can come to stay in the village and Hampshire Lakes is within easy reach of a host of shops and restaurants, so you can be as active outside the community as within. 

Cost of moving into Hampshire Lakes 

The reservation fee for Hampshire Lakes apartments is £1,000.

10% of the purchase price of your apartment is payable on exchange and customers will also need to budget for Stamp Duty, their own legal and moving costs.

Ongoing charges while living at Hampshire Lakes 

Ground rent

£500 per year, for the first 25 years.

This is payable on the 1 April each year. If you purchase your lease part way through the year a proportion of the amount due will be payable, at completion of your sale. 

The ground rent will double every 25 years throughout the term of the lease.

Service charge

£123.65 per week (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022)

At Hampshire Lakes you can own your retirement apartment and enjoy everything the village and its grounds have to offer, without having to worry about expensive maintenance, repairs or upkeep. All residents pay a contribution to the running costs of the facilities, support services and maintenance of the building and grounds which is known as the ‘service charge’. The service charge account is raised in advance and is split equally between all of the apartments. As we are a not-for-profit organisation we keep our service charge as low as possible. We ensure you can enjoy your retirement by carrying out all the tasks associated with managing and maintaining the village facilities, support services, buildings and grounds, on your behalf. The service charge is divided into a number of components detailed below. A copy of a typical service charge account can be obtained from the Village Adviser.

Component Elements of the Service Charge:

The Management Team
The General Manager and support teams are responsible for the day to day running of Hampshire Lakes and all its amenities. They ensure that all aspects of Hampshire Lakes are constantly monitored and that the well-being of all residents is maintained. A management fee covers the costs of the services provided to the apartments centrally by Anchor. The services provided include HR, IT and finance.

Gardens and Grounds
Anchor will organise gardener(s) to tend them and also look after the paths and walkways to make sure they are free of trip hazards. 

Communal Areas, Electricity, Gas and Water
The heating, lighting and use of water in the communal areas and gardens.

24-Hour On-call Response
Your apartment is equipped with an emergency call system which will result in an on-call member of the team coming directly to your assistance, in an emergency. If no-one can attend immediately (e.g. because they are attending another call) the calls are directed to Anchorcall (Anchor’s 24-hour customer centre).

The Maintenance Team
There is a Maintenance Team on site that are qualified to undertake small repairs and provide fire alarm/equipment checks within Hampshire Lakes. In addition you can use the Maintenance Team for help with small jobs in your home, at an additional charge, quotes can be obtained from the Village Manager.

Telephone, Television and Wi-Fi 
The service charge covers the use of a hotel style telephone that will enable external calls and your friends and family to call you. There will be Wi-Fi in the communal areas within the village core for you to access. Telephones calls are billed for external calls via Anchor. Internal calls are free. You do have an option to go directly with your own choice of phone provider. If you want your own choice of Wi-Fi then you would purchase separately – direct with the internet provider and you would be billed direct. TV – we will provide standard Freeview channels and the property is wired for Sky Plus. If you want this then you would need to subscribe directly with a provider. You are responsible for obtaining a TV licence for your apartment.

Insurance, Maintenance and Repair Contracts 
We arrange for any external maintenance to your apartment and its facilities, and insure all the buildings. The service charge also covers regular window cleaning. Repair contracts for lifts, central kitchen equipment and other plant and equipment are in place and all necessary checks are done on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis to comply with manufacturer’s recommendations and legislative requirements, where appropriate. The communal areas are inspected by the handyperson to make sure that all lights and equipment are working correctly. They also arrange for PAT (portable appliance test) for all communal electrical equipment. Please note as a resident you will be responsible for the internal maintenance and redecoration of your apartment and for home contents insurance.

The Village Minibus 
Village transport and a driver are provided for you to use for planned shopping trips, please see the Reception Team for a schedule and timetable of when the transport is available.

The Restaurant, Bar and Coffee Shop 
Hampshire Lakes has its own catering team and the various catering facilities are for use by all residents and their guests.

The Wellness Centre 
Hampshire Lakes has its own luxurious Wellness Centre, a private facility primarily for the use of village residents with a limited number of local memberships also being made available. The service charge allows access to all the facilities, although for some dedicated treatments/activities there may be a charge.

Social Activities and Events 
The village offers a wide range of social and educational activities organised by the village team. Events will either be funded by Anchor, through the service charge, or be subject to a small fee.

Other costs at Hampshire Lakes

Car parking

Separate to the lease, you may be offered a permit to park a car in one of our non-allocated parking spaces. The lease specifies that car parking spaces are not allocated. The permit is renewable every 12 months and allows you to park registered to yourself at your address. Please speak to our sales advisors for more information.

Sales Transition and Administration Fee

£660 inc. VAT

This covers the cost of dealing with the resale of a property and the associated legal aspects. There may be other costs associated with additional solicitor enquiries that you will be made aware of when applicable.

Deferred sinking fund contribution

4.5% of the market value/resale price

The deferred sinking fund is a fund which we will build up over time and which will be available to meet the cost of major repairs and refurbishment works which are not covered by the monthly service charge.

You should note that the amount in the sinking fund may vary from time to time and we can give no guarantee that there will be sufficient funds in the sinking fund to meet all of the costs of any work which may need to be done. Where there are not sufficient funds in the sinking fund the difference will be collected as an addition to the service charge.

Your contribution to the sinking fund will be 4.5% of the market value or sale price (whichever is higher) of your property at the time it is sold. For example, if you sell your property for £600, 000, 4.5% of this amount, £27,000 will be payable to Anchor at point of sale.