What does your Service Charge cover?
When you purchase a property at one of our developments, you will be required to pay an annual Service Charge towards the running of the development. The budge for this is reviewed annually. The Service Charge covers all communal facilities and services as the development including:
Your Estates Manager & team
To ensure your well being and to deal with the day to day running of our Retirement Living PLUS developments, there is an Estate Manager and a team of the dedicated staff, one of whom is always on site, in case of emergency, 24 hours a day.
Within our Retirement Living developments there is a House Manager available Monday to Friday who oversees the smooth running of the development. You can find out more about their role here.
24-Hour Emergency Call Service
A round the clock emergency call response service provides reassurance and support if and when required and supports the role of the estates team.
Electricity/Heating/Lighting/Power
The general communal and other areas of the development such as guest suite and kitchen are provided with electricity, heating, and lighting. Individual apartments are usually metered separately and are the responsibility of each homeowner.
Water & Sewage
The costs for the general communal areas, guest suite, kitchen, staff accommodation and individual apartments are collectively metered and apportioned in accordance with the terms of the lease. (In Scotland water and sewage are included in you Council Tax).
Management & Maintenance of the Building
The budget is carefully prepared to provide for the cleaning of communal areas, maintenance of the gardens, service repair and maintenance of equipment and building and the management of the development.
The Restaurant or Bistro
Where in-house restaurants or bistros are available within our Retirement Living Plus developments, the Service Charge covers the provision of catering services for homeowners and guests every day of the year.
Flexible Domestic Assistance & Personal Care
As part of the service charge within Retirement Living Plus developments, 1 hours domestic assistance is available each week for the homeowners in each apartment.
Although not part of the service charge residents can purchase additional domestic assistance and personal care through McCarthy Stone’s management services.
Contingency Fund
It is as important that you don’t face any unexpected financial burdens in your new home. To give you confidence that there’s enough money available to meet any major maintenance and refurbishment an allowance is included within your annual Service Charge to help cover the cost of repairs and redecoration.
Collection of the Service Charge
The Service Charge for apartments are annual cost. However, to help homeowners spread the cost over the year , homeowners can pay monthly in advance via direct debit. New homeowners moving into a development will pay from the time the apartment was purchased.
