Making the move to Blue Hills is the easiest move you will ever make. Visit our new FOR SALE link in the top menu to see what great opportunities currently exist at Blue Hills Residences. You may also like to contact our office to arrange a tour and or a home inspection, call today on 5990 9000.

Take the time to read the Most often asked questions below, these may help you to make a decision on moving into this magnificent Lifestyle Resort.

Questions Most Asked:

Why should I consider a move to Blue Hills?
Blue Hills is a place where you can feel safe and secure and a place where friendships can be formed. Blue Hills is a place where you make your own lifestyle choices, whether it be a session of Tai Chi, a game of bowls, a swim in our pool or a hit of tennis.

What age do I have to be?
Either yourself, your spouse or your partner must be at least 55 years old, or retired from full time employment.

Can I still work if I live at Blue Hills?
Yes, you most certainly can continue to work as long as you are over 55. The only requirement is that you do not use your unit or the community facilities as a place of business.

What upfront costs will I incur when I enter into a loan/lease agreement with Blue Hills?
Currently there are no stamp duty costs associated with entering into a loan/lease agreement. However, if there were to be a change in legislation any stamp duty payable would be the responsibility of the purchaser, just like buying a home anywhere else.

When moving in to Blue Hills you will incur some of the normal costs associated with moving, namely:

• Your solicitor’s fees incurred when entering into the loan/lease agreement
• Carrier and furniture removal costs
• There are no connection fees for telephone, gas and electricity

For your protection, it is our suggestion that you seek your own solicitor’s advice. This will help ensure you make the correct decision. We also recommend that you ask your solicitor if they have a good understanding of Retirement Villages and the Victorian Retirement Villages Act.

Who pays the legal fees?
You are responsible to pay the legal fees for both Blue Hills and for yourself. Blue Hills’ legal fees are approximately $1000.00. If you decide not to go ahead with the purchase our legal fees are still applicable. In that situation Blue Hills’ legal fees are approximately $600 if you change your mind within the initial 28 day period, or approximately $1000 if you withdraw after the 28 days, by which time loan lease agreements will have been drawn up.

Who is the owner and Manager?
The owner of Blue Hills Residences is Blue Hills Residences Pty Ltd (ACN 095837915) and the manager is an individual employed by Blue Hills Residences Pty Ltd. Currently the manager is Louise Morison. Louise has been with the company since the beginning and she holds a diploma of Business. Blue Hills Residences Pty Ltd is a private company. It is a sole director company and the company director is Judith Clarkson. The executives and key personnel of Blue Hills have been involved in the retirement industry for many years and their expertise will ensure that Blue Hills remains at the forefront of retirement living concepts.

What different types of units are available at Blue Hills?
Blue Hills offers 4 different unit types with 2 or 3 bedroom options. We refer to them as: The Madeleine, The Annaleise, The Camilla and The Courtney. (Floor plans are included in your information kit). We also have 18, 1 bedroom apartments inside the Country Club. These apartments are called The Stephanie.
However, Blue Hills is a fully completed village and only resale units/apartments are available.

How can I reserve a unit at Blue Hills?
To reserve a unit at Blue Hills, we allow a seven (7) day hold on your chosen unit. If you wish to proceed from there, we require a $1000.00 deposit and the SOLD sign will go up on your chosen unit. Upon receipt of a unit deposit, we will write out two receipts. One is given to the purchaser and the other is forwarded to our Solicitor after the compulsory three day cooling off period expires. As we only have resale units available, we allow you a three month period in which to sell your existing home.

What chattels are included in the units/apartments?
As Blue Hills is a completed village all units purchased will be resale units. They come complete with ducted reverse cycle air conditioning/heating, dishwasher, clothes dryer, slide out exhaust fan, electric wall oven, gas hot plates, heat lamps in the bathroom, monitored security system and remote control garage doors. The soft furnishings that are included in a resale unit are the curtains, awnings, sheers that already exists within the unit. Carpets are generally replaced, and paint work is touched up where necessary.

What is included outside?
Rear paved areas, rear covered pergola, rear private back fences and garden plants.

What security features are included?
Lockable security doors – front & back, window locks & fly screens on all windows, a monitored intruder alarm and automatic gates at the entrances to the village, these gates close at 9pm and open at 6am every day. Residents access the village after hours using a remote control.

What is the weekly service fee and how is this determined?
The service fee may only be adjusted in accordance with the Retirement Villages Act. It is adjusted once per year on the 1st of July. Generally this increase is in accordance with CPI.

What does the service fee cover?
The service fee is charged to cover all the costs associated with operating and maintaining the services and facilities that you will enjoy at Blue Hills. It will also be used to cover some long term repairs and maintenance, and to replace existing equipment.
Your service fee covers but is not limited to:

• Maintenance of the common garden beds, operating costs of the community facilities, administration & operational staffing costs,
  
• external maintenance of the units and community facilities, mowing of lawns, monitoring of the emergency call system, supply and operational expenses of all Blue Hills vehicles, including the bus, water rates, use of all village facilities, external building insurance, street lighting and public liability insurance.
  

Does the service fee include Council rates?

No, the rates are assessed independently from the City of Casey and are based on the market value of your unit.

A Pensioner discount is available to eligible residents.

Is there wheelchair access to all units?
Yes. All internal doors are 820mm wide and the front door width is 870mm. Ramps can be installed for around $150 each to the front and back doors.

Who monitors the Emergency Call System?
We have a suitably qualified staff member on site 24 hours a day 7 days a week. When the emergency call is activated, it will register to our mobile phone carried by the on duty staff member. On receipt of the text, staff will respond immediately. Smoke detectors and intrusion alarms are also monitored on site through our emergency call system.

What additional medical services do you offer?
 We also have a massage therapist; beautician and podiatrist visit our consulting suite on a regular basis.

For any additional care and services please contact the Office and together with yourselves and your family an individual care plan can be facilitated.

Is there an Aged Care Facility on site?
Yes, Langford Grange is situated inside Blue Hills Residence’s gates but it is not owned or operated by Blue Hills. It is a 120 bed fully accredited aged care facility that offers a mix of high care, low care, dementia specific care, and respite care. Living at Blue Hills does not guarantee you automatic entry into Langford Grange. Each resident wanting to move to an aged care facility must first be assessed to determine the level of care required, and then the government rules on priority of access are applied.

For any further information on Langford Grange, or to organise a tour please contact them directly on 59955693.

What facilities are available at Blue Hills?
Blue Hills is a magnificent village that encompasses 38 acres. Our Country Club includes:

• Heated indoor hydrotherapy pool
• Gymnasium
• Hairdresser
• Convenience shop
• Medical suite
• Library
• Billiard Room
• Theatrette
• Indoor Bowls
• Table tennis tables
• Dance Floor
• Licensed Bar
• Restaurant
• Resident kitchen
• Tea & coffee making facilities
• Lounge areas

Our Craft House in

• Sewing & craft facilities
• Model railway
• Lounge & meeting areas

Our Workshop/Pool Facilities include:

• Lap pool
• Spa
• Workshop
• Meeting rooms

We also have onsite:

• Caravan & boat storage
• Vegetable gardens
• Trout stocked lakes
• Competition pennant size outdoor bowling green
• Tennis court
• Walking tracks
• BBQ facilities.
• Chapel

Who is allowed to use the community facilities?
The community facilities are available for all residents and their families and guest. We only ask that you supervise your guests when using the facilities. The restaurant is open to the public and is also available for private functions.
The Chapel is available for all residents, their family and guests. The Chapel is also available for the general public to hire for Weddings.

The pool/woodwork building is available for residents, their families and guest. One room within that building is hired out for before & after school care Monday to Friday from 6.00am to 9.00am and 3.00pm to 6.30pm.

Do I get a title to my unit?
No, Blue Hills is not a strata titled village. All units are purchased under a loan/lease arrangement. These arrangements in Victoria are just as common as title based schemes. One of the big advantages of this arrangement is that stamp duty or GST is not payable on your purchase.

Are the entry contribution arrangements for loan/lease arrangements different to entry contributions for title based villages?
The Retirement Villages Act 1986 (“the Act”) does not regulate the amount of entry contributions that a retirement village may charge, nor does it regulate the amount of deferred fees that a retirement village may charge. The village sets its own entry contributions and deferred fees. It is common for retirement villages to have exactly the same entry contribution and deferred fee arrangements regardless of whether the village has a title based scheme or a loan/lease scheme. The only difference is that in a title based scheme the resident has freehold title to their unit, rather than a lease.

What security do I have to ensure that I will receive a refund of their contribution balance when I want to sell, given that there is no title to the unit?
Pursuant to the Act, a statutory charge is automatically created over the whole retirement village land to secure the refund of the balance of the resident’s entry contribution. The charge is a first charge over the land and ranks in priority to all other encumbrances over the title. If the resident did not receive a refund to which they are entitled, the resident could apply to the Supreme Court for the sale of the retirement village land in order to obtain the refund. Residents of Blue Hills will have the additional security pursuant to the loan/lease arrangement that the resident will receive a refund of the balance of their entry contribution when a new contribution is paid for the unit (i.e. when
a new resident moves in to the unit and pays the resale price). Accordingly, the new resident cannot move in to the unit until the outgoing resident has received the refund of their contribution.

Can I lease out my unit?
No, to preserve the community nature of Blue Hills, and in accordance with your contract, letting and leasing of your unit is not permitted.

How do I sell my unit?
If you wish to sell your unit for any reason we can help you. We will market your unit for you via our waiting lists, websites and advertising campaigns. Together we will set the sale price. If you chose to sell through Blue Hills we will charge you an agent’s fee of 2.5% of the sale price.

You can of course elect to sell your unit through an outside real estate agent, the choice is yours.

What is the deferred management fee charge?
The deferred management fee is the return to the owner for the investment that the company has made in establishing Blue Hills, providing the infrastructure such as roads, the country club, the chapel, the pool and other recreational and social facilities. It is essentially a delay in payment of the true market price by the resident until they leave the village.

Delaying the fee until leaving allows the resident access to more of their funds earlier, so they can enjoy their lifestyle.
On the resale of your unit Blue Hills deducts the deferred management fee. This is calculated on the purchase price of your unit and it is 3% per year capped at 10 years. You will also receive on the sale of your unit 50% of any capital gain.

Do I have a say in what goes on in Blue Hills?
Of course you have a say in what goes on in, and around Blue Hills. You could join the Resident Advisory Committee, the Social Committee, the Bowls Committee or any other committee that interests you. All committees meet regularly and reports from each committee are given at the Residents quarterly meetings.

Can I have family or Friends stay with me at Blue Hills?
Of course, Blue Hills is your home. Your family and friends are welcome to visit anytime and they are also welcome to use the facilities, as long as you accompany them. If your visitors are staying for any length of time we ask you let the manager know for security reasons.

Am I allowed to bring my pet with me?
Yes, of course. Existing pets are most welcome to take up residence in the Blue Hills units. Unfortunately the Stephanie apartments cannot cater for pets and therefore they are not permitted.

Is there public transport? 
Yes, The bus stops are in two convenient locations near the village. This bus travels to the Cranbourne train station and to the Cranbourne town centre.

Is there a Blue Hills Bus?
Yes, Blue Hills has a 12 seater bus that travels to Cranbourne Shopping Centre Wednesday & Friday and Shopping on Clyde Mondays  Other outings and activities are arranged by the social committee, and include trips to the theatre, neighbouring gardens, casino etc.

What happens if I want to travel?

Just have a wonderful time.

Many of our residents travel for extended periods of time, especially the caravan owners. Blue Hills will collect your mail for you and either forward it to you or keep it safe until your return. We will monitor your intrusion alarm, mow your lawns, everything will be taken care of for you.

Please note service fees will continue to be payable in your absence.