Your guide to Bellburra's fees & contract
fees & contract
Clear and transparent pricing for your peace of mind
Retirement living at Bellburra is designed to offer not just a vibrant lifestyle but also financial clarity and confidence. Our straightforward pricing structure ensures you understand exactly what to expect—no hidden fees, no surprises.
Understanding the financial structure
At Bellburra, the cost of retirement living is straightforward and easy to manage. Our financial model is built around three main components
- Entry Payment: The upfront cost of securing your apartment, with no stamp duty required
- Monthly Fee: A predictable, all-inclusive fee covering village operations, maintenance, and access to amenities
- Exit Fee (Deferred Management Fee): A fair, transparent arrangement for when it’s time to leave, ensuring ongoing affordability for residents
This structure is regulated under the NSW Retirement Villages Act, giving you confidence and peace of mind every step of the way.
Save upfront with no stamp duty
At Bellburra, the Entry Payment secures your apartment and grants you exclusive occupancy for as long as you choose to stay. Unlike a typical residential purchase, no stamp duty is required—resulting in an upfront saving of approximately $90,000 on similarly priced properties.
This one-time payment gives you access to a vibrant community, thoughtfully designed apartments, and resort-style facilities, all while ensuring your security of tenure under a government-regulated loan licence agreement.
One predictable fee that covers it all
The monthly fee at Bellburra is designed to make life simpler by covering all essential services, maintenance, and amenities.
It’s similar to a strata levy but goes much further, so you can focus on what matters, with less worries.
Your monthly fee includes:
- Crown Land Lease, Sydney Water, and Waste Management
- Building insurance (excluding contents)
- Cleaning, landscaping, and maintenance of common areas
- Cleaning and maintenance of shared facilities, including the gym, pool, spa, and clubhouse
- Village staff, including reception, management, maintenance, and landscaping
- Repairs to all appliances and fixtures included at purchase (such as the oven, cooktop, dishwasher, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical) along with ongoing maintenance of internal fittings.
- Maintenance of plant, machinery, and equipment, such as lifts
- General administration, accounting, and auditing
Bellburra covers far more of the major capital replacement that a strata title won’t,so you’ll never face unexpected special levies.
Transparent and collaborative adjustments
Recurrent charges are reviewed annually, with changes discussed and voted on by residents. Any increase above CPI requires a 50% approval at the Annual General Meeting, ensuring transparency and fairness.
Fair and flexible exit terms
Bellburra’s Exit Fee (also known as the Deferred Management Fee, or DMF) is designed to keep the cost of entry affordable while contributing to the upkeep and improvement of the village.
- Your Entry Payment will be returned to you, minus the Exit Fee, which is calculated as: 6% per year, up to a maximum of 30% over five years, based on your Entry Payment.
- For example, if you’ve lived in Bellburra for five years or more, the maximum Exit Fee will be 30%.
Capital gains
Residents also share in the capital gain or loss when selling their apartment, with 50% of the value retained. Any refurbishment costs for the apartment are shared equally (50/50) between the resident and Bellburra, helping to enhance the property’s value and maximise potential capital gain.
Security of tenure, backed by regulation
Bellburra operates under a loan licence agreement, the most common arrangement used by not-for-profit, church and charity retirement village operators. This agreement ensures residents have exclusive occupancy of their apartment for as long as they choose to stay, providing peace of mind and stability.
Unlike typical residential property contracts, Bellburra’s agreement is governed by the NSW Retirement Villages Act, which protects the rights of residents and ensures a fair and transparent process.
To learn more about the types of retirement village contracts available in NSW, visit the NSW Fair Trading website.