Browse our frequently asked questions below.
For many people, the decision to consider moving into a retirement village raises a number of questions. To make this decision easier to understand, we have summarised some of the more common questions and answers.
Greytown Orchards is owned by Tumu, a family-owned Hawke’s Bay-based group of companies.
Andrew Bos is the General Manager. Andrew brings strong experience to his role having held senior operational roles in ambulance, health, and justice. He has been a frontline paramedic and previously a Village Manager with Summerset Retirement Villages. Wairarapa-raised he is enjoying working back in home territory where he has family.
Dixon Opie is our dedicated Sales Consultant who calls Greytown home. He is committed to understanding the needs and aspirations of those contemplating a move to Greytown Orchards. He takes the time to listen, to empathize and to guide you through this significant decision. Dixon has worked in sales for many years and has the additional bonus of living right in Greytown and understanding what the region and Greytown Orchards has to offer.
Greytown Orchards is a staged $200 million (approximate) development and is estimated to be completed by 2030. The village has planning approval from South Wairarapa District Council to:
Greytown Orchards Retirement Village occupies the 100-year-old former site of Murphy’s Orchard. This tranquil setting creates a sense of space and peace amongst mature orchard trees, water races and parkland, retaining the character and historic charm of the original working orchard. And, of course its proximity to Main St, Greytown and all its offerings is in easy walking distance.
As of June 2025, we have 71 villas completed with over 85 residents now living with us. Groundworks have commenced on Stage 2 of the development which includes the construction of a larger communal facility (The Lodge) and 12 more villas. These villas are available for reservation with a 2026 move in date anticipated.
Greytown Orchards currently offers independent living options for those generally aged 65 years.
The interim Communal Facility is currently available for residents to utilise. It includes two resident lounges, one with a 75-inch smart TV accessing all the popular SKYTV channels. This lounge has access to the Orchard Garden, which has an extensive deck featuring a BBQ area with outdoor seating and umbrellas.
The second lounge is home to a small library and has a fully equipped kitchen which includes a coffee machine which makes a great Cappuccino, Flat White, Mocha, or Hot Chocolate, all complimentary.
The facility also includes a large multi-purpose room used for our resident’’ exercise programmes and other events, with direct access to an expansive outdoor deck area for resident use.
Construction of the permanent communal facilities, consisting of a café, residents lounges, games area, bar, swimming pool, gym, consult rooms, hairdresser and village administration is anticipated to commence in 2025 with completion taking approximately 18 months.
There are five different villa designs to meet a range of needs and budgets. Villas range in size from 103m2 right through to our largest villa at 203m2. Each villa type has been named after the plums our site was famous for: Rosa, Luisa, Omega, Mirabelle, Burbank and Billington. Browse our villa selection here.
Each villa has slightly different specifications, however all villas are provided with fixed appliances (ovens, induction cooktops, range hoods, dishwashers, waste disposal, heat pumps) and prewired for fibre internet. Stone benchtops and soft close drawers are also standard as are wardrobe fittings. Window treatments are the responsibility of the resident. Many of our villas have a generous 2.7m stud height, with your living area leading out to a covered gabled terrace.
Yes, each villa is provided with a garage (single or double and with additional parking in front of the garage for visitors) further visitor parking is available in designated areas throughout the village.
We have built a temporary parking facility for motorhomes and caravans which will be in use until our permanent parking facility for these vehicles is completed.
The gardens around your villa have been designed by our landscape architect to ensure a consistent look. These gardens are maintained by our village staff. If you are an avid gardener, you can maintain the garden around your villa and plant additional ‘favourite’ plants if they are in keeping with the village look and feel.
Large planter boxes are available in several locations within the village and residents are encouraged to utilise these if they wish to grow vegetables or herbs.
Within reason you can put out your favourite outdoor furniture, barbeque and potted plants. Many of the patios are seen by other residents and for this reason we do not allow washing lines, statues or gnomes to be put on patios.
We welcome your friends and family as your villa is your home. However, if you wish your friends to stay more than 3 months in any 12-month period, we require that you first obtain written approval from the General Manager.
When moving into an independent villa your domestic pets within reason, are welcome to join us as long as they are suitable for the Village. We will need to meet your pet beforehand and confirm vaccination and registration documents. Final approval is at the discretion of the General Manager. Pets must stay within their owner’s villa boundaries. Out of respect to all residents and visitors, dogs are not permitted to roam the village and must be on a lead at all times when outside their villa boundary. Dog owners are also responsible for picking up and disposing of their dog’s poo.
In the event that your pet becomes a nuisance to other residents or staff or potentially may cause harm, we will require him/her to be removed from the Village.
We are focused on providing access to a range of optional activities, organised activities and regular events and outings, offering you the freedom to be as active and as social as you choose. Whatever your interests, there should be something for you to enjoy. An example of some of the activities that are available include:
We encourage residents to provide suggestions to further enhance the variety of activities offered.
It is your own home and therefore you may come and go as you please. One of the many advantages of this lifestyle is that you can go on holiday and know that
your villa will be maintained. Please let the Management Team know when you are going away for more than two days.
At Greytown Orchards you will have the choice of an active social lifestyle, or a more discreet one, as you prefer. You choose when you partake in village activities.
Your villa is your home. We will treat all residents with courtesy and respect and ensure that they are communicated with in a fair and transparent manner.
The success of the Village is dictated not only by the physical property but also by how we manage the facility and interact with residents. If you are not happy at any time, we expect you to either advise us as soon as practicable or discuss the matter with the Resident’s Committee to ensure we are fully aware of any issue and can respond accordingly.
Residents will always be welcome to talk to village staff about any aspect of the operation of the Village.
In addition, the Residents’ Committee meet regularly with the General Manager and will raise any issues on your behalf. The Committee plays an important role by providing resident feedback to village management as well as assisting with running resident social activities within the village.
There are three costs payable to us for your right to live at Greytown Orchards. These are:
The Entry Payment is the capital sum paid for your villa. It is paid when you move into your villa and it is refunded to you or your estate, less the Deferred Management Fee when you leave the Village, regardless of whether the value of the villa has increased or decreased.
The DMF contributes towards providing the range of resident facilities and village infrastructure, refurbishment and upgrading of facilities.
The DMF is in part each resident’s contribution to these ongoing costs and is a way of sharing these costs equitably among residents. This is not an additional upfront fee as it is only payable when you leave the Village and is deducted from the original entry payment amount that is refunded to you or your estate.
The DMF is calculated at the rate of 7.5% per year for the first four years on the Entry Payment amount, calculated on a daily basis (with a minimum payment of 5%). Once you have lived in the Village for more than four years, there is no further accumulation, i.e., the maximum amount deducted from the Entry Payment is 30%. The maximum DMF is reached after four years of occupation and no further amount will be charged after this time.
In practical terms the DMF works like this:
Example
Additional costs associated with owning your property such as, council rates, building insurance & external property maintenance are taken care of by the village operator and are covered by your weekly fee. Once a resident takes occupancy, they are subject to an ongoing weekly fee. This fee not only covers the costs associated with owning your own property but also includes many other benefits and services. Weekly fees vary depending on villa size and are subject to increase each year by CPI.
Greytown Orchards will not increase any weekly fees until after the main communal building is available for resident use.
The weekly fee is currently between $170 – $200 per week. This amount is paid monthly in advance on the first day of the month.
The weekly fee covers:
You will be responsible for expenses related to the general running of your home such as; cleaning, replacement of light bulbs, council rubbish bags etc, the cost of replacement or repair of any belongings such as washing machine, fridge, freezer etc. and utility charges such as, Sky TV, electricity, internet, and phone charges etc. Insurance premiums for your personal contents and vehicle insurance, which we strongly recommend.
Should your dishwasher, heat pump, oven or cook top require repair, Greytown Orchards will cover the cost and if required replacement. Where damage has been caused by inappropriate use, the resident will be charged for the repair or replacement.
So often, residents in villages tell us that they wished they had moved to a village earlier than they did. We believe that you should move while you have plenty of time to enjoy the facilities and make new friends.
Go to the contact page here and register your details. You will receive an email with a link to download the brochure where you can view the latest floor plans and designs.
Once you have registered, our Sales Consultant, Dixon Opie will be in contact with you to introduce himself and answer any questions you may have.
If you wish, you can contact Dixon direct on 0508 843 672 or email him at dixon.opie@greytownorchards.co.nz
Tumu are a substantial and credible business and have experience in the development and operation of villages as well as larger scale property development. They are confident that the location, design of units and level of facilities will make Greytown Orchards very attractive.
Interest so far suggests Greytown Orchards will be one of the most sought-after villages in New Zealand.
The Retirement Villages Act 2003 has specific disclosure and reporting requirements to residents. The Village is required to submit a financial report to all residents at the residents’ Annual General Meeting. This report includes the audited financial statements for the last financial year of the Village. These accounts are audited and are reviewed by the Statutory Supervisor. We will also provide, within three months of the start of each financial year, all residents a copy of our forecast statement of operating expenditure of the village for that year.
Covenant Trustee Services Limited is Greytown Orchards Village’s Statutory Supervisor and has been appointed under a Deed of Supervision to ensure that the Village meets its obligations to you. These obligations will be clearly described in your Occupation Right Agreement and the Disclosure Statement. Prior to purchasing you can request a copy of these documents from our Sales Consultant.
The Statutory Supervisor acts for numerous retirement villages throughout New Zealand. The Statutory Supervisor’s role includes receiving all monies from residents, overseeing the management and development of the village, reporting to residents and answering any questions they may have about the village operation. The Statutory Supervisor represents the residents. Covenant Trustee Services Limited are the Statutory Supervisor for Greytown Orchards.
The village has granted the Statutory Supervisor an Encumbrance registered over the village land and a general security agreement over the assets of Greytown Orchards. Further the Statutory Supervisor requires that any party that lends money to Greytown Orchards must enter into a deed with the Statutory Supervisor agreeing that resident’s rights generally speaking take priority over those of a lender. The collective effect of these documents means that the village cannot be sold or disposed of in any way without the Statutory Supervisor’s consent. As a registered retirement village, Greytown Orchard’s land is subject to a first ranking statutory memorial recording that the village land is a registered village.
The Retirement Villages Act 2003 and its regulations are designed to protect residents’ interests and set out the basic standards for operating a village. These include disclosure of information to intending and existing residents, ensuring that intending residents obtain independent legal advice, ensuring oversight of village operations by a statutory supervisor, providing protections around
residents’ financial interests, establishing methods of dispute resolution for residents, and prescribing minimum residents’ rights. More information about the Retirement Villages Act 2003 and its regulations can be found on the Retirement Commission website – https://retirement.govt.nz/
Greytown Orchards is registered as a retirement village under the Retirement Villages Act 2003. Registration Date: 24 December 2019.
Registration number: 2745992
The Retirement Villages Act 2003 requires a village to comply with the Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2008 which sets out minimum standards for operating a retirement village. These include: • Staffing of the Village • Safety and personal security of residents • Fire protection and emergency management • Transferring residents within a village • Meetings • Complaints •
The Greytown Orchards Disclosure Statement provides comprehensive information about our village. This is aimed at helping prospective residents make informed decisions regarding Greytown Orchards. The key elements of our Disclosure Statement include:
Dixon Opie
Sales Consultant
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