Welcome to retirementvillagesydney.com.au – the information website for Watermark Castle Cove – the premier retirement village on Sydney’s North Shore. On this website you can learn how the Watermark Castle Cove Retirement Village has been designed especially for retiring over 55s and why this development is the future of reitrement living.

Watermark Castle Cove Retirement Village- This is retirement living!

Designed by award-winning architects Marchese + Partners, specialists in senior’s living and retirement resorts, Watermark Castle Cove Retirement Village is the premier location for retirement living on the North Shore and Middle Harbour, Sydney. Watermark’s secluded yet central location sets it apart from other retirement villages and homes. Less than 200 metres from its door you’ll find a charming local shopping village offering every day-to-day convenience you require – a green grocer, butcher, grocery store, doctor, dentist and restaurant. One, two and three bedroom and penthouse apartments are available with prices starting from $660,000. Watermark is a vibrant, secure and caring environment. Intercom and security access is located throughout the untis and homes and direct lift access from the basement parking area ensures a high level of security. It’s low maintenance retirement living in a vibrant, secure and caring environment.

The Retirement You Deserve!

Watermark provides elegant, spacious and low maintenance retirement residences with contemporary high quality finishes. Spacious kitchens are appointed with Miele cooking appliances. Energy efficient refrigerators, washer machines and dryers are also included. Oversized living areas flow onto generous balconies or courtyards with either district or garden views. Most apartments have northerly orientations ensuring an abundance of natural light while retaining privacy.

Retirement Living

Watermark Retirement Village residents enjoy the freedom to be as private or as social as they desire. Get together with like-minded retirees over a drink, involve yourself in any number of on-site recreational activities, try your hand at the putting green or challenge a neighbour to a giant game of chess. Smell the scent of a dedicated herb garden as you meander through the native trees to the barbecue area. Almost half of Watermark Retirement Village is made up of beautifully landscaped gardens creating a perfect place of peace and serenity.

Castle Cove – The Perfect Place to Retire!

Watermark’s secluded yet central location on Sydney’s north shore sets it apart from similar offerings. A charming local shopping village is less than 200 metres away offering all your day-to-day requirements with a green grocer, butcher, convenience store, doctor, dentist and restaurant. In addition Chatswood, Castlecrag and Northbridge shopping centres are within a 5 minute drive and both North Sydney and the CBD are easily accessible. Bus services are also only a short walk away for retiress and a vast range of Medical Services are nearby. A host of fabulous retirement recreational attractions lie within reach. Castle Cove Country Golf Club, Tennis Cove, Roseville Bowling Club, picturesque Middle Harbour waterways and local bush reserves including Harold Reid and H D Robb Reserves are all just minutes away.

In our quest to offer the ultimate in comfort and convenience, Watermark Castle Cove Retirement Village’s management has arranged for a variety of user pay services available to our retiring residents.

• The Castle Cove Medical Centre -
  Doctor is located 150m from the site at 14 Deepwater Road Castle Cove. Appointments for retirees and over 55s can be made at surgery or “house calls” will be made where necessary. Ph 9417 6800.
• Castle Cove Family Dentist -
  The Watermark Castle Cove Retirement Village Dentist is located at Level 1, 16e Deepwater Rd Castle Cove. The practice is professionally run by Dr Mary-Louise Moss who has over 10 years experience working with families and senior citizens in the local area. Ph 9417 7222.
• Green Grocer -
  Start Fresh fruit and vegetables at Castle Cove offering premium quality produce will offer free deliveries on specific days of the week. Call Chris Ph 9882 2997.
• Hairdresser -
  Our resident hairdresser will be available by appointment in the on-site hair salon. Call Elizabeth Lauweriks Ph 0411 405 209.
• Beautician -
  For all your skin and body treatments including manicures and pedicures book yourself an appointment with Annie Ford of “Belle-Amari” Castle Cove. Annie will attend to your needs on site at our Salon or you can visit her in her private rooms. Ph 9417 0389.
• Castle Cove Convenience Store -
  Located at 12A Deepwater Road, this friendly convenience store will provide a free delivery service for grocery orders over $15.
  Call Victor on Ph 9417 3291.

Retirement Village Developers

Watermark Castle Cove Retirement Village Architect – Marchese Partners are fully committed to raising the standard of retirement village design of in the Seniors Living and Aged Care market. By bringing our design skill and know how from the competitive residential apartment marketplace into the seniors market, Marchese + Partners has been instrumental in raising the standard of the sector through benchmark retirement developments. This commitment continues today through extensive research into the retirement village market through our annual study tour of retirement village facilities in the United States and annual sponsorship of the RVA (Retirement Village Association) and other industry groups. Through this commitment Marchese Partners is now positioned as one of the leading designers of Seniors Living and Retirement Village Developments in Australia.

Village Care – Loretta Byers has over 30 years experience in the aged care and retirement village sector. Her roles have varied from Director of nursing in aged care to managing over 50 retirement villages with 6000 residents. She is a past President of the Retirement Villages Association (RVA) and often provides consultative assistance to the regulatory authorities such as Federal and State Governments, ATO and RVA. Her specialisation in Retirement Village Management through her genuine concern in understanding the needs of residents has earned her firm an enviable reputation throughout the industry.

Retirement Village Landscapers – Somewhere landscapers are based near Young in rural New South Wales and have a deep understanding of Australian retirement village gardens. An enthusiastic team of designers that have worked on many projects from large scale commercial properties to high end residential gardens across Australia. Somewhere landscapers create landscapes that are dynamic, evolving and regenerating. Every project is treated with respect to the interaction between people and the natural environment.

Tony Olding, Watermark Castle Cove Retirement Village Director – Building and construction management are assured with over 20 years experience. Tony is highly qualified and a proud member of the Australian Institute of Building with a complete knowledge of the retirement village industry. A commitment to innovative building and construction techniques ensure that Watermark Castle Cove Retirement Villagewill set a new standard of quality for Seniors Living and Retirement Resorts on the lower North Shore of Sydney.

Enzo Marchione, Watermark Castle Cove Retirement Village Director – Has successfully carried out high end residential developments for over 15 years. In 2003 a joint development with Tony Olding won the award from the Royal Australian Institute Of Architects for Multiple Housing. His passion and expertise in the retirement village industry reflect his vision for setting new benchmarks in Seniors Housing and Retirement Villages.

Dr Christopher Watt, Watermark Castle Cove Retirement Village Director – Brings a wealth of local knowledge to the Watermark Retirement Village project. As the key principal at Sailors Bay Dentistry in Northbridge he has over 25 years experience in the healthcare industry. Christopher understands the local community of Castle Cove and has been a local resident for over 20 years. A driving force for the project, Christopher has a long-standing vision to create a premier seniors retirement village lifestyle development for the area.

Watermark Castle Cove is not an "Old Age Home".Watermark Retirement Village residents enjoy the freedom to be as private or as social as they desire. Get together with like-minded retirees over a drink, involve yourself in any number of on-site recreational activities, try your hand at the putting green or challenge a neighbour to a giant game of chess. Smell the scent of a dedicated herb garden as you meander through the native trees to the barbecue area. Almost half of Watermark Retirement Village is made up of beautifully landscaped gardens creating a perfect place of peace and serenity.

Choosing the retirement village that meets your needs an help enrich your quality of life and enable you to pursue your future lifestyle aspirations. A retirement village offers a fantastic lifestyle to those who want to live independently in their own home whilst enjoying the benefits that a retirement village can provide. People can enjoy retirement village lifestyle whether they are 55 or 90 years of age. Retirement villages are located in prime areas which maybe beside the sea, near a golf course or in the heart of the city.

The term ‘Retirement Village", covers an ever increasing variety of accommodation and services for people over 55 years of age. There are many different types of retirement villages available to choose from. Villages can have an emphasis on ‘lifestyle’ with resort-style accommodation and facilities. Some villages can provide a full range of care options so residents can enjoy a village lifestyle for as long as they want. Each village is unique in what is has to offer. Villages can range in size from two units to over 300. The types of accommodation offered can vary from villas or town houses to apartments, and serviced apartments. Most villages have a community centre and offer a range of recreation facilities.

Some reasons to move to a retirement village:

• Enjoy the privacy of your own home
• Maintain independence in a supportive environment
• Have peace of mind from 24 hour ‘on call’ assistance
• Gain access to a variety of services and recreation facilities
• Remove the major worry of maintaining a home
• Eliminate the need to worry about security

Living in a retirement village you have the best of both worlds, you can enjoy the benefits of privacy and security whilst not having to worry about maintaining your home. Choosing a village which suits you can enrich your life and give you the time to pursue your interests amongst friends. The most common phrase we hear from existing residents is "I wish I had made the decision to move sooner."

Why you should choose Watermark Castle Cove?

Watermark Retirement Village residents enjoy the freedom to be as private or as social as they desire. Get together with like-minded retirees over a drink, involve yourself in any number of on-site recreational activities, try your hand at the putting green or challenge a neighbour to a giant game of chess. Smell the scent of a dedicated herb garden as you meander through the native trees to the barbecue area. Almost half of Watermark Retirement Village is made up of beautifully landscaped gardens creating a perfect place of peace and serenity.

Retirement is the point where an person stops thier employment completely. A person may also semi-retire and keep some sort of retirement job, out of choice rather than necessity. This usually happens upon reaching a determined age, also know as the "retirement age", when physical conditions don’t allow the person to work any more (by illness or accident), or even for personal choice (usually in the presence of an adequate pension or personal savings). The retirement with a pension is considered a right of the worker in many societies, and hard ideological, social, cultural and political battles have been fought over whether this is a right or not. In many western countries this right is mentioned in national constitutions.

Retirement age

In most countries, the idea of a fixed retirement age is of recent origin, being introduced during the 19th and 20th centuries. Previously, the absence of pension arrangements meant that most workers continued to work until death, or relied on personal savings or the support of family or friends. Nowadays most developed nations have systems to provide pensions on retirement in old age, which may be sponsored by employers or the state. In many poorer countries, support for the old is still mainly provided through the family. The retirement age varies from country to country but it is generally between 55 and 70. In some countries this age is different for males and females. Sometimes certain jobs, the most dangerous or fatiguing ones in particular, have an earlier retirement age.

In Australia, while most view 65 as normal retirement age, many retire before then, sometimes with contributory causes such as job-loss, disability or wealth. However, the Social Security system has age 62 as the earliest retirement age. Normal retirement age for Social Security has historically been age 65 to receive unreduced benefits, but it is gradually increasing to age 67. For those turning 65 in the year 2008 full benefits will be payable beginning at age 66.

What is a Retirement Village or Community?

A retirement village, or active adult community, is a very broad, generic term that covers many varieties of housing for retirees and seniors – especially designed or geared for people who no longer work, or restricted to those over a certain age. The term is something of a misnomer because you don’t necessarily have to be retired at all.  Entry is generally restricted to people who have attained 55 years of age or have retired from full-time employment, and their spouses. It differs from a retirement home which is a single building or small complex where no "common areas" for socializing exist. Many retirement communities are planned for that purpose, and have special facilities catering to the needs and wants of retirees, including extensive amenities like clubhouses, swimming pools, arts and crafts, boating, trails, golf courses, active adult retail and on-site medical facilities, one such example is Watermark Castle Cove Retirement Village. Other facilities have no or very few common amenities. An Age-restricted community generally requires at least one household resident to be 55 plus years of age or older (occasionally 50+ or 60+ years of age).

There are really three broad categories of retirement communities:

1. ACTIVE retirement village (all residential units, no long-term healthcare facilities)
2. ACTIVE/SUPPORTIVE retirement villages (a combination of residential and healthcare facilities – also known as "continuing care retirement communities" – CCRC)
3. SUPPORTIVE retirement villages (all longterm healthcare units, like assisted living facilities or nursing homes)
   Retirement communities are often built in warm climates, and are common in New South Wales and Queensland but are increasingly being built in and around major cities in cold climates too.

Types of Retirement Village

There are basically two types of retirement village: resident funded and donor funded.  As the names suggest, a resident funded retirement village is essentially paid for by the resident, and the donor funded retirement village are usually operated by non-for-profit organisations funded by the Governement. This is not to suggest that non-for-profit are run by the Government, they are not, they still exist as private companies all drvien by profit taking. The size and style of retirement village accommodation varies enormously, from bed-sitter apartments to spacious brick and tile homes.  Most retirement villages have common areas and a range of facilities available for the use and enjoyment of all residents.

Levels of Care

A number of terms are used to describe the level of care that is provided in a particular village or in relation to particular units.  Units that are described as “independent living units” or “self-care units” provide the lowest level of care, although a range of personal services may be available on request on a user pays basis under an arrangement known as “flexicare”.  Units that are described as “assisted living units” or “serviced apartments” provide the highest level of care, usually including the regular provision of a range of personal services. 

Confusion sometimes arises because low level residential care facilities, previously known and often still referred to as hostels, sometimes also describe their accommodation as “assisted living units”.  Hostels and nursing homes are regulated and partly funded by the Commonwealth Government and different legislation, admission criteria and funding arrangements apply.

Legal Structures

There are at least 8 different legal structures:

• Long-term lease
• Long-term license
• Strata title
• Community title
• Company title
• Unit trust
• Manufactured home
• Conventional lease

Different structures can have different implications and raise different issues in terms of applicable legislation, stamp duty, GST, service charges, responsibility for refurbishment and capital replacement costs, security of tenure, operator default, termination, vacating the premises, capital losses and credit risk. 

Legislation

Each State and Territory has enacted specific legislation that regulates the operation of retirement villages.  The legislation in each jurisdiction is different and has its own definition of what is and what is not a retirement village.  In some cases the legislation applies differently to different legal structures and contractual arrangements. Particular legal structures and contractual arrangements may also attract the application of other legislation, such as strata title, community title, companies and securities, manufactured home or tenancy legislation.

Financial Considerations

Retirement village residents may be required to pay:

• an initial entry price when they move in
• rent and/or recurring service charges during their stay and perhaps beyond
• a fee called a departure fee, deferred management fee or exit fee when they leave.

The nature of the initial entry price depends on the particular legal structure.  For example, it may be the purchase price of a freehold property, security or other asset, or it could be described as a loan, premium or prepayment of rent.  No initial entry price is payable in the case of a conventional lease. Departure fees are particularly important and particularly difficult to fully understand.  There are well over a dozen different departure fee structures and they are a key factor in determining how much you (or your estate) get back when you leave the village.  Depending on your financial resources, how much you get back could well determine or limit your future accommodation choices.  No departure fee is payable in the case of a conventional lease and may not be payable in the case of a manufactured home.