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Capital Back 38 ⚖ Get independent advice
Abbeyfield Thurston House
photos: operator / Village Guide
Retirement living · New Zealand

Abbeyfield Thurston House

New Zealand
Capital Back
38
the money ↓
See what life here is like — then weigh what it means for your family further down.
Abbeyfield Thurston HouseAbbeyfield Thurston HouseAbbeyfield Thurston House
The village

Life here

Abbeyfield offers an innovative housing model for older people wanting to retain their independence while enjoying the company of others. At Abbeyfield houses, residents live like a big whānau or family, sharing meals prepared by a housekeeper in purpose-built homes designed for 11-14 people. The model emphasizes privacy in individual studios with ensuites, combined with connection through shared meals and living areas. Residents describe finding a home where they can unwind, laugh, and experience a genuine family atmosphere while maintaining their freedom and independence.

Your home

Living options

Studio Accommodation

Private studio rooms with ensuite facilities in a purpose-built home designed for 11-14 residents

✓ Private studio with ensuite
✓ Secure, safe setting
✓ Affordable rent with no capital entry charge
✓ Access to shared living areas
A day in the life

What living here is actually like

Living independently, together

Community Living

Residents enjoy a family-style home environment where meals are prepared by a housekeeper and shared with other residents. The setting encourages connection at mealtimes and in shared spaces while respecting individual privacy and independence.

✓ Nutritious meals prepared by a housekeeper
✓ Connect with others at mealtimes and in shared living areas
✓ Freedom and time to enjoy life
✓ Family-style home atmosphere
✓ Located close to local amenities
On your doorstep

Facilities & services

Private studio with ensuite
Shared dining area
Shared living areas
Kitchen (housekeeper-managed)
Peace of mind

Care for life, on site

If your health changes, you won't have to leave the place you know. Abbeyfield Thurston House offers these levels of care on site:

Independent living
✓ Meal preparation by housekeeper · Safe, secure setting
Care and community
Where it is

Setting & neighbourhood

Purpose-built family-style home for 11-14 residents, located close to local amenities throughout New Zealand

Interested?

Like the look of Abbeyfield Thurston House?

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Now the practical part

The money — what comes back to your family

You've seen why you'd love it. This is the part most families only discover at the exit statement — so we put it in plain sight. Every figure is from the village's own filed Disclosure Statement.

Capital Back score
38
Below average · #386 of 520
Better than 26% of NZ villages — yet the market median is just 46. The sector is tough.
Deferred fee
15%
charged on your entry price
Your share of capital gain
50%
you keep some of any uplift
Time to get capital back
—
not enough resales disclosed
Fees after you leave
Continue
charged until the unit resells
Before you sign, get independent eyes on the contract.An ORA-review lawyer or independent financial adviser — never paid by any operator — checks what it really means for your family.
⚖ Get independent advice →
How the 38 is built

Nothing hidden — every component

The Capital Back score is a transparent weighting of five filed terms — you can see exactly where this village wins and loses. Full methodology →

Move-in fee you don't get back Deferred Management Fee — weighted 30%
15% deferred fee — lower is better.
63
Share of capital growth Capital gain to resident — weighted 15%
You keep 50% of any uplift.
50
Fees stop when you leave Weekly fees on exit — weighted 15%
Fees continue until the unit resells.
0
Interest if repayment is slow Interest on delayed capital — weighted 10%
No interest on delayed repayment.
0
The filed terms, in plain English

What the Disclosure Statement actually says

Every operator uses different words for the same thing — we normalise them so you can compare like with like.

%

Deferred Management Fee

15%

Accrues over your first 5 years, charged on the entry price.

Market: median 30%; only 16% of villages charge under 25%.
↑

Capital gain

50% to the resident

You keep a share of any increase in the licence value at resale.

Market: just 8% of NZ villages share any capital gain.
!

Fees & interest on exit

Watch this

Weekly fees continue until the unit resells.

Market: 220 of 520 villages keep charging weekly fees after you've gone.
Before you sign the ORA

The reckoning usually arrives too late

  • You're buying a licence to occupy, not the home — you can't sell, rent or borrow against it.
  • A large deferred fee is gone within a few years, whatever the unit later sells for.
  • Your family carries the risk of how long resale takes — and the operator's ability to pay.
  • None of this is hidden — it's all in the Disclosure Statement most people sign without reading.
Have someone independent read it first

We'll connect you with a retirement-village review lawyer or independent financial adviser — no operator pays to be here.

Request an ORA review → Talk to a financial adviser