The 84 year old owner of Lavender Village, a home park in Highton (Geelong) is closing the 18 lot village on 1 hectare of land rather than go into debt to pay for safety measures. Residents have been told to move their homes by December 2013 or lose them, including residents who have bought in the past 5 months. With life savings used to pay around $105,000, the homes are quoted to be worth now around $65,000. Rent is $100 per week.
Community Living
Only in SATURDAY: why future proofing villages building to 9C pays
Building retirement villages to Class 9C standards can add up to 10% to the total cost of construction. But for a growing number of operators, the upgrade is no longer optional.