Who can purchase an apartment?
Anyone over the age of 60 is welcome to purchase an apartment. This condition may be waived at the discretion of the Trustees where a spouse or partner is under the age of 60 or where there is a disabled dependant who may also become a resident.
Is the property Leasehold?
How much will the residents have to pay in service charges?
Are any deferred fees (‘event fees’) payable when I sell the property?
Yes, each new apartment is granted 125-year lease from the Head Lease date (Dec. 2006), and resales will have the remainder thereof.
The Service Charge for 2025 is £648.00 per month (£7776.00 pa) for each apartment irrespective of occupancy. This is reviewed on an annual basis on 31st December.
When an apartment is sold 20% of any increase in value will be retained by the Charity as a ‘Transfer Fee’. If there has been no increase in value, nothing will be payable.
For Example; If you purchase at £400,000 and then sell at £500,000, £20,000 would be payable to St George’s Park (20% of the increase in value of £100,000).
An assignment fee, currently £500 plus VAT, is also payable.
Can I rent my apartment to others?
No
Will a garden be available?
All the grounds are for common usage, but for those who enjoy gardening, allotments are offered (subject to availability). Those in ground floor apartments with direct access onto patio areas may be permitted to use these, but this is not a private area. No permanent structures (e.g. fences) will be permitted.
Might the Order sell St George’s Park to a commercial developer?
No. This is specifically prohibited within the planning approval documentation.
What communal facilities are available
Maes Court and Rafael Court (Leisure Building) are completed and fully functional.
The whole area of the Park is primarily for the use of the residents. Their families and friends are also welcome to use some of the facilities when accompanied by a resident.
When can you visit the Park?
The Sales Office is open 6 days per week) from 10.00am – 4.00pm (Note; Closed Sundays), Local B&B and Hotel information is available for those requiring an overnight stay.
Is there any accommodation for visitors of residents?
Visitors of residents can use the additional accommodation available, subject to availability, for a small charge.
What services and facilities will be provided?
These are fully described in the brochure and on the website, and include a Restaurant and Bar, Shop, Library, Gymnasium, Hairdressing salon, Multi-Purpose Function Room, a Treatment Room, Swimming Pool and Spa and 24 Hour Concierge/security cover.
What outside facilities are there?
250 acres of grounds with a network of footpaths. There is a 3 acre lake where residents may fish. There is also a Bowling Green, Croquet Lawn and a Short Tennis Court.
What will happen if a resident is absent on a short or long term basis?
Their apartment can be secured and alarmed and regular cleaning can be provided. Payment of the service charge must continue.
Is the service charge fully described?
Yes. Contact the Sales Office for information.
How will service charge payments be made?
By a monthly direct debit.
What codes of Practice does St George’s Park work to?
St George’s Park is a member of ARCO, the Associated Retirement Community Operators ( www.arcouk.org ). As an Approved Operator, St. George's Park aims to comply at all times with the ARCO consumer code. .https://www.arcouk.org/arco-consumer-codeFind an explanatory brochure about Integrated Retirement Communities here
What other charges will apply?
There is an annual ground rent of £300 per apartment plus a contribution towards the insurance of the buildings which we anticipate to be in the region of £180.00 per year. Each resident will also be responsible for their own Council Tax, Water Rates and Utility charges. These are all individually metered where possible.
If some units remain unsold do the remaining residents have to pay extra to cover the maintenance and service charges for these apartments?
No.
What transport facilities will there be?
A regular public bus service runs to Burgess Hill, Hayward’s Heath and Brighton from the bus stop located right outside the north entrance. A mini bus service is available for residents offering links to the local towns.
What parking facilities are there?
Can you have two cars?
There are a limited number of parking spaces available. A fee of £1 per day (£365 pa) is charged for a Parking Permit. Visitors will be able to park free of charge in the designated areas.
No. There is a restriction of one car per apartment.
Will household pets be welcome?
Yes, providing they do not cause a nuisance to other residents and the Estate Manager has given approval.
What care provisions will be available?
The Augustinian Sisters have been providing care on this site since 1866. It is their wish that this continues well into the future. There are a range of care provisions that can allow residents to remain in their own property for as long as is practicable. These provisions are subject to availability and range from simple housekeeping and cleaning to the provision of personal care. Further details can be obtained from the Sales Office.
What if I need 24 hour nursing care?
The charity wishes to offer residents the peace of mind that comes from knowing that they can be cared for on site. If nursing care is necessary residents will be offered the next suitable place in one of the care homes on a temporary or long term basis subject to usual assessment and evaluation process. (For further information on the Care Homes and cost www.anh.org.uk)
What happens if I cannot afford to pay for the service charge and/or nursing care?
An Independent Financial Advisor can advise you on the range of care insurance packages that are available. In the absence of a suitable policy it may be possible to accrue unpaid service and care costs (plus interest) recouped from the proceeds of the ultimate sale of the apartment (where sufficient equity exists). This is related to the possible situation where a property is being sold by the resident of the estate. [terms and conditions apply].
Are there any restrictions on the sale of apartments?
You may use any Estate Agent, or St Georges’ Park Ltd to sell the property on your behalf. The Charity has the right to repurchase the property (at market price and independently surveyed).
Do residents receive any reimbursement if they make improvements to their apartments e.g. fitted cupboards?
With approval improvements can be made. However, there will be no direct reimbursement for these, but the value of the property may have been increased.
We encourage you to discuss your housing options with your family and friends, and seek independent legal, financial/benefits and any other appropriate advice, support and representation in connection with a move to St George's Park.
Property details
Operator
St George’s Augustinian Care, the trading name for The Trustees of the Charity of the Order of St Augustine of the Mercy of Jesus.
Landlord
St George’s Park Ltd
Community
St George’s Park Retirement Village. Built 2006.
Property type
240 apartments: 232 two-bedroom and 8 one-bedroom.
Property status
Pre-owned
Occupancy
All apartments are suitable for sole or dual occupancy.
Tenure
Leasehold. Resale properties are sold with the balance of a 125-year lease from December 2006.
Subletting
Subletting is not permitted.
Care arrangements
Domiciliary care is available from St George’s Park Ltd (CQC-registered Provider 1-101646827) or external providers.
Cost of moving in
Purchase Price
Resale prices are set by vendors.
Reservation fee
Not applicable for resales
Deposit on exchange
Agreed with vendors
Other costs
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Legal and removal costs
Ongoing charges payable to the operator
Service charge
Per property: £7,776.00 per annum (£648 per month or £149.53 per week). Payable monthly in advance on the 1st day of each month. Increases annually on 1 January in line with budgeted costs.
See ‘Further information’ below.
Ground rent
£300 payable annually. Fixed for the first 25 years to December 2031. It increases by £100 for each succeeding 25-year period.
Building insurance
The fee is based on the size of each apartment and varies accordingly but in 2025 will be in the region of £180 per apartment per annum.
Car Parking
Limited parking spaces are available. There is a Parking Permit fee of £1 per day (£365 per annum). One car per apartment only. Visitors can park free of charge in the designated areas.
Permission Fees
Reasonable administration charges are payable by leaseholders for granting approvals, providing information or documents, or acting in relation to any overdue payments or breaches of covenants.
Emergency response
Residents are responsible for buying and servicing the emergency call equipment. The costs of providing call centre cover is covered by the service charge.
Care charges
Personal care
St George’s Augustinian Care offers care and support packages under a separate agreement, subject to availability and assessment. Charges reviewed annually in April. See the Domiciliary Care leaflet.
Nursing Care
Nursing care is not provided to residents of the Retirement Village but may be arranged through GPs and District Nurses.
Ongoing charges payable to third parties
Utilities
Charges for water, gas and electricity are payable by residents direct to their chosen supplier.
Council tax
Council tax band is E for all our properties apart from 3 apartments based in Rafael court which are band D.
TV licence
See www.tvlicensing.co.uk
Telephone
Payable by residents direct to their chosen supplier.
Internet /
Broadband
Digital TV
Charges when leaving or selling
Transfer fee
On resale, 20% of any uplift in the value of the property is payable to St George’s Park Ltd. For example:
(a) Buy for £400,000 and sell for £420,000: £4,000 payable (20% of £20,000).
(b) Buy for £500,000 and sell for £600,000: £20,000 payable (20% of £100,000).
(c) Buy for £400,000 and sell for £400,000 (or less): Nothing is payable as there has been no uplift in value.
Transfer fee receipts are held by the Trustees of the Charity of the Order of St Augustine of the Mercy of Jesus and contribute to its wider charitable work.
Assignment fee
Currently £500 plus VAT is payable when a re-sale is completed.
Estate agency charges
St George’s Park Ltd offers an estate agency service for a fixed fee of 1% of the sale price plus VAT for a sole agency service or 1.5% of the sale price plus VAT for a multi-agency service.
Charges when leaving or selling (continued)
Ongoing charges
Service charges and Ground rent continue to be payable to St George’s Park Ltd until a property has been resold.
Redecoration costs
As a condition of the lease, outgoing owners may also be required to repair and reinstate the properties.
Insurance
Arranged by the operator
Buildings, Public Liability and Employers’ Liability Insurance. Owners contribute through the Building Insurance Fee and the service charge.
Arranged by residents
Contents insurance is the responsibility of residents. Owners may receive a more favourable quote by informing the insurance company that the development has a Secured by Design Award.
Funding of major repairs
Major repairs are funded through the service charge. The balance of the Reserve Fund for St George’s Park at the start November 2024 was £693,371.
Constraints on selling
St George’s Park Ltd has a right of pre-emption to purchase properties on resale. Once an offer has been received from a buyer, owners have to offer the property to St George’s Park Ltd at the same price. To date, St George’s Park Ltd has not exercised this right and has not bought back any properties.
Any incoming purchaser must satisfy the criteria laid down by the Local Authority and company for qualifying occupiers. The minimum age is 60.
Date
Last updated 2 February 2025
We encourage you to discuss your housing options with your family and friends and to seek independent legal, financial/benefits and any other appropriate advice, support, and representation in connection with a move to St George’s Park.
Further information
The Augustinian Order of Sisters have been caring for people at St George’s for over 150 years and have carried out the development of the Village and Care Homes here to ensure that the welfare and care of the over 60’s can continue.
The lease clearly sets out the obligation of the Freeholder and Landlord (St George’s Park Ltd) and the Owner (Lessee). Further information on the lease can be found in the St George’s Park Residents’ Guide which is available to read in the Sales Office.
The Service Charge
The Service Charge is a ‘variable’ charge (based on actual costs). The annual budget is available from the sales office. The receipts are held in a separate trust account for the benefit of the Village as required by the Landlord & Tenant Act 1987.
The annual accounts are discussed with residents and the budget for the following year from 1 January is set in consultation with the Residents Association Finance Committee. Residents receive notice of the annual increase around the end of November.
Any excess or deficit in the annual Service Charge is either refunded or requested at the end of the year once the accounts have been audited.
If St George’s Park Ltd are unable to provide any service covered by the service charge, they will make alternative arrangements.
St George’s Park Ltd do not receive commission from third parties in relation to services promoted to customers or covered by the service charge.
The following costs are included in the Communal Services/Service Charge:
Use of communal buildings and grounds (excluding the Concert Hall which is owned and run by Augustinian Care; residents may hire it at a nominal fee)
Housing Management and Hospitality Staff
Concierge Service
Leisure Centre Staff
Maintenance and servicing of all communal areas and systems including security and lifts.
External window cleaning
Individual apartment 24-hour monitoring (servicing of this equipment is the resident’s responsibility)
Contents insurance for communal areas, public liability and employer’s liability insurance.
Maintenance of communal grounds and gardens
Management Fee contributing to corporate costs (HR, legal, accountancy, etc)
Reserve (Sinking) Fund
Redecoration and cyclical Maintenance Fund: All the buildings at St George’s Park have been built to a high specification and require a low level of ongoing maintenance. However, there will obviously be a degree of maintenance necessary, and the Maintenance Fund is to help ensure that all works are carried out effectively. This fund is designed to spread the cost of the replacement of major items.
The Sinking Fund
Contributions to the costs of major repairs, replacements and improvements within the scheme are collected through the service charge payable by tenants.
The ‘Sinking Fund’ is a contingency or reserve fund used to offset the cost of major repairs or replacements in the future, such as lifts, roofs, communal area windows and doors, driveways, paths, rainwater goods and fencing.
Professional surveyors carry out regular site inspections for St George’s Park Ltd to determine future capital investment needs. A rolling capital investment programme is in place to ensure that the properties are always safe and maintained in good condition.
If any unforeseen need for capital investment cannot be met from the Sinking Fund, St George’s Park Ltd would seek to recover additional costs through the Service Charge as specified in the lease.
The Sinking Fund is held in a separate trust account for the benefit of the Village as required by the Landlord & Tenant Act 1987.
Selling a property
St George’s Park Ltd has an onsite Sales Office. Our experienced sales team has extensive knowledge of property values and an excellent database of potential purchasers. Owners can engage St George’s Park Ltd as an agent on a sole or multi-agency basis. Any additional agents will charge their own fees.
St George’s Park Ltd offers an estate agency service for a fixed fee of 1% of the sale price plus VAT for a sole agency service or 1.5% of the sale price plus VAT for a multi-agency service. Marketing is based on a ‘no sale, no fee’ basis.
Like other agents, we assess the property and advise on the best way to present it and on what other apartments have sold for in the village, to help owners decide on an asking price. Owners may also wish to get valuations from different estate agents.
Once we have been instructed to market a property, we will contact prospective purchasers generated from our ongoing advertising in local and sometimes national press. A link to the property will also be promoted via the St George’s Park website www.stgeorgespark.co.uk.
Queries
For further information, please contact the Sales Team at St George’s Park.
St George’s Park Ltd, The Lodge Administration Centre, St. George's Park, Ditchling Road, Burgess Hill RH15 0US. Registered in England & Wales No. 05225007.