Retirement Village vs Stay Calculator

This calculator compares the true cost of moving into a retirement village against staying in the family home, so you can see which option is cheaper before weighing up lifestyle. Retirement villages in New Zealand typically involve an occupation right: an entry price, a weekly fee, and a deferred management fee the operator deducts when you leave, often 20 to 30 percent of your entry price, usually with no share of any capital gain. You enter the village entry price, the deferred management fee percentage, the village weekly fee, how many years you expect to live there, and what it costs to run the family home each week. The calculator returns a verdict on which option is cheaper over your expected stay, plus the total village cost, the total cost of staying home, and the dollar amount of the deferred fee forfeited on exit. Because most of your entry capital is returned when you leave a village, the real cost is the deferred fee plus the weekly fees, not the entry price itself. The comparison does not account for capital gains you might forgo by leaving the housing market, or the value of village services such as security, company and maintenance-free living, so weigh those up alongside the numbers. Treat the results as an estimate only, not financial advice, and get independent advice before signing an occupation right agreement.

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The village cost is the deferred management fee plus weekly fees over your stay; the entry capital is largely returned on exit, less the deferred fee, so it is the deferred fee and weekly fees that are the real cost. Staying home cost is your ongoing running costs. This ignores capital gains you forgo and the value of village services. Estimate only, not financial advice.