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Welcome to our Summer Newsletter 2019

Staff in the spotlightIntroducing The Gracewood’s Village Manager Tracey Jones

Tell us about your role as Village Manager?

I love being a Village Manager. It’s a role that encompasses the most rewarding and diverse range of responsibilities I have ever encountered.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to manage other retirement villages, each one of which has been unique in its age, size and demographics. The Gracewood Community, being a more recent build and with the final Stage 3 completing early next year, enables me and my team to put all of our combined experience and energy into creating, with our residents, an environment that they envisage, co-create, grow and thrive in together.

First and foremost, my focus is to continue to build strong relationships with all our residents, their families and friends. I do this by leading a committed, smart and hardworking team.

I see the Village Manager’s role - my role - akin to that of the conductor of an orchestra, with every individual staff member performing his or her duties to the highest of levels, and with myself bringing all that skill together to create a harmonious and beautiful experience.

What do you love about retirement village living?

I love the fact that a retirement living village enables our residents to be free. Free to lock the door of their apartment and just go anywhere, knowing the village team will keep their home safe, secure and cared for until their return.

And when they do return, it’s to a warm, loving, nurturing environment.

What makes The Gracewood special?

The Gracewood is a community, not just a village. We provide superior living choices and easily accessed in-home services if required, ensuring that people are able to stay in their own homes for longer. The design of our contemporary apartments, built as they are around protected woodlands and with proximity to transport and shopping, ensures independence along with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that a wide range of supports are available should they become needed.

lifeyourstyle.

A warm welcome to John Beaumont

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John Beaumont

As a single man living in a stand-alone house in South Windsor since 1982, John Beaumont was always busy with friends, hobbies, and a meticulous attention to home and garden maintenance.

In his mid-60s and only recently retired after a long career as a master carpenter and joiner, John originally had no intention of moving to an over-55s retirement village. The thought, he says, would never have occurred to him, were it not for the fact that a couple of years ago, he kindly offered to drive and accompany two of his cousins as they visited and inspected a number of retirement villages in the north-west Sydney area.

“When we first visited The Gracewood, the three of us were very impressed”, John recounts. “It was by far the best of all the villages we’d visited – very well-designed, with all the apartments close to the central clubhouse and the village entirely on level ground. Many of the other villages were very hilly, which can be a big problem as you get older.”

John was also struck by the warmth and friendliness of everyone at The Gracewood. “Sitting in reception while my cousins were speaking to staff, everyone who walked past me said hello and all the people here seemed so pleasant”, he says.

With his cousins deciding to move to The Gracewood, John says he began to think “maybe it’s time to make the move myself” - not least to get away from the ongoing maintenance demands

of his fibro house which he used to completely repaint, all by himself, every seven years.

For John, the benefits of moving to The Gracewood, such as getting involved in new social activities and freeing himself from home maintenance demands, outweighed his long-held passion for collecting model trains.

“I had a massive collection of model trains and tracks which I had to sell and that was hard, but I’m still involved in a model railway club. I’ve only been here since May this year and while I’m still settling in, I feel I’ve definitely made the right decision and am enjoying being here,” he says.

“I’ve taken part in the walkers’ club and the writers’ club, attended film and games nights, got involved in helping the ladies of The Gracewood’s arts and crafts group and joined the resident's workshop, where I’m now very happy to be a mentor for anyone who needs any help with carpentry and other handyman tasks. You’re entirely free to participate in group activities here as much or as little as you want, but personally I think the more involved you decide to get, the better.”

“One of the great benefits of living in a community like The Gracewood is you get to meet a wide range of new people from all sorts of different and interesting backgrounds. Everyone is so friendly and, I have to say, the staff here are all excellent.”

Events at The Gracewood

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Two highly successful Information Sessions were held at The Gracewood recently, one in late August for Stage 3 depositors now looking forward with growing excitement to moving into their new apartments, followed by a presentation a few weeks later for local seniors keen to learn more about what’s involved in moving to a retirement village.

At the August session, attended by more than 80 future residents, Sales Manager Alison Abel presented a detailed update on how the construction of Stage 3 is progressing, as well as a great deal of practical information, guidance and advice on how to go about preparing in the lead-up to moving.

To help future residents of The Gracewood who are downsizing from stand-alone houses and moving to The Gracewood, the sales team have developed a strong relationship with a number of trustworthy business owners in the local area so as to help ensure the move for all future residents is as smooth as possible.

These businesses include the local McGrath real estate agency, along with the companies Crackers Clearout, Finishing Touch and Cumberland Furniture Removals, all of whom have impressed

The Gracewood staff with their professionalism, efficiency, reliability and transparent pricing policies.

Joining Alison to discuss all aspects of moving - from selling the family home to packing up, disposing of unwanted possessions and settling into a brand-new apartment - was Tamara from McGraths, Nathan from Crackers Clearout, Sue from Finishing Touch, and Nick and Katrina from Cumberland Removals.

Guests were also advised about the special Christmas party The Gracewood will be holding for future residents in late November and the village’s Arts & Crafts expo on the 9th November.

The Information Session for members of the general public, held on 25 September, broke all previous attendance records, with nearly 100 people reserving their seat to The Gracewood to learn more about the benefits of retirement village living in general and everything on offer at The Gracewood in particular.

After Alison presented detailed information on the financial aspects of moving to a retirement community, along with a “virtual tour” of Stage 3 apartments and surrounding amenities, guests had a chance to hear from and ask questions of current and soon-to-be residents, including the Chair of the Residents’ Committee, John Lamont, keen resident gardener Bev McPherson, and future Stage 3 resident Helen Bradey, who is already involved in various social groups within the Village.

With the Information Session followed by a delicious lunch in The Gracewood’s restaurant, many of the attendees were quick to book a personal appointment with Alison to further explore everything on offer in this award-winning retirement community.

Depositor Moving In session

Our Sales Manager Alison Abel caught up with local real estate agent Tamara Wikaruk from McGrath Estate Agents in Castle Hill to discuss the best tips for selling your home.

How can I ensure my house appeals to buyers?

A well-presented home usually sells faster, and at a higher price. Start by de-cluttering – put excess belongings and furniture into storage and you’ll make the home look bigger. Tidy up the garden and make sure the front of your home makes the first right impression. We have good contacts at a very reasonable and transparent price to assist with de-cluttering.

How long will it take to sell my home?

On average, we find our properties take between two and six weeks to sell. This does depend on the area you live in, and you should add another two weeks to this for us to prepare your house for the marketing campaign.

What pre-sale repairs or renovations pay off?

If a room is dark (and often can be in older homes), look for ways to create more light. Quality taps and door handles can make an immediate impact for little investment, and a fresh coat of paint in a neutral colour gives the

impression your home has been well maintained.

Is it really worth paying for a home stylist?

You only get once chance to make a great first impression. Investing a little to make your property look its best usually pays off with a higher sale price – however this is your decision.

Is it best to sell at auction?

We have found public auctions to be highly effective, especially when there are competing buyers. Emotional engagement and competitive tension can lead to a higher result. It really does come down to a case by case situation, and I would be happy to advise you on the best method for selling your home.

What’s your secret to a successful property marketing strategy?

We know we can achieve the best price within the first 30 days of a home being on the market so we focus our energies on achieving that. We also know that more than 60% of record prices come from out-of-area buyers. So it’s not enough to put up a sign – I will identify the ideal buyer for your home and design the optimum online and physical marketing mix.

Tamara can be contacted on 0422 279 939.

Top tips for selling your home

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Alison and Tamara

With all concrete roof slabs poured and the 88 Independent Living apartments in Stage 3 of The Gracewood now well on their way to being watertight, internal fit-out work has commenced – an exciting development, as it means that Handover Day following completion of all construction work is getting steadily closer.

Internally, as Stage 3’s Senior Project Manager Daniel Cutelli explains, a prototype apartment has already been completely fitted out, enabling the builders and many tradies involved in this development to check the quality and efficacy of every aspect of their work before proceeding in all other apartments. “We are undertaking this work very carefully, with our prototype apartment enabling us to ensure that in design, construction and layout terms, everything is in the right place and works exactly as it should before we give the green light to proceed with each particular stage of the internal installation process”, Daniel explains. “For example, we have deliberately flooded the prototype’s bathroom areas, just to make absolutely sure that in the way we are constructing all the apartments, they pass the highest quality water-proofing tests.

“Before we install any internal plasterboard walls, we can make sure via the prototype that all the plumbing, pipes, connections and electrical wiring behind these walls are in the right place and working perfectly. “With timber floors to be installed in all apartment living areas, we’ll be able to check with our acoustics consultant that

the acoustic-barrier material to be laid between the concrete floor and timber boards in the prototype apartment minimises any possibility of residents on lower levels hearing footsteps or other noise from apartments above them.”

Externally, final brick work and cladding installation is also underway, with Daniel explaining that the type of cladding material being used is of the highest quality and completely fireproof, unlike the cheaper, poor quality cladding material that has caused fire safety issues in a number of other buildings. “All residents living or moving into BaptistCare apartments are able to enjoy complete peace of mind about the quality of construction work because should any problem, of any nature, arise over coming decades, it is entirely BaptistCare’s legal and financial responsibility to fix it”, Daniel points out.

“The problems we’ve seen emerging with apartment construction work in other areas of Australia have led us to undertake even more ongoing site inspections and audits with our builders than would normally be the case.

“We are very pleased with the quality and professionalism of their work, along with everyone else involved in this project to date, and I’m delighted to be able to report that as well as meeting the highest possible quality standards, Stage 3 is nearing completion on time and on budget.”

Stage 3 construction update

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The Gracewood Community 1800 116 550 thegracewood.org.au

8 Free Settlers Dr, Kellyville NSW 2155

Property spotlight - available for sale now

TheGracewoodRetirementVillage

Unit 24, Iluka Building 2 bed, 2 bath, 1 car

This exceptional near-new two-bedroom apartment offers a rare opportunity to acquire a home within The Gracewood Community.

Entertaining is a breeze thanks to a generous 123sqm of living space. The large, modern kitchen flows effortlessly to the open plan living and dining areas, and out onto the large north facing balcony where you can enjoy the mountain views.

The home’s master bedroom includes an a sizable ensuite, a generous built in wardrobe and a private balcony.

Unit 9, Cascade building 2 bed, 2 bath, 1 car

Just 2 years old and as-new, this spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom home is perfect for singles or couples alike.

The generous galley kitchen flows effortlessly into an open plan living and dining area and out to a sundrenched balcony where you can enjoy district views over the north-east. There is a total of 115sqm of living space making this apartment perfect to entertain friends or family.

Both bedrooms feature built in robes and the master has a private ensuite. The apartment also features ceiling fans throughout, zoned air conditioning and a study nook.

9 Cascade24 Iluka