Why is Blue Cedar Homes different – Your questions, answered
The quest to find the perfect home for later life can feel like a bit of a daunting prospect. Moving from your family home to somewhere that is brand-new, probably smaller and in a different area or region, is a big step. The fact that it is going to be the base for your retirement years only gives you more to think about.
The team at Blue Cedar Homes is on hand to help and here are some of the questions and concerns we hear often from potential buyers.
Are there any age restrictions for living in a Blue Cedar Homes development?
All Blue Cedar Homes properties are offered for sale to the retired market. The permanent occupier or at least one spouse must be over the age of 55 (or 60 in some locations).
We’ve seen some negative stories in the press about new build homes and leasehold arrangements, and also about fees that can be incurred on retirement properties when you come to sell or make changes. We don’t want either us – or our children – to be caught out financially by these types of restrictions.
All Blue Cedar Homes houses are freehold, meaning that there are no ground rents to pay, no unexpected cost increases to dread, and your property will remain in your possession to benefit you and your family.
When unforeseen events happen, or you need to make a change to your living arrangements, the last thing you need is an unexpected bill. Unlike many developers, we don’t charge event fees, also sometimes called transfer or assignment fees. So whether you’re selling your Blue Cedar Homes home or changing your living arrangements, there is nothing to pay us – you will receive 100% of the proceeds upon sale.
What is the tenure of a Blue Cedar Homes property?
The properties are available on a freehold basis (except in the case of an apartment).
Do you charge ground rents?
Blue Cedar Homes does not charge ground rents on any freehold properties. However, our leasehold apartments do have a ground rent charge, typically £200 per annum.
Is there a Service Charge and what does it cover?
There is an annual service charge which is set up to cover the expenditure associated with managing the development, with an additional element to cover major periodic planned costs. The service charge covers all aspects of managing the development, not unlike managing your own property. Typically, this includes: employment and associated costs of the Estate Manager; maintenance of grounds; upkeep of any shared areas; the periodic external painting and decoration of houses; gutter clearance; insurance (for the communal area, etc); external window cleaning of all properties; communal water and electricity charges; lighting of communal areas; maintenance of gate entry system; management fee; provisions for periodic costs.
How much does the service charge increase each year?
The service charge covers costs including those from external companies and organisations (e.g. utility companies, insurances, window cleaners etc) and any rise is influenced by the increases imposed by those sources. Blue Cedar Homes Management Company will manage the costs proficiently and it aims to keep any increases to a reasonable level. There is a management charge included in the service charge which goes towards the running of the management company, who arranges works to be done, payments, invoicing and collecting payment, this fee is the only one that is controlled by the management company and it is capped to increase only based on RPI.
Do you charge fees when a property is resold?
No, there are no fees and no hidden costs when reselling your home. You are free to sell through any agent and there will be no costs to be paid to Blue Cedar Homes.
In that case, does the Management Company charge a free when the property is resold?
No. There will be a small charge (approximately £250) when selling the property to receive all enquires required by the buyer from the Management Company, such as statements and charges on account.
Are our pets welcome?
Absolutely, well-behaved pets are most welcome. We only ask that you respect your fellow residents by keeping them suitably under control – as we are sure you do anyway! Just one rule we do have for dogs is that they are not allowed to run around off the lead in the public areas of the developments, which seems fair to everyone.
We enjoy looking after our garden, but we understand that Blue Cedar Homes do this for us. Will we be able to do any of our own gardening?
Yes, you can continue to enjoy your gardening by all means! You are welcome to look after your private rear garden and patio for as long as you want to. If you like, you can rely on us to do the grass cutting or any heavy stuff – and do the fun bits yourselves. You can also use us to look after your garden while you are away.
We have lots of nice furniture and precious things that we’ve collected over the years and we’re worried that it won’t all fit in a smaller house.
Our properties are designed to be flexible and adapt to your needs, so you may be surprised how much you can fit in. We have taken special care to incorporate lots of storage space, where possible conveniently positioned at normal floor levels.
Our residents often tell us that one of things they have enjoyed most about down-sizing is that it’s the perfect excuse for a bit of a de-clutter (or even a major clear-out!)
The day you move into your new home, we offer an inclusive ‘Half Day Handyman Scheme’ to help you settle in. He will help you unpack boxes as well as assist with those all-important finishing touches like fitting lampshades and hanging paintings, to make your house a home.
If you have any further questions which you would like to talk to a member of Blue Cedar Homes about, please do not hesitate to contact us by calling 01392 369704.
The team at Blue Cedar Homes is on hand to help and here are some of the questions and concerns we hear often from potential buyers.
Are there any age restrictions for living in a Blue Cedar Homes development?
All Blue Cedar Homes properties are offered for sale to the retired market. The permanent occupier or at least one spouse must be over the age of 55 (or 60 in some locations).
We’ve seen some negative stories in the press about new build homes and leasehold arrangements, and also about fees that can be incurred on retirement properties when you come to sell or make changes. We don’t want either us – or our children – to be caught out financially by these types of restrictions.
All Blue Cedar Homes houses are freehold, meaning that there are no ground rents to pay, no unexpected cost increases to dread, and your property will remain in your possession to benefit you and your family.
When unforeseen events happen, or you need to make a change to your living arrangements, the last thing you need is an unexpected bill. Unlike many developers, we don’t charge event fees, also sometimes called transfer or assignment fees. So whether you’re selling your Blue Cedar Homes home or changing your living arrangements, there is nothing to pay us – you will receive 100% of the proceeds upon sale.
What is the tenure of a Blue Cedar Homes property?
The properties are available on a freehold basis (except in the case of an apartment).
Do you charge ground rents?
Blue Cedar Homes does not charge ground rents on any freehold properties. However, our leasehold apartments do have a ground rent charge, typically £200 per annum.
Is there a Service Charge and what does it cover?
There is an annual service charge which is set up to cover the expenditure associated with managing the development, with an additional element to cover major periodic planned costs. The service charge covers all aspects of managing the development, not unlike managing your own property. Typically, this includes: employment and associated costs of the Estate Manager; maintenance of grounds; upkeep of any shared areas; the periodic external painting and decoration of houses; gutter clearance; insurance (for the communal area, etc); external window cleaning of all properties; communal water and electricity charges; lighting of communal areas; maintenance of gate entry system; management fee; provisions for periodic costs.
How much does the service charge increase each year?
The service charge covers costs including those from external companies and organisations (e.g. utility companies, insurances, window cleaners etc) and any rise is influenced by the increases imposed by those sources. Blue Cedar Homes Management Company will manage the costs proficiently and it aims to keep any increases to a reasonable level. There is a management charge included in the service charge which goes towards the running of the management company, who arranges works to be done, payments, invoicing and collecting payment, this fee is the only one that is controlled by the management company and it is capped to increase only based on RPI.
Do you charge fees when a property is resold?
No, there are no fees and no hidden costs when reselling your home. You are free to sell through any agent and there will be no costs to be paid to Blue Cedar Homes.
In that case, does the Management Company charge a free when the property is resold?
No. There will be a small charge (approximately £250) when selling the property to receive all enquires required by the buyer from the Management Company, such as statements and charges on account.
Are our pets welcome?
Absolutely, well-behaved pets are most welcome. We only ask that you respect your fellow residents by keeping them suitably under control – as we are sure you do anyway! Just one rule we do have for dogs is that they are not allowed to run around off the lead in the public areas of the developments, which seems fair to everyone.
We enjoy looking after our garden, but we understand that Blue Cedar Homes do this for us. Will we be able to do any of our own gardening?
Yes, you can continue to enjoy your gardening by all means! You are welcome to look after your private rear garden and patio for as long as you want to. If you like, you can rely on us to do the grass cutting or any heavy stuff – and do the fun bits yourselves. You can also use us to look after your garden while you are away.
We have lots of nice furniture and precious things that we’ve collected over the years and we’re worried that it won’t all fit in a smaller house.
Our properties are designed to be flexible and adapt to your needs, so you may be surprised how much you can fit in. We have taken special care to incorporate lots of storage space, where possible conveniently positioned at normal floor levels.
Our residents often tell us that one of things they have enjoyed most about down-sizing is that it’s the perfect excuse for a bit of a de-clutter (or even a major clear-out!)
The day you move into your new home, we offer an inclusive ‘Half Day Handyman Scheme’ to help you settle in. He will help you unpack boxes as well as assist with those all-important finishing touches like fitting lampshades and hanging paintings, to make your house a home.
If you have any further questions which you would like to talk to a member of Blue Cedar Homes about, please do not hesitate to contact us by calling 01392 369704.
Company Information
The Company
Key People
Land and Planning
Blue Cedar Home Ltd is registered in England no. 6444180. Registered office: Eagle House, 1 Babbage Way, Exeter Science Park, Exeter, Devon, EX5 2FN
Warranty
For further peace of mind, all Blue Cedar Homes properties carry a 10 year NHBC 'Buildmark' warranty.
