Dannemora Gardens
photos: operator / Village Guide
Retirement living · Botany Downs, Manukau City

Dannemora Gardens

Metlifecare Retirement Villages Limited · Botany Downs, Auckland · independent apartments with resort-style amenities
Life Score
72
Strong
Capital Back
48
the money ↓
See what life here is like — then weigh what it means for your family further down.
The village

Life here

Dannemora Gardens is a purpose-designed independent living village in Botany Downs that captures the spirit of a resort retreat. From the stunning atrium to the flourishing gardens, residents enjoy an active social calendar—art tours, walking groups, trips to Waiheke Island—alongside peaceful spaces to simply relax. Whether you're joining the bowling green, swimming in the heated pool, or gathering at Twin Palms café, life here balances activity with the ease of carefree living.

Your home

Living options

Independent Living Apartments

Light, bright and spacious apartments with modern kitchens, generous storage, and elevated balconies or patios. Choose from 1, 2, or 3 bedroom layouts with a variety of outlooks across the village.

1 bedroom from $642,000
2 bedroom apartments available
3 bedroom from $935,000
Modern kitchens with generous storage
Elevated balconies or ground-level patios
Open-plan living areas
Living options
A day in the life

What living here is actually like

An active social calendar and abundant facilities create a vibrant community where residents thrive.

Activities & Community

Dannemora Gardens offers something for everyone—from organised entertainment and social outings to quiet pursuits in the library or lounge. The village hosts resident dinners, bar happy hours, movie nights, and wellness activities, while the Twin Palms café and restaurant provide warm gathering spaces year-round.

Art tours and walking groups
Trips to Waiheke Island
Gym and exercise classes
Heated indoor swimming pool
Bowling green and putting green
Billiards and table tennis
Cinema room and movie nights
Library and computer room
Workshop and Men's Shed
Twin Palms café and restaurant
Bar with happy hours
Bingo, quizzes, cards and board games
Arts and crafts
Organised entertainment
Wellness centre
Always something on
On your doorstep

Facilities & services

Community Centre
Library
Cinema room
Computer Room
Workshop / Men's Shed
Hairdresser
Gym
Billiards / Pool Table
Dining Room
Bar
Piano
Spa Pool
Lock-up storage
Indoor heated swimming pool
Communal lounge
Bowling green
Putting green
Café and Restaurant
Barbecue area
Table tennis
Village van
Peace of mind

Care for life, on site

If your health changes, you won't have to leave the place you know. Dannemora Gardens offers these levels of care on site:

Independent
✓ Registered nurse available for appointments · Emergency call system in units · Wellness centre · Podiatrist available for appointments · Support in accessing community physiotherapists and occupational therapists
Care and community
Where it is

Setting & neighbourhood

Dannemora Gardens is located at 30 Matarangi Road in Botany Downs, Auckland, a well-established residential area in East Auckland. The village sits beside a neighbouring reserve, offering a peaceful setting with lush surrounding greenery while remaining close to local shops and services. The purpose-designed layout creates a resort-like atmosphere with stunning gardens that flourish year-round.

Interested?

Like the look of Dannemora Gardens?

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Now the practical part

The money — what comes back to your family

You've seen why you'd love it. This is the part most families only discover at the exit statement — so we put it in plain sight. Every figure is from the village's own filed Disclosure Statement.

Capital Back score
48
Around average · #211 of 520
Better than 59% of NZ villages — yet the market median is just 46. The sector is tough.
Deferred fee
30%
charged on your entry price
Your share of capital gain
0%
operator keeps 100% of any uplift
Time to get capital back
~158 days
median, from 11 recent resales
Fees after you leave
Stop
good — many villages keep charging
Before you sign, get independent eyes on the contract.An ORA-review lawyer or independent financial adviser — never paid by any operator — checks what it really means for your family.
⚖ Get independent advice →
How the 48 is built

Nothing hidden — every component

The Capital Back score is a transparent weighting of five filed terms — you can see exactly where this village wins and loses.

Move-in fee you don't get back Deferred Management Fee — weighted 30%
30% deferred fee — lower is better.
25
Share of capital growth Capital gain to resident — weighted 15%
0% — the operator keeps any resale uplift.
0
Speed your capital returns Median resale time — weighted 30%
158 days across recent resales.
85
Fees stop when you leave Weekly fees on exit — weighted 15%
Charges end on vacancy.
100
Interest if repayment is slow Interest on delayed capital — weighted 10%
No interest on delayed repayment.
0
The filed terms, in plain English

What the Disclosure Statement actually says

Every operator uses different words for the same thing — we normalise them so you can compare like with like.

%

Deferred Management Fee

30%

Accrues over your first 3 years, charged on the entry price.

Market: median 30%; only 16% of villages charge under 25%.

Capital gain

0% to the resident

Any increase in the licence value at resale is kept entirely by the operator.

Market: just 8% of NZ villages share any capital gain.

How fast your capital comes back

~158 days median

Your capital is repaid once the unit is re-licensed to a new resident. (Operator-stated average: 227 days.)

Market: median 154 days; 21 villages still average over a year.

Fees & interest on exit

Resident-friendly

Weekly fees stop when you vacate.

Market: 220 of 520 villages keep charging weekly fees after you've gone.
Before you sign the ORA

The reckoning usually arrives too late

  • You're buying a licence to occupy, not the home — you can't sell, rent or borrow against it.
  • A large deferred fee is gone within a few years, whatever the unit later sells for.
  • Your family carries the risk of how long resale takes — and the operator's ability to pay.
  • None of this is hidden — it's all in the Disclosure Statement most people sign without reading.
Have someone independent read it first

We'll connect you with a retirement-village review lawyer or independent financial adviser — no operator pays to be here.

Request an ORA review → Talk to a financial adviser