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Capital Back 41⚖ Get independent advice
Haunui Retirement Village
photos: operator / Village Guide
Retirement living · Darfield, Selwyn

Haunui Retirement Village

Haunui Trust · in the heart of Darfield · independent living villas in a shared garden community
Capital Back
41
the money ↓
See what life here is like — then weigh what it means for your family further down.
Haunui Retirement Village Haunui Retirement Village Haunui Retirement Village Haunui Retirement Village Haunui Retirement Village
The village

Life here

Nestled in central Darfield, Haunui Retirement Village is a intimate community of just 14 villas set within a beautiful shared garden. Run as a charitable trust by local volunteers, it prioritises genuine connection over profit—each villa thoughtfully designed for retirees who want independence without isolation. You'll find yourself within easy reach of local shops and facilities, part of a close-knit neighbourhood where you're known by name.

Your home

Living options

Independent Living Villas

Thoughtfully designed one and two-bedroom villas tailored to the needs of retirees.

✓ One-bedroom villas
✓ Two-bedroom villas
✓ Well-maintained homes
✓ Shared garden access
Living options
A day in the life

What living here is actually like

Life at Haunui centres on community and convenience.

A Friendly, Connected Community

The village's 14 homes are arranged around a beautiful shared garden, creating natural gathering spaces. With local shops and facilities within easy reach, residents enjoy both independence and the comfort of a supportive neighbourhood.

✓ Shared garden spaces
✓ Close to local shops
✓ Close to local facilities
✓ Small-scale community feel
On your doorstep

Facilities & services

Shared garden
On-site parking
Peace of mind

Care for life, on site

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

Independent
Care and community
Where it is

Setting & neighbourhood

Haunui Retirement Village is located at 7–17 Ross Street in Darfield, a rural township in the Selwyn district of Canterbury. The village sits in the heart of the community, within easy walking distance of local shops and amenities. The setting offers a peaceful, small-town lifestyle while maintaining convenient access to essential services.

Interested?

Like the look of Haunui?

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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
41
Below average · #324 of 520
Better than 38% of NZ villages — yet the market median is just 46. The sector is tough.
Deferred fee
25%
charged on your entry price
Your share of capital gain
0%
operator keeps 100% of any uplift
Time to get capital back
~60 days
median, from 1 recent resales
Fees after you leave
Continue
charged until the unit resells
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 41 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%
25% deferred fee — lower is better.
38
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%
60 days across recent resales.
100
Fees stop when you leave Weekly fees on exit — weighted 15%
Fees continue until the unit resells.
0
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

25%

Accrues over your first 5 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

~60 days median

Your capital is repaid once the unit is re-licensed to a new resident. (Operator-stated average: 60 days.)

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

Fees & interest on exit

Watch this

Weekly fees continue until the unit resells.

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