Summerset by the Ranges
photos: operator / Village Guide
Retirement living · Levin, Horowhenua

Summerset by the Ranges

Summerset Villages (levin) Limited · Levin, Horowhenua · framed by the Tararua Ranges · independent villas, apartments & cottages plus rest home, hospital & memory care
Life Score
89
Exceptional
Capital Back
53
the money ↓
See what life here is like — then weigh what it means for your family further down.
The village

Life here

Summerset by the Ranges is a well-established village nestled in the heart of the Horowhenua district, framed by spectacular views of the Tararua Ranges. While only a short drive from Levin town centre, the village maintains a peaceful, semi-rural feel on quiet, relaxing, park-like grounds. Home to more than 200 residents, it offers a full continuum of care—from independent living through to secure dementia care—with an on-site Activities Coordinator ensuring there's always something to do, whether indoors or out.

Your home

Living options

Modern Homes for Every Stage

Choose from contemporary villas, apartments, and cottages, each thoughtfully designed for comfort and low maintenance.

2-bedroom villas with study option
Modern, bright open-plan living
Contemporary kitchen, large bathroom, self-contained laundry
Outdoor living and garden
Single garage with internal access
One-bedroom apartments
Two-bedroom cottages with outdoor living area
Living options
A day in the life

What living here is actually like

Life at Summerset by the Ranges revolves around connection, activity, and wellbeing.

A Calendar Full of Moments

The village's own Divine Café serves contemporary menus made with wholesome, seasonal, locally grown produce. An on-site Activities Coordinator curates a year-round calendar of events, from organised outings to resident dinners and entertainment. Indoor and outdoor facilities ensure there's always something to suit your mood—whether that's a quiet read in the library, a game of lawn bowls, or a social gathering.

Divine Café with in-house catering
Organised outings and activities
Lawn bowls and recreational bowling green
Arts and crafts
Exercise classes
Resident dinners and organised entertainment
Bar happy hours and quizzes
Cards and board games
Communal vegetable gardens
Library, piano, pool table
Lounge with large screen TV
Courtesy van for outings
Always something on
On your doorstep

Facilities & services

Divine Café
Barbecue facilities
Bowling green
Communal vegetable gardens
Library
Piano
Pool table
Lounge with large screen TV
Computer with internet access
Playground
Residents' bar
Courtesy van
Emergency call system in units
Secure gates (locked at night)
Peace of mind

Care for life, on site

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

IndependentServicedRest homeHospitalSecure dementia
✓ Doctor available for appointments · Physiotherapy available for appointments · Housekeeping · Linen change · Meal deliveries
Care and community
Where it is

Setting & neighbourhood

Summerset by the Ranges is situated in the heart of the Horowhenua district, framed by spectacular views of the Tararua Ranges. The village is only a few minutes' drive from Levin town centre, yet maintains a peaceful, semi-rural character on quiet, relaxing, park-like grounds. This balance of accessibility and tranquility makes it an ideal setting for active retirement living.

Interested?

Like the look of Summerset by the Ranges?

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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
53
Around average · #136 of 520
Better than 74% 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
~137 days
median, from 10 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 53 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%
137 days across recent resales.
89
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

25%

Accrues over your first 2 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

~137 days median

Your capital is repaid once the unit is re-licensed to a new resident.

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