Summerset Cambridge
photos: operator / Village Guide
Retirement living · Cambridge, Waipa

Summerset Cambridge

Summerset Villages (cambridge) Limited · heart of Cambridge with views to Maungakawa Scenic Reserve · independent villas, cottages, serviced apartments + full continuum of care
Life Score
98
Exceptional
Capital Back
45
the money ↓
See what life here is like — then weigh what it means for your family further down.
The village

Life here

Summerset Cambridge is a developing retirement village in the heart of the Waikato, positioned in a semi-rural setting with stunning views towards Maungakawa, Maungatautari and Pirongia Scenic Reserve mountains. The village offers nearly 260 homes once complete, from spacious villas and cottages to serviced apartments and innovative memory care suites. Residents enjoy the freedom of maintenance-free living in a vibrant, gated community with easy access to cycleways, local cafes, and a welcoming Divine Café at the village centre. Life here balances relaxation with connection—whether you're bowling on the green, swimming in the heated pool, or joining organised outings and social events.

Your home

Living options

Homes to Suit Your Lifestyle

Modern, high-quality living options designed for comfort and independence, with thoughtful features throughout.

Villas: 2 or 3-bedroom single-storey homes with open-plan living, modern bathrooms, accessible showers, grab rails, slip-resistant floors, outdoor living areas, and internal access garages
Cottages: 2-bedroom homes with maintenance-free living
Serviced Apartments: for those wanting additional support
Care Centre rooms and Memory Care apartments available as village develops
Living options
A day in the life

What living here is actually like

A calendar of activities and facilities designed to keep you engaged, entertained, and connected.

Community & Activities

An on-site Activities Coordinator ensures there's always something to suit your interests. The Divine Café (open Monday–Sunday, 10am–3pm) welcomes residents and the local community for good food and great coffee. The village centre buzzes with life, and you'll find plenty of ways to relax, socialise, and stay active.

Indoor heated swimming pool and indoor spa pool
Recreational bowling green and petanque
Exercise room and exercise classes
Library, cinema room, and lounge with large-screen TV
Resident bar with happy hours
Barbecue facilities and outdoor pizza oven
Communal vegetable gardens
Arts and crafts, quizzes, movie nights, cards and board games
Resident dinners and organised entertainment
Organised outings and courtesy van
Hair salon, piano, resident workshop, and pool table
Always something on
On your doorstep

Facilities & services

Indoor swimming pool
Indoor spa pool
Gym / exercise room
Bowling green
Petanque court
Library
Cinema room
Communal lounge
Resident bar
Divine Café
Hair salon
Barbecue area
Outdoor pizza oven
Communal vegetable gardens
Resident workshop
Chapel
Computer with internet access
Piano
Courtesy van
24-hour on-site staff
Peace of mind

Care for life, on site

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

IndependentServicedRest homeHospitalSecure dementia
✓ Registered nurse · Physiotherapy · Podiatry · Doctor appointments · In-home personal assistance (showering, grooming)
Care and community
Where it is

Setting & neighbourhood

Summerset Cambridge is located at 1 Mary Ann Drive in Cambridge, in the heart of the Waikato region. The village sits in a semi-rural setting with scenic views towards Maungakawa, Maungatautari and Pirongia Scenic Reserve mountains. It is conveniently positioned just minutes from the Waikato Expressway, within walking and cycling distance of superb local cafes, and a short drive to local amenities. Cycleways and walkways are on the village's doorstep, making it ideal for those who enjoy an active, accessible lifestyle while maintaining a relaxed retirement environment.

Interested?

Like the look of Summerset Cambridge?

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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
45
Around average · #272 of 520
Better than 48% 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
~317 days
median, from 2 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 45 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%
317 days across recent resales.
62
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

~317 days median

Your capital is repaid once the unit is re-licensed to a new resident. (Operator-stated average: 317 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