Inside a $3m three-bedroom place on level one of The Helier. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Inside a $3m three-bedroom place on level one of The Helier. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Chauffeur-driven hybrid Jaguars, an executive chef heading food operations, matching logo-embroidered dressing gowns, 24-hour-a-day room service and monogrammed stationery - sound like a luxury hotel?
It’s Oceania Healthcare’s new $150 million The Helier being marketed as “a new era of luxury” in the retirement village sector, with executive chef andfusion cuisine specialist Charles Pihera in charge.
The first residents have now moved into apartments at the 111-unit St Heliers vertical village. Once construction work is finished, the property at 38 Waimarie St will have 79 apartments, of which the most expensive has pre-sold for $5 million plus, according to Oceania marketing general manager Sandra Daniel.
Oceania's Brent Pattison at The Helier. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Two-bedroom places are being marketed from $1.7m to $3.5m, she said.
A further 32 premium care hospital suites are being finished, which Daniel and CEO Brent Pattison call the “private care model”, costing around $3500/week or $182,000/year. The exact weekly fee will depend on the level of care required but the concept is to provide hospital-standard rest home and palliative care for residents at the luxurious end of the market.
In a new system launched, it will be the resident and Oceania instead of the local health authority that decides if someone goes into that rest home or hospital suite.
Pattison explained: “It’s the first time we’re aware of that we have a private resident-paying model. While we will still be certified under the Ministry of Health, we will not be entering into an authorised care contract with the Government.”
Inside The Helier retirement village at St Heliers. Photo / Supplied
That means the transfer to a higher level of care won’t be controlled by the standard government model but is within the resident and Oceania’s control, offering a big point of difference to most other retirement village hospitals.
In Auckland city, the Government fully funds the around $1298/week rest home fee for New Zealanders with assets below $273,628, via the Ministry of Social Development. But many elderly in retirement villages who enter rest homes or hospitals on those sites don’t qualify because they are too wealthy so they fully fund their own higher-level care.
At The Helier, this has been taken to a new level costing $3500/week, pitched towards a wealthier market where it’s envisaged the resident fully funds their higher level or palliative care.
To drive sales, Oceania last August opened a marketing showroom at St Heliers Mall. Daniel said this would close next month.
On the wider village project, Pattison acknowledged construction of The Helier was running around three months later than initially expected because of the January floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.
But he said the site was only purchased - mainly from Greg Olliver-associated interests - in 2019. Olliver and his family once lived on the site, dubbed Neverland, when he proposed a big redevelopment which was never carried out.
Pattison said Oceania’s head contractor Argon Construction started work at the blocks designed by architects Peddlethorp in 2020.
The site was complicated, on the tuff ring of a volcano, built above the Glover Park crater but Pattison said earthworks were relatively straightforward and ground conditions were as anticipated.
Overlooking Glover Park from one of the apartments at The Helier at St Heliers. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
All accommodation is apartments. None is in standalone villas or townhouses. Configurations are:
* Two bedrooms with a studio from 108sq m to 136sq m;
* Three bedrooms with a study from 189sq m.
Only 69 car parks are offered so not all 79 apartments get a space but Pattison says that’s where the hybrid Jaguar F-Paces come into their own.
One of the branded hybrid F-Pace vehicles at The Helier which come with a cheuffeur. Photo / supplied
Fees are $275/week, fixed for the term of the resident’s occupation, covering rates, building insurance, garden maintenance, building repairs and maintenance, cleaning building exteriors and outside windows, emergency call alarm response, water fees, maintenance of the pool, spa and gym and regulatory costs.
In addition, mandatory hospitality fees are $200/week for an individual and $275/week for a couple covering electricity, Wi-Fi, daily newspaper delivery, concierge, valet parking, weekly cleaning, weekly linen cleaning, weekly wellness clinic check, village pool vehicle use, chauffeur service and daily barista-made coffee or tea, served from the cafe.
Inside a $3m three-bedroom place on level one of The Helier. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
It’s not optional to have one level of service but opt out of another. Both fees are mandatory, Daniel said.
Sales are of occupation rights agreements, with a 30 per cent deferred management fee after three years - the amount of money lost once the apartment is vacated and resold and an estate repaid.
Pattison said interior architectural designs were modified from the original plans.
“We made a mockup apartment in a warehouse in Wiri. We wanted to make sure we were happy with the finished product.”
Some changes were made to kitchen and cabinet locations, storage, lighting, and cupboard choices.
Devices using Amazon’s personal digital assistant Alexa are being offered. Residents will also be encouraged to download the Together application to view the dining menu, book into an events calendar, get dining seats, find out what’s happening at The Helier, ask for a chauffeur or contact management.
Daniel said apartment furniture staging was by Kingsland’s Soren Liv.
Pattison isn’t saying how many of the 111 places are pre-sold, only that so far, around 20 staff and residents are on-site. Oceania holds its AGM on August 26 and shareholders could hear more about sales then.
An official The Helier opening is planned for August 23.
* Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 23 years, having won many awards, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
