2 Bedroom third floor apartment.

RETIREMENT PROPERTIES - VERY SHELTERED HOUSING

The Court comprises 49 spacious 2 bedroom apartments, together with a range of communal facilities, including a dining room where there is a mid-day meal every day.

Each private apartment has two bedrooms, a fully fitted kitchen with integral appliances, spacious living room and large bathroom and most have an en-suite shower room. Whether buying as a single person or as a couple the second bedroom provides extra space for guests or for use as a separate dining room or study. Many apartments have balconies or decked patio areas. All apartments have gas central heating, electrical cooking for safety, fitted carpets and curtains. Every apartment comes with an NHBC Buildmark Guarantee covering fixtures and fittings for two years and the structure for 10 years.

Bowling Green Court is a thoughtfully-designed, landmark building overlooking the historic St Werburgh’s bowling green in Chester. The Court is located wihtin easy walking distance of the City Centre and comprises private, stylish and spacious two bedroom apartments together with a range of communal owners’ facilities and services.

Each private apartment has a fully fitted kitchen with integral appliances, spacious living room and large bathroom and most have an ensuite shower room. Many of the available apartments enjoy balconies or decked patio areas. All apartments have gas central heating, electrical cooking for safety, fitted carpets and curtains and are finished to a very high standard.

Dimensions
Lounge 5.00m x 4.06m (16'5" x 13'4" )
Kitchen 2.47m x 4.17m (8'2" x 13'8" )
Bedroom 1 3.03m x 4.00m (9’11” x 13’2” )
Bedroom 2 2.69m x 2.91m( 8'10" x 9'7" )
Bathroom 2.69m x 2.47m (8'10" x 8'2")


Service arrangements in more detail
Service arrangements and the service charge are as important as the purchase price and design of the apartments.The following is a summary. Full details are contained in the Bowling Green Court Owners' Handbook.

The Owners' Management Company
The Owners' Management Company, Bowling Green Court (Chester) Ltd, is responsible for the provision of services and employing the Court staff.Any proposal to raise the service charge by more, pro rata, than the State Retirement Pension would be subject to a formal vote of all the Owners. In this way Owners control their own service charge and ensure the development is managed in their interests at all times.

The communal areas, lounge and dining room
The service charge covers the furnishing, heating, lighting, decoration and cleaning of all communal areas. No meals are included but the staff will make whatever arrangements are required by the Owners' company. A three course lunch is provided each day at cost and Owners' families and friends are always welcome guests.

The gardens and bowling green
The grounds are maintained by a gardener whose costs are included in the service charge.The bowling green is outside the boundaries of the Court but Owners may join the Bowling Club or the Parish Centre next door.

Building maintenance
The service charge includes all items of building maintenance except that within the Owners' individual properties. It includes the maintenance of the lifts as well as regular exterior cleaning of all windows.The service charge also makes provision for a Fund for Future Maintenance, to cover repairs to, and refurbishment of the communal areas and the exterior of the building.These are the responsibility of the Owners' company.

Insurance
The service charge includes comprehensive insurance of the structure of the building, the contents of communal areas and employers' liability.

About Brook Street
Bowling Green Court is located on Brook Street at the boundary between Boughton and City & All Saints Wards. The area is recognized as an important gateway to the City and, as part of the “Station Quarter”, has recently been the subject of substantial regeneration activity. Much is yet to come. Major investments have been made on the part of local businesses and the train operating companies. The planned reorganization of Station Square will provide a more welcoming and user-friendly travel interchange and funding from external heritage bodies and the Private Sector has been secured to undertake improvement works to historic buildings in the neighbourhood.

What is Very Sheltered Housing?
The purpose of Very Sheltered Housing is to enable older people to retain their independence for as long as possible, and in the vast majority of cases for the whole of their lives. This is achieved by: Mobility Making all of the communal areas and all but 2 of the apartments accessible, even to someone in a wheelchair. Even though that is a rare occurrence, many older people have mobility problems and there are many other features to facilitate mobility.

More Staff
There are many more staff than are generally thought of in sheltered housing, so that in addition to the Manager there is a team of Housekeepers/Duty Manager who work a shift system and there is someone on the premises 24 hours a day, but between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. only for emergencies.There is also a team of Housekeeping Assistants who provide help in the private apartments and look after the communal rooms.

Owners’ Company
The Owners of the Apartments constitute their own Management Company, one Share per Apartment.They are the employers of the staff and have their own Board of Directors. They employ Retirement Security Ltd as Managing Agents.

Affordability
The premises are affordable both to buy and live in comfortably by almost anyone who owns their own property and who has need of the services. Confidential advice is available on a wide range of benefits, both means-tested and non means-tested, without any obligation to buy.