Management Services and facilities
Orchard Yard is managed by Cognatum Estates, a not-for-profit company which provides management services for its 60 private estates. The services are provided on a day to day basis by experienced and a friendly estate manager, supported by a team of deputies, who are on hand to provide residents services and advice, and for emergencies 24/7, 365 days a year.
The estate managers provide an office service between 9 am and 12.00 am hours to answer any queries or address any concerns. The range of services include:
A beautiful and fully equipped clubhouse for exclusive use of residents and their guests.
Multi use areas separated by bifold doors and servery kitchen
Wide screen TV and sound system
High speed wifi connection
Gym equipment
Space for exercise classes, art classes, yoga, lectures, Osteopath or similar, film nights etc
Private hire for residents for celebrations, family events, etc
Terrace with BBQ and Firepit
Maintained communal gardens and orchard
Allotments and greenhouse
Maintained private gardens
Rubbish collection
“Lock and leave” property and security checks
24 hr alarm
Concierge style service for deliveries, IT assistance etc
“End of day” security walkabout and checks
Optional services
In addition to the above services, arrange of optional services are available, arranged and managed by Cognatum and the estate manager, at a small extra charge. These include:
Help with domestic services such as cleaning, ironing and washing
Delicious and healthy meals and catering delivered to your door
Long or short-term care and support delivered by the best, regulated, local care specialists
Electric vehicle charging
Guest Suite
A large, beautifully furnished and well equipped guest suite is provided on the estate for friends and families of residents, allowing them to stay close by while enjoying their own accommodation. A light continental breakfast is available, along with kitchenette facilities. The guest suite can comfortably accommodate a visiting family of 5, provided at a very reasonable nightly rate simply to cover the cost of servicing the suite.
Gardens
The gardens at The Orchard are superb, featuring:
The clubhouse terrace with BBQ and Firepit
Fruit Orchard with large communal table and log seats for informal dining
Vegetable gardens with Victorian Greenhouse
Perennial Flower meadows
Indigenous trees and hedging
Gently mounded grassed areas with spring bulbs and pathways
Wooden Shelter with seating
Statuary
Cornus and birch for winter colours, bulbs & blossom for spring, perennial meadows for summer, fruit & grasses for autumn.
The estate mangers take care of all landscaping and gardening needs and are responsible for maintaining the gardens, with the support of Cognatum’s highly qualified and widely experienced Gardens Adviser, Charles Gilchrist.
Residents can maintain individual small garden areas if they wish, in conjunction with the estate managers.
More dedicated gardeners have access to an individual allotment and greenhouse.
Maintenance and Building Repairs
Cognatum are responsible for all maintenance of the grounds and building exteriors. The cleaning of the outside of all windows is arranged every other month alongside an annual gutter clean.
Cognatum also collects annual contributions from all residents to fund the estate reserve fund, which covers costs associated with long term and regular maintenance, as well as allowing for unforeseen contingencies.
However, there will be no contributions in the first year in recognition of the low repair costs of the new properties.
Future annual contributions are based on a published long-term estate investment plan which protects residents’ investment in the estate; the reserve fund is kept separate from the annual management charge in a deposit account earning the highest appropriate rate of interest.
Chauffeured transport
A regular service is provided for residents for shopping trips, social events, theatre trips, and the like; the vehicles are high specification and very comfortable and convenient. The service is provided as part of the service charge and at no additional cost; all residents are welcome to make use of the service.
Security
Your home comes with the very latest security technology, supported and managed by the estate manager.
24 hour monitored personal alarm system
House Alarm with Panic Button adjacent to bed
Secure By Design Doors and Windows
Intercom System
Electric Gates to both Development and Carbarn area
CCTV to communal areas
Exterior lights on sensors
Car barns
Every property has a car barn with storage pod. In addition they have a second allocated parking space within the development – please refer to site plan.
Gated access to Carbarns
Wider than normal Carbarns
Wiring for Car Charging socket
Secure storage pod with electricity
The service charge
Components of the Service Charge
The service charge for The Orchard, and indeed each estate managed by Cognatum, is held individually, and provides funds for the specific estate.
Contained within it is a separate charge, the managing fee. The managing fee is the charge payable to Cognatum Head Office for services such as company financial and administrative functions, in addition to company costs associated with Health and Safety, HR and training, corporate governance, and membership of the ARHM, who have awarded Cognatum full membership following an audit of the Code of Conduct.
Communal Charges
The annual service charge also covers other running costs for the estate and estate office, such as the telephone, post, stationery and IT equipment. The water and electricity charges cover supplies to the common parts, guest suite, the clubhouse, and the estate office; these include the external lighting and water points.
2019 SERVICE CHARGE BUDGET
Orchard Yard | Wingham | 15 Properties
| Expenditure | Cost |
|---|---|
| Estate staffing costs | £1,000 |
| Water charges | £300 |
| Light and heat | £2,500 |
| Alarm system | £1,000 |
| Maintenance – Grounds | £2,500 |
| Maintenance – Buildings | £1,000 |
| Maintenance - Clubhouse | £1,000 |
| Buildings Insurance | £2,000 |
| Window and gutter cleaning | £500 |
| Running expenses - Minibus | £5,000 |
| Managing fee | £8,500 |
| Transfer to reserves; year 1* | – |
| Total expenditure | £55,300 |
| Annual Property Service Charge | £3,686 |
Other fees
Cognatum does not charge ground rents, nor other costs such as correspondence or landlord consents. There are no hidden or extra fees or charges.
Should you come to sell your property at The Orchard in the future, an administration fee of 1% of the gross sale value will apply. The fee covers the costs of for promotional activities to ensure continuing brand awareness and interest in the estate, and so maintaining and enhancing the value of the properties and the estate.