Lilyford
Lilyford Homes Ltd is a privately-held UK developer building small, age-restricted retirement apartment schemes (16-22 units) for downsizers and over-60s across Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire and Wiltshire, selling units outright with no ground rent or exit fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersBrockenhurst, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Lilyford does
Lilyford Homes Ltd is a privately-held UK retirement living developer founded in 2014 and headquartered in Brockenhurst, England. The company specialises in age-restricted residential apartment schemes targeted exclusively at downsizers and over-60s, with a delivered portfolio of approximately seven small-scale developments (typically 16-22 apartments each) concentrated in the South of England, including schemes in Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire, and Wiltshire. Current and flagship projects include the 22-apartment Gayton House in Yateley (completing 2026, prices from £395k) and the multi-award-winning 16-apartment Dundee House in Midhurst, which is fully sold out.
The company's core product is purpose-built retirement apartments featuring wheelchair-adaptable design exceeding national space standards, ground source heat pumps delivering a 66% on-site carbon reduction, combined door-entry and 24-hour emergency careline systems, and on-site House Manager service. Each delivery includes landscaped town-centre sites, communal lounges with coffee bar, guest suites, and lift access. Lilyford differentiates on a fee-light commercial model: no ground rent, no exit fees, and a capped £467/month service charge for the largest apartment, positioned against competitor retirement properties that charge £10,000-£20,000/year in service charges and up to 10% exit fees.
The business model is a hybrid of one-time residential sales (perpetual licence, outright ownership) and recurring service charges, augmented by embedded partner services covering part exchange (Silverbridge), removals (Bishop's Move), interior design (Studio Denim), property management (Churchill Estates Management, ARHM-registered and appointed by owners), and 10-year structural warranties (Premier Guarantee/Protek). Distribution is direct via an in-house sales team, on-site show apartments, community events, and earned media coverage. The firm is family-run with 1-10 employees, no external institutional funding disclosed, and operates as a private limited company under UK Companies House registration 08796124.
Lilyford firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lilyford
- Legal name
- Lilyford Homes Ltd
- Website
- https://lilyford.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lilyford Homes Ltd is a privately-held UK developer building small, age-restricted retirement apartment schemes (16-22 units) for downsizers and over-60s across Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire and Wiltshire, selling units outright with no ground rent or exit fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lilyford industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retirement Housing
- NAICS
- Residential Property Managers (531311)
- SIC
- Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multifamily Apartment Property Management (BPAJAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Urban Renewal, Brownfield Redevelopment & Land Reuse (BPAIANAI)
Keywords
Where Lilyford is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brockenhurst
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Lilyford business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Apartment Sales: One-time purchase of retirement apartments. Properties sold outright with no ground rent or exit fees. Prices from £395k for Gayton House development.
- Service Charges: Monthly service charges for maintenance, building insurance, heating, water, on-site House Manager, 24-hour careline, and fire/security measures. Service charge for largest apartment is £467 per month.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Gayton House apartments starting from £395k |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Lilyford product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lilyford is a family-run UK property developer that designs, builds, and sells age-restricted retirement apartment schemes (16-22 units per site) exclusively for over-60 downsizers in central South of England town locations. Each scheme includes an on-site House Manager, 24-hour emergency careline, communal lounge and coffee bar, guest suite, landscaped gardens, lift access, wheelchair-adaptable interiors, and ground source heat pump heating, sold with no ground rent, no exit fees, and fixed monthly service charges. Optional buyer support services cover part exchange, removal coordination, and interior design packages.
Product overview
Lilyford is a family-run retirement developer offering age-exclusive apartments for people over 60 across the South of England (Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire, and Wiltshire). The portfolio consists of purpose-built retirement developments featuring the Gayton House model (22 apartments in Yateley, completing 2026) and the completed Dundee House (16 apartments in Midhurst). Each development includes communal amenities (lounge, coffee bar, landscaped gardens), on-site House Manager, 24-hour careline, and no ground rent or exit fees. Optional add-on services include part exchange (via Silverbridge), removal assistance (via Bishop's Move), and interior design packages (via Studio Denim). All properties are backed by 10-year structural warranties through Protek or Premier Guarantee.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Gayton House A 22-apartment age-restricted retirement development offering one and two-bedroom apartments exclusively for over-60s in Yateley town centre, Hampshire. Includes House Manager on-site, 24-hour emergency careline, communal lounge with coffee bar, guest suite, landscaped gardens, lift access, and energy-efficient ground source heat pump heating. Prices from £395k.
- Dundee House Multi-award winning 16-apartment age-restricted retirement development (over-60s) in Midhurst town centre, West Sussex. All apartments now sold. Featured as a Landscape-Led Mini Case Study in the South Downs National Park Authority Design Guide.
Companies that use Lilyford
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Lilyford technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Lilyford partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Churchill Estates ManagementcoreARHM registered property management company managing Gayton House after completion. Offers specialist in-house agency for resales and rentals, service charge deferral on unoccupied properties, and refurbishment packages. Management company is employed by owners, giving them power to change if service is unsatisfactory.
- SilverbridgecorePart exchange provider assisting buyers who require help with purchasing a Lilyford property. Helps facilitate the sale of existing properties to enable purchase of new apartments.
- Bishop's MoveminorRecommended removal company with competitive quotes negotiated by Lilyford to assist buyers with moving.
- Premier GuaranteecoreProvides 10 year structural warranty on new properties. Coverage against a wide range of structural issues that could occur during the warranty period.
- ProtekcoreProvides 10 year New Home Warranty for Gayton House development, covering properties against structural issues.
- Studio Denim (Amelia Heggie)coreInterior design partnership creating sensational interiors at Gayton House. Amelia Heggie is a highly regarded interior designer providing full and part interior design packages for buyers.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lilyford competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brio Retirement Living: Develops and operates retirement living communities in the UK for active older adults. Comparable product (age-restricted apartments with communal amenities and service charges) and overlapping customer segment.
- Inspired Villages: Operator/developer of age-exclusive retirement villages in the UK, combining independent living apartments with shared amenities. Overlaps directly on customer (over-60s downsizers) and product (apartments with service charge structures).
- Churchill Retirement Living: UK's largest independent retirement housebuilder, developing age-restricted apartments for the over-60s across the country. Closely comparable product (one- and two-bedroom retirement apartments) and Lilyford explicitly partners with sister-firm Churchill Estates Management for ongoing management.
- Audley Group: One of the UK's largest operators of age-exclusive retirement villages, offering luxury apartments and cottages for over-60s. Most directly comparable to Lilyford in target customer and apartment-based product, though at materially larger scale and with a village rather than town-centre model.
- Retirement Villages Group: UK operator of retirement villages providing independent living apartments with care and support services for older adults. Directly comparable in target demographic and apartment-led independent living model.
- Beechcroft Developments: UK developer of high-quality age-exclusive apartments and bungalows in the South of England for the over-55s/over-60s. Highly comparable in geography (Southern England), small boutique scheme size, and design-led positioning.
Emerging players
- LifeCare Residences: Boutique developer-operator of later-living residences in the UK, focused on design quality and central locations. Comparable boutique positioning and over-60s apartment-led offering, though typically with a higher care-component than Lilyford.
- PegasusLife (Stride): Develops design-led retirement apartments in the UK targeting affluent downsizers. Comparable premium-positioning and apartment-only model, albeit at a more urban/larger-development scale than Lilyford.
Broad incumbents
- McCarthy Stone (now branded as later living): Largest UK builder of retirement housing historically, now operating under later-living branding after restructuring. Directly competes for the same downsizer buyer with retirement apartments and is referenced by Lilyford as the legacy operator whose fee practices the company differentiates against.
- Anchor Hanover (Anchor): Large not-for-profit provider of housing and care for older people in England. Provides independent living apartments for over-60s through a broader portfolio that overlaps with Lilyford's customer and product.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lilyford social profiles
Digital presenceLilyford financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lilyford leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Lilyford funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lilyford M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lilyford
What does Lilyford do?
Lilyford is a family-run UK property developer that designs, builds, and sells age-restricted retirement apartment schemes (16-22 units per site) exclusively for over-60 downsizers in central South of England town locations. Each scheme includes an on-site House Manager, 24-hour emergency careline, communal lounge and coffee bar, guest suite, landscaped gardens, lift access, wheelchair-adaptable interiors, and ground source heat pump heating, sold with no ground rent, no exit fees, and fixed monthly service charges. Optional buyer support services cover part exchange, removal coordination, and interior design packages.
Is Lilyford a public or private company?
Lilyford is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Lilyford founded?
Lilyford was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lilyford based?
Lilyford is headquartered in Brockenhurst, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Lilyford make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Apartment Sales are the primary driver. The others are service Charges.
Who are Lilyford's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brio Retirement Living, Inspired Villages, Churchill Retirement Living, Audley Group, Retirement Villages Group and Beechcroft Developments. Emerging players are LifeCare Residences and PegasusLife (Stride). Broad incumbents are McCarthy Stone (now branded as later living) and Anchor Hanover (Anchor).
Does Lilyford have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lilyford.
What industry is Lilyford in?
Lilyford's product category is Retirement Housing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAFAA, Multifamily Apartment Property Management, with a secondary code of BPAIANAI, Urban Renewal, Brownfield Redevelopment & Land Reuse. Its NAICS code is 531311 and its SIC code is 6552.