Anyone can put up a building. Very few can build a reputation that lasts 35 years — and fewer still can do it while keeping the business in the family and the values intact. That's the story worth telling.
It started with a better idea for retirement
When Fraser Sanderson founded the Sanderson Group in 1987, luxury retirement living in New Zealand barely existed as a concept. He saw that older New Zealanders deserved more than a compromise — they deserved beautiful homes, exceptional facilities and genuine care. So he built exactly that, and in doing so helped pioneer the modern luxury retirement village in this country.
The industry noticed. Fraser was named the inaugural winner of the New Zealand Aged Care Association's Legendary Contribution to the Aged Residential Care Sector Award — recognition of a career spent raising the standard for everyone.
What three decades adds up to
- More than $1 billion of property developed across New Zealand.
- Eight retirement villages and care facilities developed and operated.
- Award-winning care delivered alongside landmark villages.
- End-to-end delivery — feasibility, design, engineering, consents, construction and operation, all under one roof.
Still family owned, still family run
Growth changes many companies. It hasn't changed who we are. The Sanderson Group remains family owned and operated, with the next generation already woven through the business — from development and finance to legal and operations. Good, honest family values govern everything we do, and we operate our villages with the same care we'd show our own family. That's not a slogan; when the people who build a place also answer for it decades later, care stops being optional.
Building beyond retirement
The expertise that built New Zealand's premier retirement brand now reaches further. In recent years we've applied the same discipline to specialist medical facilities, hospitality, retail, education and residential subdivisions, along with joint ventures and commercial developments across both islands. Different sectors, same standard: control every stage, source local expertise, and never cut the corners that matter.
Why it matters to you
Whether you're choosing a retirement village, buying into a new community, or looking for a development partner, the question underneath is always the same: can I trust the people behind this to deliver, and to still be here afterwards? Thirty-five years, a billion dollars built, and a family name on the door is our answer.
