If you’re nearing retirement or are simply planning for the future, downsizing from the family home may become an option for consideration.

Part of this consideration should include research into tax penalties following the sale of your home, and how this will affect your pension entitlement when you come of age. The government has recently introduced an incentive for Australians to downsize from their family home. Providing short-term gains for existing retirees and long-term gains for couples with an age gap.

Learn how this could benefit you.

People aged 55 and over can now make a downsizer contribution towards their personal superannuation. This can be up to $300,000 from the sale (or part sale) of their home.

Incentive rules:

• To qualify you must be 55 years or older from 1 January 2023.

• You need to have owned your home for at least 10 years.

• You cannot contribute more than the proceeds from the sale of your home.

• You must make the contribution within 90 days of settlement.

• Your home must be in Australia and is not a caravan, houseboat or motorhome.

For a full list of rules, visit the Australian Tax Office website.

Downsizing from the family home has many benefits – less rooms to clean, heat or cool, a more manageable sized property. However, what if you could increase those benefits even further.

There’s a lot to love about the lifestyle at a Ryman retirement village. In terms of costs, along with less rooms to clean, heat or cool, you’ll also reap the reward of no longer having to pay rates. A weekly fee covers the day-to-day running of your village – it keeps the pool in top shape, the grounds looking gorgeous, and the fun activities flowing. It also covers exterior maintenance of your home, including gardening and window cleaning (inside and out)! So, if your gutters back up or a window is smashed you can sit back and let someone else take care of it.

You can live independently in your own home, but with the support and camaraderie of the surrounding village community. Meet new friends, join organised activities and outings or make the most of the fabulous amenities. It’s all there and it’s all included.

If it’s a sense of security you’re after, having a community on your doorstep offers great peace of mind. You might worry about security when you’re travelling or, even worse, while you’re at home. It could be noisy neighbours, door-knocking salespeople or possibly feeling isolated if you live alone. Living in a village, you’re surrounded by people you know and trust.

It’s impossible to predict when we might need extra support or even specialist care. For some, a diagnosis could take years to progress to the point where extra support is needed. Along with independent and assisted living, Ryman villages also offer real continuum of care in the form of low care, high care and specialist dementia care, all within the same village community. This offers immense peace of mind for residents.

Downsizing to a Ryman village is a smart way to manage your retirement. It’s a chapter in life that’s filled with possibility. If you’ve lived in the family home for a long time, you’ll have experienced a few life stages along the way. Therefore, it’s worth asking yourself whether your current living situation will enable you to tap into that possibility. Or whether it’s time to make some adjustments so you can make your retirement lifestyle work to the best of your advantage.