Downsizing Advice for Retirement Melbourne

Q: Can downsizing affect my Age Pension?

Yes. Downsizing can affect your Age Pension. Your principal home is usually treated differently under Centrelink rules, but sale proceeds left over after buying another home may be assessed as an asset.This can affect pension payments for some retirees. Age Pension downsizing advice can help you understand what may happen before you sell, buy or invest the remaining funds.

Q: What should I consider before selling the family home in retirement?

Before selling the family home, consider where you will live, how much the move will cost, how much cash may remain, whether your Age Pension may change, and how your future income will be funded.You should also consider lifestyle needs. This may include being close to family, medical care, public transport, shops, community groups and future care support.

Thinking about selling the family home or moving to a smaller property in retirement? Freedom Financial Planning provides downsizing advice for retirement in Melbourne to help you understand the financial, Centrelink and lifestyle impacts before you make a move.

Home sale guidance
Centrelink impact advice
Retirement cashflow planning

Make a confident decision before selling the family home

Downsizing can reduce maintenance, free up money and support a simpler retirement lifestyle. It can also affect your Age Pension, super, cash flow, tax position and estate planning wishes. Clear advice can help you weigh up the benefits, risks and timing before you commit.

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What downsizing retirement advice can help with

Downsizing retirement advice helps you understand what may happen after selling the family home. This may include reviewing sale proceeds, buying costs, stamp duty, moving expenses, remaining cash, investment options, super contribution rules and future income needs.

For many retirees, the home is their largest asset. Selling it can create flexibility, but it can also change how Centrelink assesses your position. We help you understand the numbers before emotion or pressure drives the decision.

Downsizing and Centrelink advice in Melbourne

Downsizing and Centrelink advice can help you understand how selling your home may affect Age Pension payments. Your principal home is treated differently from many other assets, but leftover sale proceeds, investments or cash holdings may be assessed. Advice can help you plan before money changes hands.

Retirement downsizing financial advice for real-life choices

Retirement downsizing financial advice should look at more than the sale price. You may want to move closer to family, reduce home maintenance, enter a retirement village, fund travel, help adult children or prepare for future aged care needs.

We help compare different options, such as buying a smaller home, moving into a retirement village, keeping more cash available, or contributing eligible proceeds to super. The right path depends on your goals, income needs and long-term plans.

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Client Testimonials

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Brad Haley

06:05 03 Jun 26

Joanne and I can't speak highly enough of Stephanie and her professionalism. Her knowledge, politeness, care and guidance throughout the process made us feel so comfortable in the decision to partner with Freedom and their partners. Keep up the great work Steph !!!!

Joel Read

01:47 30 Apr 26

Sarah and I would like to shout out to Stephanie and Georgia for their amazing knowledge, communication skills, persistence and their ability to methodically understand our financial situation today, tomorrow and into the future. Their strategies and recommendation have placed us in a position of confidence and comfort knowing our best interests are priority. We would highly recommend Freedom Financial Planning to anyone, and at any stage of their journey to best shape future goals. So, thank you Steph and Georgia, you are legends!

Catherine Choueiri

01:28 04 Jun 25

First home buyer here wanting to get advice regarding investment property vs home to live in. I called freedom financial planners and spoke to Leigh Jackson as i didn't know where to start and what to do. Leigh did not take advantage of my unknowledgable position and provided great information and advice over phone. There was no pressure to book in an appointment and he provided me great tips for direction to start learning about the process. He was also open to taking any other questions I had later down the track.As a women trying to get financially independent, it's sometimes hard taking the step to ask about financial concepts and Leigh definitely made the first step alot easier. Thanks Leigh!

Rob Kean

05:06 12 Nov 24

Freedom Financial Services were recommended by a client of mine several years ago.I am extremely happy with the service provided by Stephanie Mitchell and her staff.I have no hesitation in recommending her.

J Piper

00:38 23 Apr 24

What sets Freedom Financial Planning apart is how they really focus on your specific wants and needs rather than trying to squish you into a product set that suits them. We have had outstanding service and outstanding returns over our long association and now have financial freedom as we approach retirement that we would never have had without them. A million thank yous

Vicks Naidoo

08:44 12 Feb 24

The discussion was very professional. Provided the status of the investments with increase in principal amounts. Provided assurance that assistance was available at all time and investments were reviewed periodically to ensure continuous growth of the principal amount.

Peter Stewart

04:29 06 Jan 24

I’ve been using FFP for a number of years. Completely satisfied with their support, advice, & recommendations for my finances. Richard is always great to work with. Highly recommended without any hesitation!!!!!!

Angela Meinke

04:19 06 Jan 24

I’ve been a happy customer for a number of years of Freedom Financial Planning with Richard Unmack providing me with professional advice and a friendly and when needed “plain English” explanation.Richard has helped me to set myself up for the future and get my affairs in order. I particularly appreciate the sound advice and quick responses, especially during key/critical decision making times.I believe that Richard has a good understanding of my needs, priorities and principals/values and that he really listens to what I am trying to achieve and that this enables him to provide great, independent advice to enable me to do that.He has been great to work with and making the decision to engage Freedom has really helped set me up for the future and to ease any of my worries.

Nelson Herrok

23:39 01 Dec 23

Great assistance, friendly and knowledgeable advice in regards to our financial needs. Thanks Mark ‼️

Viv Schembri

06:57 30 Nov 23

Lee Jackson has been my Financial advisor for many years. He is always professional, friendly and knowledgeable securing A Comfortable Future for me and my family,

Robyn Simpson

06:01 30 Nov 23

I have been with Freedom Financial for a number of years now. It was recommended by a friend who had enjoyed very reliable service for many years.Since becoming a client, I have enjoyed advice whenever I needed it. While I was working part time, I needed to engaged regularly with Centrelink to advise changes of salary. It was very taxing to spend so much time on the phone. Freedom took over the Centrelink involvement entirely. The fees were worth that alone!! My Superannuation and finances became more manageable and I was better off as a result of suggestions made to me. More recently, I have inherited funds and had significant help with investment and more broadly Retirement Village living.Most importantly to me, I have always found them to be scrupulously honest and I could not recommend them more highly.Specifically, I have dealt with Mark Struik, but Stephanie is now my friend’s Adviser and she has always been more than delighted.

Dot Ng

05:39 30 Nov 23

Best financial advisors! Been helping me over many years. And real people handling and caring for my financial and emotional well being. Highly recommended!

Denise Martin

05:36 13 Jul 23

I can't recommend Freedom Financial Planning highly enough. My husband and I have been with them for over 20 years and Mark Struik and Stephanie Mitchell (and their support staff) have always given us the most professional, friendly and accurate service and advice; always going that extra mile to achieve our required outcomes.

Valerie Paezold

13:33 12 Jul 23

Thank you to all at Financial Planning for putting on a great evening. The Presentation, food and the movie were excellent!

Denise Martin

09:35 23 Apr 23

Fabulously efficient and friendly service. Mark and Stephanie are so personable and they always have our best financial future at heart. We would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone for sound, professional and reliable advice.

Hudley Rana

01:25 17 Apr 23

We have been with Ryan since February 2016. His genuine caring advice, holistic in nature, keeping in mind our ongoing changes with respect to family, health and careers have enabled us to retire with confidence. Thank you Ryan and the Financial Freedom Planning Team. Hudley Rana

Angela Forgan

07:00 14 Apr 23

Have received excellent, sound advice from FFP for many years. Would not have been able to make some serious financial decisions without their support and guidance. Have recommended FFP to other friends who have also used their services very happily over a number of years.

Robert Macdonald

09:09 12 Apr 23

We were with another company for many years, and never had any contact with them, and they charged so much and did little. Freedom was recommended to us, and after 5 years of ongoing easy to understand friendly meetings, the results are very pleasing.

dorothy nathan

02:48 07 Apr 23

over the years we have found freedom financial very obliging & helpful in connection with our financial arrangements & have no hesitation in recommending their services.

Maurice Aspinall

05:48 06 Apr 23

The service we received was friendly, Courteous and explained in great detail, well done to you all, keep up the great work.

John Mitsios

06:12 05 Apr 23

I have been with Freedom Financial Planning for many many years and have found Mark to be excellent in sharing his advice and financial planning knowledge. I have full faith and trust in the advice provided by Mark and he has not let me down.

ian macdowall

09:05 04 Apr 23

Thanks Mark and the team at Freedom Financial, your expert advice has helped my Super grow faster than i would have thought and the tips and information provided throughout the year is most appreciated.

Stephen Lewis

00:59 04 Apr 23

My wife and I have been customers of Freedom for many years.We have always been extremely happy with the professionalism and have built a relation of trust with Ryan our main contact.

Alan Day

23:08 03 Apr 23

We've been using FFP for a few years now. We can't recommend their services highly enough. Very easy to speak to for our financial requirements.

George Sutherland

09:13 03 Apr 23

We have been clients for many years and have had courteous valuable advice for all that time, Our initial involvement involved establishment of financial plans for an elderly relative requiring care and estate planning. We then engaged to establish a financial plan for ourselves and are now able to enjoy our retirement by implementing those plans. We have encouraged others to also engage with Freedom Financial Planning and each of them has achieved similar effective resultsGeorge and Carol Sutherland

Robin Bray

08:28 03 Apr 23

My wife and I have used the services of Freedom Financial Planning for a number of years and have been thoroughly satisfied with their performance. The staff are always friendly and welcoming and provide sound financial planning advice and assistance.

Michael Clarke

08:01 03 Apr 23

Have used FFP for many years and will continue to do so. They have provided a great service, which is personally tailored to your needs.Highly recommended

Andrew Struik

07:30 03 Apr 23

I have been very happy with FFP and also their associated mortgage service. Both have been very responsive to any requests, and have shown initiative in making suggestions on how they can do better for me.

Janette Bradley

05:14 21 Feb 23

I have a very good relationship with all of the advisors, and their staff. They are very helpful, and I trust them, they feel like good friends. I would recommend them to others, with no hesitation.

Rod Bartlett

07:14 01 Feb 23

lee jackson has been my advisor for years he is very well informed and professional he more of friend than advisor i would highly recommend him also shaun the mortgage broker who set up my bridging loan and morgage also was highly profession and who i drove mad unfortunatly i believe either of them are essendon supporters

Dawn Hatcher

05:42 01 Feb 23

I have been with them for over 5 years and they have been exceptional in providing assistance in all my financial matters.

Matt Wood-Collins

01:44 01 Feb 23

I've been delighted to work with Stephanie Mitchell and the team at Freedom Financial Planning on both life insurance and investments. Stephanie has always been diligent, patient, well-informed and professional. I'm confident my finances are in good hands.

Kayla Jade

04:18 31 Jan 23

Working with Lee was the best financial decision we’ve ever made. Freedom has been an absolute fantastic company to work with! Continued communication and support! Thank you 😊

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07:40 29 May 19

The team at Freedom Financial Planning in Mount Waverley are the best at what they do.I Anthony (Jack) Poletko have been dealing with Lee Jackson for a number of years now and he is good at what he does,If i have ever had a problem with my superannuation or need to know something financially,He will take the time to explain it and make sure i was good with it.He has not let me down once (super is doing great).Would highly recommend Lee Jackson to anyone for financial advise and have many times.Just last year both my wife and started looking at investment properties, Lee Jackson put us on to their finance broker Sean Lowe who has done an out standing job to get us into the market,He puts us onto an investment property broker, They have sources us a home to which it is in the process of being built,Sean has gone above and beyond in helping us get the loan and finance for our property.we previously had another broker who did not do anything of what Sean has done for us.Once again we would highly recommend his services to anyone and have done many times.Great Work Guys AAA ratting for customer service.jack & Jacky

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Selling the family home in retirement

Selling the family home in retirement can feel like a big line in the sand. It may hold memories, family history and emotional weight. We help you separate the financial facts from the noise, so you can make a decision that supports both your lifestyle and peace of mind.

Introductory Meeting (No cost & obligation free)

The first step in our advice process is to arrange our introductory meeting. This meeting provides the opportunity to discuss your current situation and requirements, as well as your goals for the future. We can also explore how we may be able to help you.

Advice Preparation

Should you wish to engage our services, our work begins on reviewing and assessing alternative financial models and investment scenarios appropriate to your needs and circumstances. Fees occur from this step.

Strategy Development

Development of the detailed strategy and recommendations and preparation of your personalised plan (Statement of Advice document).

Advice Presentation Meeting

At this meeting we will present your tailored financial strategy and explain how our advice and recommendations will help you to achieve your goals and aspirations.

Implementation of Advice

Once you are comfortable with our advice and recommendations, the next step is to implement the detailed strategy as outlined in the Statement of Advice. We complete all of the required paperwork & process these.

Ongoing Advice and Regular Reviews

To ensure your financial strategy remains on track to meet your objectives (as they are subject to change over time), we will meet on a regular basis to review your situation and make any necessary adjustments that may be required.

Need help before downsizing in retirement?

Downsizing can create more choice, but it can also change your financial position in ways that are easy to miss. Speak with Freedom Financial Planning about downsizing advice for retirement in Melbourne before selling the family home or choosing your next place to live.

Cashflow & Budgeting

Centrelink Advice

Investment & Wealth Creation

Personal Risk Insurance Advice

Retirement Advice

Superannuation Advice

Aged Care Advice

Strategic Tax Planning Advice

Get In Touch

If you are thinking about selling the family home, moving to a smaller property or freeing up money for retirement, Freedom Financial Planning can help. From our Notting Hill office, we provide clear retirement downsizing financial advice for clients across Melbourne.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is downsizing advice for retirement?

Downsizing advice for retirement helps you understand the financial impact of selling your family home and moving to a smaller property, retirement village or other accommodation. It may cover sale proceeds, purchase costs, super options, cash flow, Centrelink and future aged care needs.

The goal is to help you make a clear decision before you sell. A move may suit your lifestyle, but the financial impact should be checked before contracts are signed.

Can downsizing affect my Age Pension?

What should I consider before selling the family home in retirement?

Can I put money from downsizing into super?

Some Australians may be able to contribute eligible home sale proceeds into super through downsizer contribution rules. These rules have age, property ownership and timing requirements, so they need to be checked carefully.

Adding money to super may support retirement income planning, but it may also affect Centrelink, access, investment risk and estate planning. Advice can help you decide whether this option suits your situation.

Why get downsizing and Centrelink advice in Melbourne?

Downsizing and Centrelink advice can help you avoid unexpected changes to Age Pension payments, cash flow, and assessable assets. It can also help you compare options before selling the family home or moving into a retirement village.

Freedom Financial Planning helps Melbourne retirees review the full picture, including home sale proceeds, retirement income, super, Centrelink, aged care and family priorities. Our advice is designed to make the decision clearer, not more confusing.

Freedom Financial Planning welcomes your enquiry. To book an appointment or simply ask us a question, fill in your details and we'll be in touch soon!