Are you ready to downsize your home but upsize your lifestyle?

Alma Ronlund (at right) enjoying breakfast with friends Christine Burgess and Reg Wilson at the cafe at Azure Blue Retirement Village where she's now living after downsizing from her large family home. Picture supplied

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Is now the perfect time to consider downsizing and enjoy a life 'full of living'?

With the new year well and truly underway and the cost of living on all fronts spiralling upwards, many older Australians may be sitting back taking stock of their lives and looking at 'what are our options' moving forward.

Emptynesters who are still living in the large family home, would be constantly looking at ongoing maintenance requirements, rising energy and insurance costs to name just a few.

The family home is your most valuable asset and it's still a great time to consider capitalising on this by selling and unlocking the capital gain that may have built up over the years.

The property market despite rising interest rates is still strong with buyers outstripping demand in many areas so it is still a good time to consider selling and downsizing.

The federal government downsizing incentive for superannuation that came into play at the beginning of 2023 can also make downsizing more attractive.

If you decide to downsize and you're aged over 55, you may be able to contribute up to $300,000 from the proceeds of the sale (or part sale) of your home into your super fund.

Alma Ronlund, a resident of Azure Blue Retirement Village at Redcliffe, downsized and relocated from Tewantin on the Sunshine Coast after living there in the big family home for 27 years.

"It was time to move," she said. "I may have downsized my home, but I've upsized my lifestyle."

The resort-style pool at Azure Blue Redcliffe. Picture supplied

While Mrs Ronlund moved to be closer to family and increase her social connections, she's also found her new home to be welcoming, easy to maintain, and enabling of her busy life.

"You've got to get up and live," she said. "That's what I like about being here. I can nip down to the café and have a meal and converse with people.

"It's a real social thing and that has made a real difference in my life."

Inside one of the beautiful homes at Azure Blue. Picture supplied

To find out if retirement living is right for you, book a discovery tour. By visiting different villages, you can find the right location and community for you.

BlueCare has over 30 retirement communities in Queensland so there's sure to be one near you. Find out more at bluecare.org.au/retirementliving