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What costs to expect when selling your retirement village home
Friday, 19 September 2025
Thinking of selling your retirement village home? Here’s a clear guide to the costs and considerations involved — so you can plan with confidence.
Selling your home in a retirement village is similar to selling in the traditional property market — but the costs and process depend on the type of contract you signed when you moved in.
Based on your contract choice, there’ll be different costs to pay when you move in and when you move out. Plus, you’ll pay a monthly service fee to cover everyday operating costs of the village.
And when it comes time to sell your retirement home, there are cost considerations for putting your home on the market.
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How to set the right selling price
If you decide to sell, depending on your contract type, you can work with the village sales team to settle on the best listing price for your home. Like any property, the price will depend on your home’s size, style, condition and location.
While you’re free to choose any real estate agent, our sales team specialises in retirement village homes and can help you get the best price for your home, which is why so many residents choose to sell with us. A selling fee may apply depending on your contract.
Preparing your home for sale
When you move out, you may need to pay for a basic reinstatement — this covers wear and tear and typically includes:
- New carpet
- Painting throughout
- Servicing appliances
- Comprehensive cleaning
Costs vary depending on how long you’ve lived in the home and its condition. For example, a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home might cost:
- $8,000–$12,000 for shorter stays
- $18,000–$25,000 for longer-term residents
Sometimes, a more extensive refurbishment like a kitchen or bathroom renovation can help improve market appeal of the home. We’ll work with you to decide what’s most appropriate, but the choice is entirely up to you. We can also manage this work for you to ensure it meets our quality standards.
Please note that the cost of reinstatement is always dependent on the home's condition. The information contained in this article is general in nature and not specific to you and may vary depending on the state you live in.
Here are some tips to spruce up your home before selling
What you’ll get back after the sale
The amount you receive from the sale of your home depends on the contract type you signed when first moving in.
Here’s a quick breakdown of our main contract options:
Deferred management fee with capital gain
When you buy into a village with the deferred management fee (DMF) contract, you’ll sell your home at market value and receive the proceeds of the sale price minus the following costs:
- The DMF (on your resale price)
- Selling costs
- Legal fees
- Reinstatement costs
- Long-term maintenance fund fee (if applicable)
Once these costs are paid, you’ll receive the rest of the market-value sale price for your home (subject to any other deductions under the residence contract such as outstanding service fees).
Find out more about the DMF with capital gain contract
Deferred management fee without capital gain
When you chose the deferred management fee (DMF) without capital gain contract when buying your retirement village home, you’ll sell your home at market value without receiving any capital gain or bearing any capital loss.
When it’s time to sell, here’s what you’ll typically need to cover:
- The DMF (on your ingoing price)
- Any other fees which will be outlined to you before signing the contract
Once these costs are paid, you’ll receive the rest of the ingoing price for your home. Depending on the state you live in and your specific circumstances, if your home hasn’t sold within 6 months, we’ll buy it back for your ingoing price minus the contractual fees.
In this model, you don’t need to worry about selling costs, legal fees or reinstatement costs. However, you will need to pay the costs of rectifying any accelerated wear and tear or deliberate damage to your home.
Prepaid plan
When you buy into a village under the prepaid plan contract, you’ll sell your home at market value and receive the sale price, minus the following costs:
- Selling costs
- Legal fees
- Reinstatement costs
Once all these costs are paid, you’ll receive the rest of the market value sale price for your home (subject to any other deductions under the residence contract such as outstanding service fees).
In this model, you pay your management fees upfront, so you don’t have to worry about paying them when you move out.
Find out more about the prepaid plan contract
Refundable contribution
When you buy into a village under the refundable contribution contract, you don’t need to worry about the costs and process of selling your home. Within 60 days of your contract ending and vacant possession of the home being provided, we’ll give back the refundable contribution you made when you moved in, minus the non-refundable establishment fee.
You don’t need to worry about deferred management fees, selling costs, legal fees, reinstatement costs or long-term maintenance fund fees (if applicable).
If your home has accelerated wear and tear or deliberate damage, you’ll need to pay to rectify this.
Find out more about the refundable contribution contract
It’s about more than property
There are many things to consider when making the move to retirement living. While selling your retirement home can be less profitable than buying and selling in the traditional property market, retirement living is about more than just bricks and mortar - it's an investment in your lifestyle.
And the best thing is you’ll say goodbye to the high costs of maintaining a large family home. You’ll enjoy the benefits of a vibrant lifestyle with built-in safety, security, support, community and peace of mind. Something money alone can't buy.
The information contained in this article is general in nature and is not specific to you. Contract types vary across villages and some contract options may not be available at some villages. You should obtain your own independent legal advice before entering into any of our contracts.
For more information about the lifestyle and support offered at our retirement villages, call our customer service team on 1800 550 550 or send us an email here.
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