Checklist · Caloundra & the Sunshine Coast

Retirement village checklist for Caloundra and the Sunshine Coast

This retirement village checklist helps you weigh the lifestyle against the costs before you sign: the contract type, entry price, ongoing charges, exit fee, what happens to any capital gain, and how the move affects the Age Pension and downsizer super contributions. We work with people in Caloundra, Mooloolaba and across the Sunshine Coast.

Book a 30-minute Fit Check with Simon

Simon Pederson, M.Fin, B.Bus (FP), Founder and Lead Retirement Planner, over 15 years helping people plan for retirement

What should you check before moving into a retirement village?

Moving into a retirement village on the Sunshine Coast is a lifestyle and a financial decision. Many people like the community, the lock-and-leave lifestyle and having less maintenance. It also means a different kind of contract to buying a home, with fees on the way in, while you live there, and when you leave. This checklist helps you look at both sides before you commit.

Simon lives in Caloundra. We work with people in Caloundra, Mooloolaba and across the Sunshine Coast.

This checklist is for retirement villages. Land-lease and over-50s communities work under different rules, so these questions don’t apply directly.

Place: are you comfortable with a right to live there instead of owning the title?

Contract type: I understand whether I’m buying a lease, a licence or the title itself, and what that means for me.
Lock-and-leave: less maintenance and easier travel matter to me.
Village rules: I’m comfortable asking for approval for alterations, pets or longer guest stays.
My reason: “I’d trade some ownership for village living because my priority is .”

Plenty: what will it cost on the way in, while you live there, and when you leave?

Exit fee: I know how the exit fee is worked out. It’s usually a proportion of the ingoing contribution or the resale price, depending on how long I’ve lived there, and I’ve seen it in my residence contract. [4]
Capital gain: I know who receives any increase in value when the unit is resold.
Ongoing charges: I’ve built the general services charge into my budget, including how it may rise.
Refurbishment: I know what I may need to pay to refurbish the unit when I leave.
Age Pension: I’ve checked how the move may change my homeowner status and assets test.
Downsizer contribution: I’ve looked at whether I could contribute up to $300,000 from my home sale into super (55 or older, home owned 10 or more years, within 90 days of the proceeds). [1]
Family: if leaving money to family matters to me, I’ve looked at how the exit fee and capital gain terms affect what’s left when I leave, and compared other options such as a smaller home.

Read Retirement village costs on the Sunshine Coast for a worked look at the fees.

“Simon has been a fount of knowledge, always in a clear and relevant manner”
Keith, Jan 2026Selected reviews. Individual experiences vary.

People: does the community suit you?

Social life: I’d enjoy the activities and neighbours on hand.
The feel of the place: I’ve visited at ordinary times and spoken with residents.
Family: I’ve talked through the contract and exit fees with my family, so everyone understands them.

Play: will you use the facilities, and will it suit you later?

Facilities: I’ll realistically use the pool, gym, bowls or workshop.
Ageing in place: single-level living, wider doorways and level paths suit future mobility.
Health services: my GP and hospitals are within easy reach.

What should you do before you commit?

1. Ask each village for its Village Comparison Document and a Prospective Costs Document for the unit, plus the residence contract, and read them side by side. In Queensland, the operator must give you these at least 21 days before you sign, and you then have a 14-day cooling-off period. [2] These documents are required under Queensland’s Retirement Villages Act 1999. [3] You can also compare villages on the Queensland Government’s Compare retirement villages website.

2. Have a solicitor who specialises in retirement villages review the contract. The Queensland Law Society can help you find one. [5]

3. Get the numbers modelled: entry price, ongoing charges, exit fee and Age Pension effects over 5, 10 and 15 years.

4. Talk to residents without management present.

Simon can help with step 3. It starts with a 30-minute Fit Check by phone or video call. It’s general information, not personal advice. See aged care financial advice, Should I downsize my home for retirement?, all our retirement checklists, Pricing and Our engagement process.

Common questions about retirement villages

What should I check before moving into a retirement village?

Check the contract type, the entry price, ongoing service charges, the exit fee and how it’s worked out, what happens to any capital gain, refurbishment costs, the village rules, and how the move affects your Age Pension. Ask your solicitor to review the contract before you sign.

Do I own my unit in a retirement village?

Not always. Depending on the contract, you may buy a right to live in the unit, such as a lease or licence, rather than the title. The residence contract sets out your rights, so read it with a solicitor who specialises in retirement villages.

Can I make a downsizer contribution if I sell my home to move into a village?

Possibly. If you’re 55 or older and have owned your home for 10 or more years, you may be able to contribute up to $300,000 from the sale into super (each eligible spouse can contribute up to $300,000). You generally need to contribute within 90 days of receiving the proceeds.

How does moving into a village affect the Age Pension?

It can change whether you’re assessed as a homeowner and how much of your money counts in the assets test, depending on what you pay for the village unit. Services Australia assesses each case, so it helps to model it before you commit.

Want the numbers modelled before you decide?

Start with a 30-minute Fit Check with Simon, Founder and Lead Retirement Planner, by phone or video call.