Before You Sell the Family Home

Your home is almost certainly your most valuable asset, and for most of your life it's been completely free of capital gains tax. That exemption is worth more than most people realise — and it's easier to chip away at than they think.

Move out and rent it, and the six-year rule can keep it CGT-free — but only if you handle it correctly. Downsize and tip the proceeds into super, and the downsizer contribution helps — but the leftover cash can quietly cut your pension. And how Centrelink treats the home you live in is nothing like how it treats the one you've moved out of.

This guide covers the family home from every angle that matters in retirement — tax, pension, and the decision to sell or stay.

— Steve

What's inside the guide

The main-residence CGT exemption — what protects it and what breaks it
The six-year rule — moving out and keeping the exemption
The downsizer contribution — moving sale proceeds into super, once
How Centrelink values the home you live in versus one you've left
Selling versus keeping — the pension and tax consequences of each
Where the 2026 Budget CGT proposals land (and why the main residence is untouched)

Each section is short, with worked examples in real dollars, the exact figure for this year, and the conversation to have next — and who to have it with.

Who this guide is for

This guide is for you if:

You're thinking of selling, downsizing, or renting out the family home
You've moved out and still own it
You want sale proceeds in super without losing your pension

This guide isn't for you if:

You intend to stay in the home indefinitely and won't rent any part of it
Your affairs here are already settled with a tax agent you trust

Who Steve is

Stephen Caldicott is the retired Australian accountant who presents this series. Nearly forty years in private practice on Sydney's North Shore — tax, super, the Age Pension, Centrelink, CGT, and ATO matters. He retired in 2022.

Steve is a character: the figures and procedures are real and verified against the ATO and Services Australia; the face and voice are not. He is not a registered tax agent or a licensed financial adviser, and this guide is general educational information, not personal advice.

Before you check out — one thing worth knowing

This guide is one of six in the complete set — Everything Steve Knows. The set covers the rest: the Age Pension, the family home, widowhood, helping your kids, the super death tax, and the handover file your family will need when you're gone.

Bought individually, the four sold-separately guides come to $1,096. The two set-only guides bring the full value to $1,694. The complete set is $497.

Most people reading this guide will recognise at least three of the six worries. At three, the set is the better buy.

Get this guide — $249 Get the complete set — $497

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Common questions

How is the guide delivered?

A PDF emailed to you within a few minutes of checkout, through our checkout provider, Paddle. Read it on any device, or print it.

Is it current for 2026–27?

Yes. Every figure is verified against the ATO and Services Australia for the 2026–27 financial year, with the version date on the front of the PDF. Figures change — the Age Pension is indexed twice a year, and many thresholds change on 1 July.

Is this regulated financial advice?

No. Steve is not a registered tax agent or a licensed financial adviser. It's general educational information, written from a practitioner's perspective, that points you to the right professional for your own decisions.

What's the refund policy?

30 days, no questions asked — on top of your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Email the refund address in the PDF and you'll get your $249 back.