Six single level homes across Wonthaggi, Cape Paterson, Inverloch and Kilcunda, priced from $630,000 to $1,420,000, for Melbourne sellers over sixty who want one more good move: no stairs, a shorter list of jobs, and money left over to clear the mortgage, top up super, or both.

The call I take most weeks

What the difference can do

Take this as an illustration rather than a promise. A couple sells their Melbourne home for $1,450,000. After agent fees and moving costs they bank about $1,410,000. They buy a four bedroom single level home in Inverloch for $825,000 and allow around $45,000 for stamp duty and purchase costs, with their conveyancer confirming the exact figure. That leaves roughly $540,000.

If $200,000 of that clears the last of the mortgage, they own their home outright with about $340,000 still in hand. That is the point at which the second lever comes into play.

Since 1 January 2023, Australians aged 55 and over have been able to contribute up to $300,000 each from the sale of their home into super as a downsizer contribution. That means up to $600,000 for an eligible couple, although the combined total cannot exceed the sale proceeds.

The contribution sits outside the concessional and non-concessional caps, and there is no upper age limit. The $300,000 limit is not indexed, so it has stayed the same even though most other super caps rose on 1 July 2026.

The conditions are strict.

The home must be in Australia and must have been owned by you or your spouse for at least ten years, and the sale must qualify, at least in part, for the main residence capital gains tax exemption. You can only make a downsizer contribution once in your lifetime. Your fund must receive the ATO's downsizer form (NAT 75073) before or at the time you contribute, and the money must go in within 90 days of receiving the sale proceeds, usually at settlement, unless the ATO grants an extension.

There are trade-offs worth understanding. A downsizer contribution is added to your total super balance at the end of the financial year, which can affect other contribution rules, and it counts towards your transfer balance cap, now $2.1 million, when it moves into a retirement income stream.

If you have not yet retired, the money may be preserved until you meet a condition of release, such as retirement or turning 65. It is assessed for Age Pension purposes, and anyone with a balance approaching $3 million should also factor in the new Division 296 tax on large balances, which began on 1 July 2026. What I can tell you is that the gap between a Melbourne sale price and a Bass Coast purchase price is what makes those conversations possible in the first place.



Important: this is not financial advice. I am a licensed real estate agent, not a financial adviser, accountant or tax agent. The super information on this page is general in nature, reflects ATO guidance as at November 2026, and does not take into account your personal circumstances. Before you sell, buy or make any super contribution, speak with your accountant or a licensed financial adviser and, if you receive a pension, Services Australia.

Why every home here is on one level

I did not choose these six by accident. Ask anyone who has carried a laundry basket up a flight of stairs at seventy, or watched a parent manage a split-level house after a hip replacement, and you will understand why single level living now sits at the top of almost every brief I receive from buyers over sixty. The buyers coming to the coast skew older than they did a few years ago, and most of them simply do not want stairs.



It is also where the demand comes from. On one recent Inverloch campaign of mine, four in every five visits to the property website came from Melbourne, and the advertising audience leaned heavily towards people aged 55 and over. These homes are being chosen for the next twenty years, not the next five.

The six homes, lowest to highest

39 Connection Road - Wonthaggi

Wonthaggi is the working heart of the Bass Coast, and that is precisely its appeal for buyers who want everything close at hand. This four bedroom, two bathroom home sits on 686 square metres with unrestricted side access, so the caravan, the boat or the trailer has somewhere to live that is not the street. The hospital, the major supermarkets and the 50 metre indoor pool become part of ordinary life here, and the beaches at Cape Paterson are about eight kilometres away. At this price it leaves the most on the table of any home here. Run it through the worked example above and it frees up roughly $180,000 more than the Inverloch purchase, money that can go straight to the mortgage or into super.

1/28 Surf Beach Road - Cape Paterson

Cape Paterson holds a fixed number of front line addresses, and the settlement boundary means no more will ever be created. This is one of them. The coastal reserve is directly opposite, Bay Beach and its tidal rock pool are around 220 metres away, and the general store, café and tavern are a short walk in the other direction. Inside, three bedrooms and two bathrooms include a master with ensuite and walk-in robe, beneath high ceilings, with a private courtyard made for long lunches. There is no lawn to lose the weekend to and no stairs, now or in twenty years. Wonthaggi Hospital, with its 24 hour Urgent Care Centre, is about ten minutes away.

19 Anser Place - Inverloch

This is the home I point to when buyers tell me the grandchildren will be visiting often. The master suite measures 4.2 by 5.5 metres and sits well apart from the other three bedrooms, each with built-in robes, and two separate living areas give everyone their own space. Outside, a covered 5.9 by 4.0 metre rear deck with built-in barbecue, a covered side patio and carport, a double garage with internal access, raised veggie beds and a garden shed mean the weather rarely cancels anything.

4 Trawler Drive - Kilcunda

Considine & Johnston are among the region's most respected custom builders, and this home shows why. Double glazing, full insulation, solar hot water, a 6.8 star energy rating and a north-facing aspect keep it comfortable through every season. The kitchen is built for people who cook, with a stone waterfall island and walk-in pantry, and it opens to a large covered deck. The fully fenced block takes in ocean views and has raised garden beds and an oversized garage with room for the bikes and the fishing gear. Kilcunda sits on the Bass Coast Rail Trail between Phillip Island and Inverloch, with the George Bass Coastal Walk on the doorstep.

67 Tamara Crescent

Set behind established gardens and a tall hedge, this home offers four bedrooms, two bathrooms and two separate living areas. The kitchen is the standout for keen cooks, with an AEG steam oven, an AEG pyrolytic oven, a NEF warming drawer, both induction and gas cooktops, a Miele dishwasher and a walk-in pantry. A built-in fireplace anchors the front lounge, ducted gas heating and reverse cycle air conditioning cover the seasons, and the north-facing covered deck opens onto a private garden with raised planter beds. Gutter guard and grey water tanks are already in place, which is one less job on the list.

9 Seastar Street - Cape Paterson

For those whose Melbourne sale has given them more room to move, this home at The Cape eco village is the most complete package on the list. Designed by Adapt Design Group and built by TS Constructions to a 7.7 star energy rating, it pairs twenty solar panels generating 6.7kW with a 14.3kWh battery and a 32 amp EV charger in the garage. It is fully electric, with polished concrete floors, high ceilings and four large bedrooms arranged around a private central garden. More than half of the village is permanently set aside as open space, with over six kilometres of walking paths and a working community farm.

Before you make an offer

A few things I suggest to every Melbourne buyer. Do your first lap online: each home has a 3D tour, floor plans, video and a full document pack on its property website, so you can build a shortlist from your own kitchen table.

Then spend a weekday on the coast, not just a sunny Saturday, and drive past the hospital, the supermarket and the medical centre you would actually use. Speak to your conveyancer early about contract timing, because lining up a Melbourne settlement with a Bass Coast purchase is where most of the stress in a move like this comes from.

All six homes are offered through Openn Offers, which means you can see where the competition sits and make your offer with full visibility rather than guessing in the dark.

Your next move starts with one conversation

If you have sold in Melbourne, or are about to, call me on 0472 523 445 or email leo@atrealty.com.au.

I will tell you plainly which of these homes suits the life you are planning, and which do not.

Leo Edwards is the Principal and Licensed Agent of Inverloch 3996 @realty, a digital-first boutique agency serving Inverloch, Cape Paterson and Wonthaggi on Victoria's Bass Coast. He made his own seachange to the region in 2014 and caps his active listings at around twenty so that every vendor and buyer deals with him directly.

Contact Leo on 0472 523 445 or visit inverlochatrealty.com.au.

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not financial, tax or legal advice. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Superannuation and tax rules change, and eligibility for a downsizer contribution depends on your individual circumstances. Always seek advice from your accountant or a licensed financial adviser before acting on any of this information. Information current as at 8 November 2026, with superannuation details drawn from the Australian Taxation Office.