How often should you inspect your investment property?
Routine inspections are a key part of maintaining the condition of your investment property. Plus, they can also help to ensure open communication with your tenants. Keep reading to learn how often you should inspect your investment property and why. You need to balance tenant privacy and regular inspections It’s smart to be proactive about property inspections, but you also need ...
5 ways to save money on maintaining your investment property
When you own an investment property, one of the highest ongoing costs is maintenance and repairs. From regular pest control to emergencies and larger issues, small unresolved problems can create costly problem in the future. This article outlines the common maintenance jobs required on investment properties and how you can save money on each of these by keeping to a regular maintenance schedule...
What renters are looking for
As the number of long-term renters in Australia continues to rise, they are looking for all the amenities and lifestyle factors that make them feel just as at home as if it were their own property. From technology to transport, there are several things renters are looking for from rental properties. We've listed the top things they are looking for in the list below. Technology As all of our h...
The Steps To Finding Your Next Investment Property
Selecting the right property for your next investment is a process. If you're a seasoned property investor, you've likely been through it many times — the research, the negotiating and the waiting. There's a few key steps you need to follow to make sure your next property investment is a wise one. Here's our steps for finding your next investment property. Have a long-term strategy Befo...
The Most Effective Supply And Demand Indicators For Future Growth
We all know the basic premise of value growth in most industries is supply and demand. For the property market, demand is a property investor's best friend. To understand the state of supply and demand across markets in Australia, there are specific indicators to keep an eye on as you research. Here's our list of some of the indicators that you can monitor to get a detailed idea of supply and d...
The Importance Of Negotiation Skills
Negotiating skills are essential to have in many situations particularly when you're navigating the purchase of large items or assets. With the high value that property transactions attract, knowing how to navigate the negotiation process is crucial. Not only can strong negotiation skills help you in other areas of your life, but it can save you thousands of dollars. Here are a few things to re...
Should you buy an established or off-the-plan investment property?
Deciding whether to buy an established or off-the-plan property as an investment takes a lot of consideration. Like any investment, there are upsides and downsides to both options. We're taking a look at some of the factors to consider when deciding between established or off the plan investment properties. With established properties, investors can value-add by making changes to the property ...
Market Forces That Drive Up Rent Prices
As a landlord, rent increases are something you need to think about as it comes time to offer your current tenants a lease renewal. While it can be tempting to increase the weekly rent for your tenants, there are market forces you need to consider when you're determining if it's suitable to increase the rental price for your properties. Here are the factors you need to consider and eliminate wh...
Is It Worth Buying A Budget Property?
With the rapid growth that has occurred in Australia's property market, many investors may have been priced out of the best investment markets in Australia. But what if you could find a bargain property somewhere just outside these markets to grow your portfolio? Not only would a cheaper property potentially increase your chances of securing finance, but you could be left with more money left o...
4 Ways To Stay Focused And Avoid Financial Pitfalls In Your Portfolio
As a property investor, there's a lot you need to manage every day. While your property manager will likely take care of most of the everyday administration of the property, there are a few key things you need to do for your portfolio to be set up for long-term growth. Here are 4 things you need to do to stay focused and avoid financial pitfalls in your portfolio. Be diligent with main...
Helpful Reading For Property Investors
The weekends a perfect time to catch up on reading. If you're typically a nonfiction reader, your reading time can be put to good use by learning more about property investment in Australia. Here's our list of property investment books that will help you learn while you recharge on the weekend. From 0 to 130 properties in 3.5 years - Steve McKnight Steve McKnight's From 0 to 130 Prope...
How to make tax time go smoothly
Tax time turns up every single year, so we want to make sure you’re organized when tax time rolls around again next! To make sure your tax time goes smoothly, there are things you need to do throughout the financial year. Here's are the two most important things you need to do to save potential headaches when you complete your tax return. Consult a professional This comes down t...
How Much Time Are You Spending On Property Research?
As a property investor, a large portion of your time, energy and thoughts probably go towards researching the property market. Whether you're looking to grow your portfolio or sitting tight in the current market, it's clear Australians love spending time researching property. According to new research by HSBC, Australians spend around 2.5 hours per week researching the property market. This res...
4 Things You Can Do To Increase Your Chances Of A Loan Approval
With credit tightening for property investors for well over a year now, making a strong case in your loan applications has never been more important. To make a strong case in your loan application, there are a few things you can do. Here's our list of what you can do to make the strongest case possible and increase your chances of a loan approval. Do your research and shop around Make...
3 Finance Hacks Every Property Investor Should Know
Whether you're strictly a property investor, or you have other investment holdings as well, understanding how to properly manage your money is crucial. The key principle that underpins effectively managing your money is making sure that once you've worked hard to earn your money that you put it to work for you. Here are three finance hacks every property investor should know to make s...
Accessing Your Property Equity to Grow Your Portfolio
Accessing the equity in your investment properties is essential for growing your portfolio and staying nimble as the property market goes through cycles of change. As the mortgage market continues to undergo changes, understanding how to access your equity is key if you come across investment opportunities. As a property investor, equity is likely something that's always on your min...
How often fixtures and fittings should be updated and serviced in your properties
Some of the things that start to show their age quickly in a property are fixtures and fittings. While some fixtures and fittings may need to be updated due to damage or a fault in the item, knowing when to update things in your home is important. This keeps your home in excellent condition before you need to make major updates. Another major benefit of keeping your fixtures and fittings update...
5 Ways to Find Problems in a property Before You Buy
When you find a great property, it can be easy to look past or not notice problems until you’ve bought it and the keys are all yours. At this point, any hidden issues are your expense and problem. While most sellers do the right thing, it’s important to carefully examine a property to identify any issues before you buy it. When you’re proactive at the inspection stage, you can...
5 Reasons Why You Need Landlord Insurance
As a landlord, your investment properties are likely some of the most valuable assets you hold. And no matter what your long-term goals are with property investing, it’s important that you protect your assets and minimise the risk of significant financial loss if something happens to your property. While it’s a cost to add to your monthly or annual expenses, it could pay back tenfol...
The 4 Biggest Mistakes First-Time Investors Make
Property investing, like any other journey in life, has learning curves. The longer you’re in the game, the more you understand based on experience and the mistakes you might make along the way. For first time investors, some common mistakes can impact the growth of your portfolio and subsequently stop you from reaching your goals. This article outlines some of the common mistakes first-t...
4 Steps to Buying an Investment Property Online
With auctions in Australia typically held in-person at the property or an auction room, the move to online auctions is an exciting one. Traditional auctions are exciting, and an online auction is much the same, with opportunities at your fingertips for interaction and strategically bidding to secure your next investment property. Keep reading for everything you need to know about buying an inve...
4 Top tips for marketing your property
Placing a “for rent” sign in front of your property is only one small part of the marketing process. Today, you can use several different channels to make sure your property is leased as soon as possible. Keep reading for some top tips on marketing your rental property. High-quality images and virtual tours Images are often the first thing a prospective tenant sees in a property l...
Everything you need to know about routine inspections
Routine inspections are an important part of keeping your property in good condition at all times. It’s an effective way for your property manager to view any maintenance requests in person and check that your tenant is looking after your property. While your tenant probably isn’t deliberately letting things slide, a routine inspection can help make sure the often-forgotten jobs are...
The Pros and Cons of Fake Grass for your Investment Property
If you have a yard at your investment property, it may be tempting to use fake grass to add some greenery to the property while reducing the maintenance typically associated with real turf. Maintenance aside, there are other impacts to think about when it comes to using fake grass. In this article, we outline why it may be better to use real turf and leave the artificial grass for tennis courts...
3 Ways to Discover How Much Rent to Charge
Deciding how much rent you’ll charge is one of the most important parts of managing your rental property. If you charge too little, you could be leaving money on the table. In contrast, charging too much can result in your property remaining vacant while others in the market are snapped up quickly. Fortunately, there is a sweet spot with rental prices, and there are a few things you can l...
To furnish or not to furnish? That is the question.
Deciding whether to rent your property furnished or unfurnished can set the path for the kind of tenants you attract to your property. Depending on your goals with your property, you may prefer the yields of charging higher rent for a furnished property, but this may only be suitable for short-term tenants. In this article, we outline how you may choose to rent your property and the pros and co...
The unexpected expenses property investors may not see coming
As a landlord, you probably know the regular expenses you need to cover for your property. These expenses might include your management fees, body corporate fees if you own a unit, apartment or townhouse, and larger jobs such as replacing appliances or freshening the paint. But what about those expenses you haven’t thought about? Sometimes these may be associated with something going pear...
How to choose the right tenant
Picking the right tenant can be a tough decision, especially if you’ve experienced the impacts of less than stellar tenants in the past. Whether you had to make significant repairs to the property or fielded complaints about a previous tenant, it can make property investment extra stressful. Enlisting the help of your property manager (that’s what they’re available for!) can e...
The rooms you should renovate to maximise your rental returns
When it comes to renovating specific rooms in your rental property for higher returns, some rooms will deliver better results than others. There are certain rooms in a home that, when in pristine condition, will maximise your rental returns. Projects such as updating a kitchen are a relatively large investment, while things like freshening up the paint and carpet in the master bedroom are less ...
Using tenancy databases to help with finding quality tenants
There is a range of tools and resources available to landlords to help you find quality tenants. Databases such as TICA can be a helpful resource to check and determine if prospective tenants have any "black marks" against their names. This article provides an overview of tenancy databases and how they can help you ensure you have quality tenants. When can people be listed on a tenancy databa...
Everything you need to know about body corporate fees in strata properties
Body corporate fees – or levies depending on where you are based in Australia – are a key part of ensuring strata properties run smoothly. And while the fees can seem like a burden sometimes, having adequate funds available for the upkeep of common areas and larger maintenance and repairs means the property will be in top shape for many years to come. Different fees cover different ...
What appeals to prospective tenants?
With housing affordability in sought-after areas, a continuing challenge in Australia, people continue to rent their dream home while they either buy somewhere else (rentvesting) or save to buy a place of their own eventually. For families and those looking to create some roots in a particular area, making your property a dream for prospective tenants will help you attract good, hopefully, long...
How to make a garden "tenant friendly"
Gardens are a great feature to add to a property. Not only does it give a home curb appeal and create a sense of tranquillity in a backyard or courtyard, but it can be another feature that attracts prospective tenants. While a beautiful garden can attract quality tenants, you need to make sure the garden is easy for people who don't have the greenest of thumbs. Ideally, green spaces and gardens...
Should you allow pets in your investment property?
The idea of allowing pets at your rental property may send a shiver up your spine. What if a pet damages the property? What if a noisy bark upsets the neighbours? There's lots to think about, and it may seem easier to decide no pets are allowed. However, with more and more people owning pets today, especially dogs, you may miss out on quality tenants if you don't allow pets. In this article, we...
How to renovate an investment property
If you're thinking about renovating your investment property, there are a few things you need to consider. From creating a budget to picking the right fixtures and fittings, getting the administration and project management right is key. Here, we outline some of the main things to consider when you renovate an investment property. Determine a budget and the available deductions Renovating a ...
How to proactively protect your property from termites
If any of your investment properties are at risk of termite infestation, there are things you can do to protect your property proactively. The best way to prevent termites is by first understanding what attracts these pests in the first place. Here, we share some of the things you should do to protect your property, so it's kept termite-free at all times. Remember what attracts termites Termi...
Top tips for a smooth tax time
It's almost the end of another financial year, and that means tax time is coming. To make your tax time go smoothly and maximise your return, it's important to get organised now to save any administrative headaches and get your tax return completed as soon as possible. In this article, we outline a few things you should do to get organised for tax time. Double-check and declare all income If ...
How to find the right Property Manager
One of the most important factors in maintaining a profitable investment property portfolio is having a good property manager. While it might be tempting to manage everything yourself, a property manager not only knows the ins and outs of the market, but they have systems and processes to make sure everything is running smoothly. In this article, we outline what you need to look for when search...
Negative, neutral, positive gearing: Which is best?
Tax law in Australia is inherently complex. As an ever-evolving beast, a change in one area of tax law has implications across many other areas, especially when it comes to people's finances and investing. Negative gearing is one of these areas, and it's been a hot topic in recent years. Deciding whether your property will be negatively, neutrally or positively geared is a critical consideratio...
Common property investor mistakes to avoid
There are lots of things to remember when you're a property investor. From interest rate changes to the ups and downs of property prices, it's important you remember a few key things to maximise the value you get from your investment properties. In this article, we share a few of the common mistakes you should avoid when it comes to property investment. Not prioritising your debt There...
Should you stage your rental property?
Ensuring your property listing looks attractive to prospective tenants is a key part of leasing your property quickly. While it may seem like an extra expense, getting your property professionally staged is a great way to help prospective tenants feel at home as soon as they look at your property. In this article, we share some key factors to consider when staging a rental property. Don't brea...
Common property investor mistakes to avoid
There are lots of things to remember when you're a property investor. From interest rate changes to the ups and downs of property prices, it's important you remember a few key things to maximise the value you get from your investment properties. In this article, we share a few of the common mistakes you should avoid when it comes to property investment. Not prioritising your debt There...
What is a depreciation schedule, and why do you need it?
Depreciation is often overlooked when it comes to the deductions you make each year at tax time. It's easy to do given depreciation is a non-cash deduction. On average, in the first financial year, investors can expect to claim around $9,000 in depreciation deductions. There are two types of depreciation — capital works and plant and equipment assets. In this article, we've outl...
Could rentvesting be the key to building wealth and your dream lifestyle?
In recent years, the concept of rentvesting has grown in popularity as property prices around inner-city suburbs grew rapidly. For example, you may have wanted to enter the property market close to Sydney's CBD but didn't have a large enough deposit saved. With rentvesting, you can invest in one area you may not live in while renting in your dream neighbourhood. Rentvesting gives...
What is rental yield?
Before you buy an investment property, you'll likely calculate its yield. The yield on an investment property details the future income you can expect to make represented as a percentage on an annual basis. Not only does this help you determine if a property is suitable for your wealth-building goals, but it gives you a benchmark to compare against other investments where returns are typically ...
Why landlord insurance is an expense you won't regret
According to Finder, landlord in insurance costs an average of $208 per month for a property worth $1 million. This amount can increase or decrease depending on the value of the property. Once it's tallied up for the year, your landlord insurance will probably be one of your larger ongoing expenses (if you haven't had to make major repairs). So, is it worth having landlord insurance if it can s...
Buying property in a self-managed super fund (SMSF)
Buying property in a self-managed super fund (SMSF) Using an SMSF to buy property has become popular in recent years, but you need to make sure you consider how buying through an SMSF may impact your investment. With the adjustments in this year's Federal Budget to allow up to six members in an SMSF, this may also provide buyers with more purchasing power in their SMSF, but you have to be care...
What is Capital Gains Tax (CGT)?
What is Capital Gains Tax (CGT)? Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is a key area of tax that property investors should understand. While CGT may seem daunting, it's not as bad as it may seem once you dig a little deeper. In this article, we detail CGT, including how to calculate it. CGT defined The CGT is a levy that you need to pay on the capital gains you make from the sale of an asset. This a...
What to look for in an investment property
Searching for the right investment property can be a lengthy process. Not only do you need to think about your long-term wealth goals, but you need to make sure the investment property you buy will help you achieve these goals. In this article, we share six tips to help you understand what to look for in an investment property. Research the market There are several property m...
Tips for sprucing up your investment property
Saving money and renovating your investment property typically don't seem to go hand in hand. However, there are some ways you can add some extra "wow" factor to your property without breaking the bank. We share a few cost-friendly ways you can update your investment property below. Share fencing costs with neighbours For fencing around the dividing line of properties, the cost ...
The one principle that puts everything into perspective
With the volatility seen in share markets this year, along with continued uncertainty in property prices, it could be easy to let fear influence your decisions when it comes to money and investing in 2020. While each recession has its unique catalysts, this year being no different with COVID-19, economics and markets do eventually recover. With that in mind, it's important to remember one key p...
The 3 Key Triggers to knowing if you need a Depreciation Schedule
Three key triggers telling you to get a depreciation schedule since legislation changes came in to effect in May 2017. Let’s start with a way you can all but guarantee that you need a depreciation schedule. 1. The property commenced construction after the 16th of September 1987. If the property was built after this date, it means that you’ll be able to claim deprec...
Key things to consider when you refinance
With interest rates at record lows, it may be a good time to think about refinancing your mortgage. There are several advantages to refinancing including the potential for lower repayments, special refinancing offers and additional loan features such as an offset account which you don't have with your current loan. While all these benefits are tempting, there are key things you need to consider...
Spring in to Waterman Property Management & Win!
WATERMAN PROPERTY SPRING PROMO List with Waterman Property this Spring! Waterman Property Managements Spring Promo will give you a $250 gift card for switching to us or signing with us during our promotional period. 01/09/2020 to 30/11/2020. You will also be in the running for a bonus $1000 gift card!!!! There is also the added bonus of a $100 gift card for each referral to family and frien...
Spring at Last!
Spring in Adelaide, it's in the air! Time to tackle those cobwebs and give your home a good spring clean, reviving your space and perhaps inspire a fresh new look. Here are seven tips to get you started: 1. Think positive! Spring cleaning gives you a perfect chance to rethink your space and create areas that are tailor-made to suit your needs. What would you like to gain from your spa...
Maintaining A Successful Tenancy
BAD TENANTS LOVE DIY LANDLORDS Placing your property for rent in Adelaide as a 'do-it-yourself' landlord via the local newspaper or online may net you a lot of phone calls from tenants who do not like to deal with agents. There are plenty of tenants that know full well it's easier to deal with a private landlord who lacks experience and is unlikely to undertake in-depth reference checks or sc...