Everything! Whilst the process of buying might not be easy, the “owning” is great. Here’s why: 1. It’s yours. All yours! Well, the banks too, but keep making those repayments and you don’t have to worry about that. 2. You can decorate it without having to ask permission. Paint it any colour you want, hang a picture wherever you’d like, rip up and replace [...]
When your dream is really big - like buying your first home - that’s a hard one because there are a couple of key elements: you have to make sure you’re committed to the end result otherwise your motivation will die out you need to make sure that you don’t deny yourself of everything while you’re saving otherwise you will become resentful you need [...]
One month of 2024 is down and just 11 to go. Not that I’m counting down the year or my life or anything. I just like to keep track of time passing so I can make sure I’m maintaining momentum and progressing on my goals. For me, setting goals used to be a bit of a set and forget thing. I’d start the new [...]
Buying a property with a friend is a great way to pool resources and get your foot in the market. But it doesn't come without risk. I always recommend that if you're really keen to pursue this avenue, then sit down and have a long discussion. Talk about the hard stuff. What if one of you loses your job? Or is offered an amazing [...]
One of the things you need before you buy a home is a clear financial plan. This is needed for a couple of reasons: to demonstrate to the lender that you’re a “good risk” - that you can manage your money and chances are high that you’ll pay off the loan as per the agreement that you sign. to demonstrate to yourself that you [...]
When you’re saving money, you need a goal and a plan. In my experience, it’s pretty hard to save for “nothing” but totally different when you’re saving for “something”, whatever that something is. And if you’ve got nothing to save for right now, I suggest that you make up something great because, again, in my experience, it’s pretty easy to fritter away your money [...]
I’ve been reading a lot of inspirational stories, blogs and posts over the past couple of weeks and came across a quote that really resonates with me, “Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” The quote is by John Maxwell, a well known author on books primarily on leadership. I think the reason that this really [...]
If you feel like buying a house is similar to climbing Everest - on a snowy, windy day - then you're not alone. But don't give up hope. There are some things you can do that will help you buy that house without giving up your lifestyle completely! Strategy 1: Rein in your spending This is a bit of a no-brainer, but it's also [...]
Real estate agents are reporting that they've seen a big increase in the number of properties listed in the last three months. Surprisingly, many of them, particularly in Brisbane and Hobart, have only been in the hands of the current owners for less than three years. Many are being sold by first home buyers and investors. Sadly this is one of the impacts of [...]
I’m often asked what are the most important things that I’ve learnt throughout my time of buying property, so I thought I’d share them with you. Set your goal. Figure out what you want and how much it will cost. Create a vision board, write it in detail in a book, visualise it. How many bedrooms and bathrooms? A “fixer-upper” or an “already done-upper”? [...]
