There are a lot of questions that we get asked on a regular basis, but one of the most common ones is “What sort of property is the best investment, and where is the best place to invest?” Ok, I know that’s cheating because it’s really two questions, but let’s roll with it.
The answer is: That depends.
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all investment property. In order to work out what strategy you should choose and what type of property you
should be looking for, you first need to know the answer to these questions (in no particular order):
- What is your starting financial position? How much available equity do you have, and what level of provable income do you have? What is your borrowing
capacity? Are you limited by equity or provable income? - What do you want to achieve from property investment over the long term?
- What are your short to mid-term life goals? Will, any of those goals affect your income in a positive or negative way? E.g. Having a family, financing
children’s education, reducing your hours at work etc. - What is your timeframe? For example, if you are wanting to get out of your day job within the next 6 months, your plan/strategy is going to look
completely different to someone who is happy to work for the next 40 years. - What level of risk do you feel comfortable with? Different types of property incur different levels of risk. For example, a house in the suburbs
has a different type of risk associated with it than a boarding house or a commercial property. Likewise, different strategies have different
levels of risk. For example, buy-renovate-hold vs development-hold.
Once you know the answers to those questions, you can work out the answer to the question of which strategy to choose, and what type of property you
should be looking for. When you know what sort of equity and yield you need in the deal, you can work out where in NZ you are most likely to find
those deals at any given time. It is important to remember that not everyone can afford to invest in Auckland, and there are often better places
to invest than close to where you live.
The next most common question we get asked would be “Is now a good time to buy?” The answer to that question is: The best time to buy a property is
always going to be 20 years ago, but as long as you know what sort of property deal is right for your financial position and goals, right now is
always the next best time to buy for long term property investments.
“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago” – Warren Buffet
I enjoy speaking and blogging regularly for the APIA. If you are just starting or if you are stagnating and want to break through, feel free to email me your questions. I am always happy to connect!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debbie Roberts
Debbie is an Investment Coach and Director of Property Apprentice. Property Apprentice provides ongoing training for investors as well as regular free
seminars for beginners.
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