Do you want to jump into the property market but don’t have the budget to buy a house? A unit or apartment could be a great way to get your leg up on the property ladder. According to CoreLogic data, unit values are now rising at a faster rate than houses in more than half of all suburbs across Australia. Aside from being more affordable than a house, there are other benefits of apartment investing to consider. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of investing in an apartment...

With today’s cost-of-living pressures, it’s more important than ever to regularly review your home loan to see how it stacks up against others. Refinancing could allow you to find a more competitive mortgage and save you a lot of money over the course of your loan. However, before you switch lenders, here are a few questions to ask yourself before refinancing. What’s the cost versus the benefit? When deciding whether to refinance, you need to understand all of the costs ...

In May, the Federal Government delivered the 2024-25 budget. It included several measures such as energy bill relief and rent assistance aimed at easing the cost-of-living pressures on Australians. For aspiring homebuyers, there are a few important announcements to be aware of that may help you get into the market sooner rather than later. Let’s take a look. Help to Buy Scheme funding The government allocated $5.5 billion towards its shared equity Help to Buy Scheme in 2024-25 for as...

Tax time may not be the most exciting time of year, but it can be rewarding with a potential tax refund. It's a great opportunity to assess your finances, especially for property investors, who should be aware of all available tax deductions. Here are some tips to help maximise your returns: 1) Understand which rental expenses you can claim As long as expenses are for the purpose of producing rental income and you have a record to prove it, you can generally claim them as a tax deducti...

There are many reasons to consider renovating, from making your property more liveable to driving up its market value and increasing the rental income if it’s an investment.   So, which renovations should you consider when looking to generate a return on investment? Here’s some inspiration: The Kitchen Update The kitchen is often the focal point of a property, and it gets a lot of use, so it’s little wonder kitchen updates often drive-up resale value. Consider ...