Managing you own Investment Property – why would you?

What price a headache?

“Save money,” they say.  “It’s easy,” they say.  “Anyone can do it,” they say.  On the face of it, ‘they’ appear to have a point.  On the face of it!  Scratch the Investment Property surface however and there’s a whole untold story behind those glib statements.

Time is Money

At Stills Properties we get it – property investors want to make money, not spend it.  But how valuable is your time?  The old adage ‘time is money’ never rang more true than when it comes to managing your own investment property, because how much of your family time are you prepared to commit to:

* Dealing with late-paying tenants?
* Evicting a bad tenant?
* Finding a new tenant when the current one leaves?
* Performing regular property inspections?
* Organising necessary repairs?
* Keeping up-to-date with applicable legislation?

Continue reading…

Pet-friendly landlords can earn more in rent

Landlords – consider the pet-friendly route to a 10-15% rent premium!

If you have an investment property then you have an interest in the real estate market. If you have an interest in the real estate market then you’ll be fully aware of changes in recent months. The long-running seller’s market suddenly switched to a buyer’s market with prices sliding steadily over a few months.

A buyer’s market in sales translates to a tenant’s market in rentals. The pool of potential tenants decreases as more people opt to take advantage of falling prices and buy their own home. Add to this the enormous number of new apartments going up everywhere you look and supply is beginning to outstrip demand by some margin. Tenants have more to choose from and they’re becoming more selective and demanding.

Continue reading…

Apartment or House: Which is the better investment?

Buying your first investment property–whether an apartment or house is an exciting time. But how do you know which type of property is the better investment?

As with all investments, it depends.

The best place to start is to first figure out your property investment strategy: are you looking an apartment or house for capital growth or cash flow?

Continue reading…

Illegal Subletting: The Issues and Risks for Property Owners

In suburbs across every Australian capital city, and in almost every major holiday destination along the East Coast, you can find a short-term rental property listed through Airbnb.

Most of these short-term rentals are being listed by the property owner, either an investor or owner-occupier, but increasingly tenants are illegally subletting a room or the whole property, unbeknown to the owner.

Continue reading…

Turramurra Rental Property

A well-presented one-bedroom unit in a good location can be more desirable for renters than a larger apartment in a secondary location.

This near-new one-bedroom apartment in Turramurra was recently leased in a highly competitive market.

The ground floor apartment is close to public transport and amenities, offering an easy walk to Turramurra train station, local shops and schools.

Located within a security building, the open plan layout extends the living space and gives the one-bedroom apartment a much a larger feel.

The contemporary, streamlined kitchen flows into the dining and living rooms and takes full advantage of the North facing balcony. The fresh carpet and quality appliances throughout created a big and broad appeal for this small apartment.

Turramurra Apartment Kitchen

Turramurra Apartment Living Room

Turramurra Apartment Bathroom

Turramurra Apartment Bedroom

The Turramurra rental property specs:

  • Gas kitchen with Caesar stone bench tops and splash back
  • Dishwasher
  • Spacious balcony
  • Shower over bat
  • Bedroom with built In Robe
  • Security parking
  • Internal laundry with dryer
  • Spacious storage cage
  • Video Intercom
  • Split system Airconditioner

Changing lifestyle preferences, a lower purchase price and higher returns are bolstering investor demand for one-bedroom apartments.

If you own a one-bedroom investment property and want to know how best to attract suitable tenants in a competitive market, an experienced property manager local to your area can help. Stills Properties has spent over thirty years servicing properties on Sydney’s North Shore. Contact us to discuss your needs.