The humble property that started it all.
I've always been fascinated by property and had dreamed of being able to purchase a property since my teens. I made the most of being young. I worked hard but spent my money on travel and my horses (I don't regret any of it!). In my late twenties, I was on minimum wage working in a job that I enjoyed but knew it wouldn't give me the stability and freedom I wanted for my future self. I came to a pretty sudden realisation that if I was going to achieve the life that I envisioned I was going to need to take action, and sooner rather than later.
I managed to save up a small amount and knowing I was going to need this money to work hard for me, I started to look into property investment. Many, many hours were spent researching property investment strategies, finance solutions and cash flow. With a very small budget, I knew I was going to need a property that required minimal maintenance and good cashflow to get me started.
Property details
Purchased June 2021
Purchase price: $180,000
Land size: 237m2
2 bed | 2 bath | 1 car
Single storey brick home built in 2013.
Rental estimate: $420 - 440 per wk
!!Update!! 24th Oct 2025
Estimated Valuation (Medium confidence) of $380,000
That's a HUGE increase of 211% in
just over 4 years since purchase. That's an average growth of 52.75% per annum!!
My Strategy:
I was searching for my first investment property with a plan to rent it out on a short-term basis on the Airbnb platform. It would be a long term buy and hold.
I was working with a very small budget of an absolute maximum of $240,000 (including all purchase costs and any works required). My aim was to get a relatively new or newly renovated property that would be immediately suitable to be lived in. I was after low maintenance and good rental appeal close to town on a quiet street.
Property Choice:
I chose this property as it was under 10years old at the time and had been very well looked after by the previous owner. The sellers were going through a divorce which also presented an opportunity as a quick, clean sale was required - something that I could offer having my finance pre-approved and rearing to go.
The location of this property was appealing being close to the town centre on a quiet residential street, 2mins drive to a very prestigious private school as well as a childcare centre being very close by.
One of the biggest things that stood out to me when inspecting the property was the design and layout. With the high ceiling and heaps of natural light the place felt so welcoming and spacious. Still to this day years later, this is something that still strikes me whenever I go into this home. I knew that the house would have plenty of appeal to renters and owner occupiers alike - something that increases demand and therefore increases value.
Post Settlement:
The floor in the living and bedrooms were updated straight after settlement from carpets to high quality, durable hybrid-timber flooring and DIY installed at a cost of around $4,000.
After furnishing the house I did actually live in it for a while before moving back to Brisbane.
This home is listed on Airbnb these days and gives me a consistently healthy net-positive return.