The Non Negotiables when Building an Investment Home

Investing in Property is a big financial leap for everyone. It is a rewarding venture albeit a long-term game.

So what are the essential things you need to think about when building an Investment Home?

First of all I always recommend to build with a TurnKey builder.

Turn key means the home will be completely finished inside and out- and all your tenants need to do- is “turn the key” in the front door lock and move their furniture in.

Building Turn Key not only makes financial sense but also saves alot of stress and energy, you don’t need to ring up trades, check on trades and pay trades- it is all done for you.

Turn Key means the driveway is completed by the builder, all landscaping (even retaining), fencing, carpet and tiles, blinds, all electrical ..yes that means downlights…not just a batten holder…and an antenna…are all included…making it easy!

Now for extras inside, I certainly wouldn’t recommend going overboard, this is an Investment after all and the dollars do count. So here are my top extras I would recommend if you have a little extra cash

*Ducted Air Conditioning - honestly if there are 2 houses side by side for rent ,the one with the ducted air will get the most interest.

*900mm oven, cooktop and rangehood- although you might not be a budding cook (like me who fails miserably in the kitchen!), your future tenants might be and this size oven is great for resale down the track.

*Shower Niche- at least one or if you can stretch to 2 financially- they are practical and just lift the bathrooms up a little aesthetically - especially if you can put a feature tile in the niche.

*STORAGE- I need to put this in capital letters- because it is so important for tenants and for Resale- put in as much cupboard space as you can- even a hallway can have a row of linen cupboards…everyone will thank you.

*Tile Height- going 1.2m high or thereabouts with the tiles on the bathroom walls will help with maintenance, tiling to the ceiling is pretty expensive, but if you can go 1.2m high , that helps with less scuffs and marks on the walls, and will keep the bathrooms looking pristine.

*Finally- Property Managers have mentioned to me they would recommend more bathroom railings, so think about putting in some extra rails or hooks to help out with tenants’ towels- the last thing you want is damp towels laying around….and make sure there is an exhaust fan in the bathrooms…very important!.

If you are thinking of building an Investment Property in Newcastle, The Hunter, Central Coast or Queensland get in contact. I help my clients build their Investment Homes with one of my builders and am there all the way through the build process, even helping with a Property Manager at the end of the build….Making Building an Investment Home Easy.