Real Estate

Downsizing has a number of key benefits not just for empty nesters, but for us all as living large doesn’t always mean bigger is better.

If you love saving money, energy, resources and enjoy saving time on the up keep of a home, downsizing your home may be the answer. Here are 6 benefits of selling up and moving into something smaller.

Less stuff

There’s a problem with space in houses: you have to fill it. In most cases, you won’t want to simply have vast expanses of nothing and will require purchases like furniture, rugs, art and more to add colour to these areas. This means you won’t only be paying more for the bigger house but will have to take into account these extra costs as well.

Save stress and money

Living in a larger home requires more time spent on its up keep. From cleaning, maintenance, furnishing, outdoor home upkeep and the cost to run all of these can lead to a home that is stressful. By downsizing, you’ll have less responsibility, smaller workload, increased cash flow and greater flexibility which all help reduce stress. This frees you up for fun, spending time with family, getting more rest and just enjoying your home rather than being a slave to it.

Spaced out

If you have a family, there are some benefits that could result when buying a smaller home – family members are more inclined to bond, work together, be organised and compromise with one another. Nothing like sharing a bedroom and a closet with a sibling to learn how to share and be patient…let alone the fun of having someone to talk to when you lie in bed at night. A cosier home is often the way to a happier domicile.

Energy Bills

Energy bills, which continue to climb, are nothing to shake a finger at. For instance, according to Expatistan’s Cost of Living Index, the average utility bill for two people in a Sydney flat was $202 a month. Considering that larger homes require more power to stay warm or cool (depending on the season) and lit, you could shave quite a bit off your energy expenses by living in a smaller home. We buy houses in Florence

Furthermore, you’ll be doing your part for the environment by consuming less energy that is often produced by dirty fuels.

Start of a new chapter

By downsizing and reducing your costs such as your mortgage along with maintenance and energy bills, it can often mean you have extra money in the bank that can be spent on you and enhancing your lifestyle. Perhaps it’s a trip to one of your bucket list destinations, or an annual visit to family interstate. Also travelling can be less of a hassle when you have downsized, especially if you live in an apartment as you can normally lock it up and go, rather than concerning yourself with ensuring your home has enough security while you have gone.

Interestingly by living in a smaller home, it will reduce your consumption. If there is no place to put it, you’re much less likely to buy it. That means less money is spent on clothing, food and consumer goods and more money that can be spent on enjoying your life.

Retiring and Downsizing

Have the kids left home and your finding yourself rattling around in the house that you bought for the family? Downsizing can help release capital and provide you with a significant lifestyle change. It also offers the added benefits of reduced outgoings on utility bills, council tax, repairs and maintenance which can offer peace of mind, given the rising costs of these items.

In addition, there are the practical benefits of downsizing your home for retirement and moving to a smaller property as they are easier to manage and maintain, particularly should your degree of mobility start to lessen.

Property managers are an important addition to your team. They are so much more than a rent collector” says Amy Sanderson, Head of Property Management at LJ Hooker. “Property managers are in integral part of your investment team and a key part of your investments success” she says.

But what makes a high performing property manager…what qualities should you look for?

Experience

Experience, credentials, testimonials and references. These are probably the most important qualities you need to assess. Make sure you ask each property manager on your shortlist to provide details for their experience, how many years they have been a property manager, how many properties do they manage and how many are similar to your property. Ask them what certification they have and how they stay on top of the constant legislation changes. It’s also important to ask them to provide details of current and past clients that you can contact for references.

Your property is a valuable investment and entrusting your care to an experienced and certified property manager is a must.

Local market knowledge

Having a strong understanding of the local market is important. Firstly, so they understand the value and potential rent you can realise from the property and secondly so they are aware of any particular local regulations enforced by the local council. Plus, they have local tradespeople and can be on-site at your property if things go wrong and they know how to reach, appeal and attract the best quality tenants. A local property manager gives you a big advantage.

An investor mindset

Finding a property manager that has an investor mindset is gold. One who is able to see the big picture and work with you to help you achieve your investment goals. One who is able to guide you as to where to spend money so you can charge higher rent, and one who lives and breathes the local rental market so is on the lookout for opportunities to enhance your portfolio.

Not all property managers have this ability or know how, but you’ll want to make sure they show a commitment and eagerness to learn about real estate investing.

Good communication & organisational skills

Property managers deal with landlords, tenants and contractors all day every day and those that exhibit excellent communication skills, both written and oral stand out the others. Having this skill enables them to manage and reduce disputes, convince landlords to make upgrades to their property and to work with contractors to ensure the job gets done as quickly and seamlessly has possible.

Focus on protecting both landlords and renters

A good property manager will be highly focused on ensuring that both the landlord and tenant are protected. Having a strong understanding of the relevant state laws relating to fair housing and disabled access will help protect you as the landlord against discrimination and by ensuring they inspect the property regularly and manage repairs in a timely manner, will help protect the you against potential lawsuits.

Patience

Property management can be stressful. Things go wrong, sometimes tenants can be unruly, investors can sometimes be unrealistic with their demands and contractors may not be as reliable as you’d like. So having a property manager who is patient, someone who has great customer service skills and appears to be able to handle stressful situations whilst juggling multiple jobs at once is a winner.

Assertiveness

Whilst it’s important to have a property manager who is patient and understanding you also want them to be assertive. You want them to be able to track down late payments from tenants and push contractors to get the job done in a timely manner. In some cases, you need them to push you too, to complete necessary repairs or make much needed upgrades.

Ability to manage problems

Things go wrong, tenants go missing in action and skip paying rent, the plumber fails to show up and the landlord fails to send important paperwork. A property manager’s ability to think outside the box and manage problems is a winning quality. This is hard to assess, but perhaps ask them to give you an example of how they have handled a situation when it went wrong. You can also discuss this with their clients when you do reference checks.

Committed to further study

Property management legislation changes constantly so it’s important to find a property manager that demonstrates their commitment to study, to stay on top of legislative changes and to be aware of property investment law. Being part of a network that has a strong tradition of training is a bonus when choosing a property manager.

Attention to detail

As you know priority number one when you own a property investment is to make money. …which requires every cent to be tracked and documented. You’ll want to ensure your property manager is super organised and can provide you with all the necessary rental statements, receipts and copies of all invoices, depreciation schedules and scrapping schedules if they managed renovations for you. Getting the paperwork right, can have a big impact on your claimable expenses and therefore the success of your investment. Being detail orientated is a big advantage here.