Should I buy an investment property before my first home?

With property prices high, many first home buyers are struggling to get into the property market, much less buy their dream home.

That’s why some first home buyers are now changing tactics and asking, “should I be buying an investment home instead?” a practice that has now been coined rent-vesting. This way they can buy where they can afford and rent where they want to live or even stay at home for longer (sorry fam).

But is it a good idea? Mark Marshall our Home Lending Team Manager, explains some of the pros and cons of buying an investment property as a first home.

Let’s dive in.

Pros

Locking down a great asset

One of the greatest benefits of an investment-first strategy is that you can get your foot on the property ladder. By the time you’re ready to buy your own home in the future, your investment property should be a valued asset and should allow you to go shopping for a home in your preferred location or with a higher value.

But it’s important to remember, property prices can go down in value if the market turns volatile.

Buying with your head

An investment property doesn’t need to ‘tick all the boxes of your dream home. Because you’re not buying a house to live in yourself, you can get something cheaper in an area that isn’t where you want to live. Buying with your head and not your heart lets you focus on securing good rental growth and an increased future sale price.

Extra freedom

Renting out your investment property while you rent somewhere else, could give you the freedom to live in a more desirable location or in a better home than you could afford to buy. Renting not only gives you the opportunity to experience different areas and lifestyles but also allows you to easily upgrade or downsize to a different home without having to worry about stamp duty or other expenses that come with selling and buying a home.

Rental income

As well as getting you onto the property ladder, your investment property should be generating enough rental income to cover most, if not all the mortgage so that you don’t need to dip into your own savings.

Tax benefits

Owning an investment property could provide tax benefits, such as:

• Deductions for costs of owning a rental property like council and water rates, insurance, repairs and maintenance and real estate agent fees.
• Depreciation deductions for things like furniture, the building and fixed structures on the property.
• Reduction of your taxable income through negative gearing (lowering the amount of tax you pay).

It’s a good idea to discuss your circumstances with your accountant or financial advisor before taking any action as tax implications vary.

Backup

The time may come when things change, and you decide to move out of the family home or stop renting. Moving into your investment property and making it your home offers an easy solution and could take some of the stress out of the decision. Plus, you’ll already know how much the repayments will be and what to expect from the area and property.

Cons

Potential risk

Like with any investment, there’s risk involved. Your investment property could be vacant for a long period of time, you could get a lower rental yield than you expected or there might be continuous issues with the property that need ongoing repairs, etc.

There’s also the risk of a property downturn and the chance of rising interest rates on your mortgage.

Buying and selling costs

Unfortunately, you still need to pay for things like stamp duty, legal fees and other government fees when purchasing an investment property.

And when you sell your investment property, you’ll also need to pay real estate agent fees, and more than likely, capital gains tax.

Capital gains tax is required if you sell your investment property for a profit.

But the good news is, you’ll only have to pay tax on half of the net capital gain if you own the property for over one year. So, it’s a good idea to hold onto it for at least 12 months, if you can.

Paying off a loan and renting

If you rent at the same time as owning an investment property, you could be putting yourself under financial stress, especially if there’s a shortfall between your rental income and your loan repayments.

It’s important to know what you can afford to pay in rent so that you can still make your mortgage repayments and live comfortably.

Homeownership costs and managing tenants

Managing tenants and paying for repairs and maintenance on your property can quickly add up to one big expense. You’ll need to factor in costs for things like screening tenants, advertising your property, appropriately lodging the bond, collecting rent and maintaining the property or paying a property manager to do all these tasks for you.