With her three kids having flown the nest, Lisa, originally from New Zealand and now living in Dakabin, a northern Brisbane suburb, was eager to secure her financial future. She had her sights set on buying an investment property by tapping into the equity in her home but wasn’t entirely sure if it was the right move, despite her background in finance within the construction industry.
“I’m involved at the trade end, focusing on project margins, so while I’ve always looked into property investment, there are so many people offering advice,” she explains. “You can’t always tell if it’s right for you, and it’s a significant amount of money to put on the line. You’re often dealing with salespeople, and getting the information you really need can be challenging.”
Everything changed when she listened to a podcast featuring Invest by Metricon expert Daniel Hubbard. “He was really knowledgeable, and he didn’t come across as a salesman,” Lisa says. “He helped fill in a lot of gaps for me.”
With a modest amount of superannuation and the pressures of the rising cost of living, Lisa wasn’t sure if she could handle the cash flow demands of taking on another mortgage. “Everything’s gone up so much recently,” she explains.
However, Dan’s podcast shed light on some valuable strategies. “I knew about negative gearing, but I always thought you had to wait until the end of the year to claim it back,” Lisa says. “Dan explained that you don’t - you can factor it in up front.”
Armed with insights about tax breaks and practical tips on high-growth areas to explore, Lisa decided to reach out to Metricon. “I submitted an enquiry at the end of the week, and they got back to me over the weekend,” she recalls. “They reviewed my financials and worked backwards to show me what I could afford. I was really surprised by how much potential I had.”
Lisa believes the universe delivered exactly what she needed at the right time. When she sat down with the Invest by Metricon team, they helped her map out an affordable and clear plan. She decided to build the four-bedroom Ella 20 design with an Aspire façade in South Maclean.
“It was definitely a bit scary,” Lisa admits. “Owning an investment property is one thing, but building one? That’s another level. But Metricon was fantastic - they guided me through everything, from working with the mortgage broker to the conveyancer, property manager, and everyone else involved. They made the whole process surprisingly easy.”
Though the site is on the other side of Brisbane, Lisa has visited a few times. “It’s a fast-growing, yet still affordable area full of families, which was a big drawcard for me,” she says. “Getting in now made sense because the train line has been approved, and a new school is coming. When that kind of infrastructure is built, that’s when you really see the return on your investment.”
Advice like this helped Lisa feel incredibly confident in her investment decision, as did Metricon’s Lifetime Structural Guarantee*. “With a brand new house, I don’t have to worry about maintenance or replacing fences, and that’s huge,” she says. “I feel secure holding onto the property for the next 10 to 15 years. After that, I can start thinking about what comes next.”
Excited for the future, Lisa is thrilled that her investment dream is becoming a reality and has been impressed with the building process so far. “My site manager is amazing - he sends me photos every week, and whenever I have any questions, he gets back to me right away,” she says. “Things are moving so quickly that I’m hopeful I can get a tenant in there before Christmas.”
You can reach out to an Invest by Metricon expert here.
*The Guarantee applies to many of our new homes, building contracts signed after 1 January 2019 and is subject to the terms and conditions of the Guarantee which can be found at metricon.com.au/terms-conditions
