{"id":532362,"date":"2021-12-31T09:00:21","date_gmt":"2021-12-31T07:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=532362"},"modified":"2021-12-13T16:38:38","modified_gmt":"2021-12-13T14:38:38","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-about-getting-the-most-out-of-your-investment-property","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/property\/532362\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-getting-the-most-out-of-your-investment-property\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything you need to know about getting the most out of your investment property"},"content":{"rendered":"

Property is a hot commodity, and rarely does an investment conversation unfold without delving into a discussion around market trends and buyer appetite, says Carol Reynolds, Pam Golding Properties area principal for Durban Coastal.<\/p>\n

Reynolds said that a regular question that crops up is how best to maximise a property investment, whether it be a primary residence or an investment unit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe beauty about residential property is that it can serve both purposes \u2013 a home can be both a great place to live in, while simultaneously, if you have purchased in a sound location and are clever with design, d\u00e9cor and maintenance, it can also escalate in value over time,” said Reynolds.<\/p>\n

The rule of thumb for a primary residence is that this property is first and foremost a home and secondly an investment.<\/p>\n

“From a general living perspective, homes will be customised to suit your individual needs, but always be mindful of enhancing the features of your property in a way that could also boost its value. To start with, a neutral palette appeals to a wider buyer pool than a home that is too colourful and also bear in mind that light-filled homes are more appealing than dark homes, while space carries far more weight than clutter.<\/p>\n

“On the whole, the idea is to create space and light in your home, by opening up wherever possible to maximise flow,” said Reynolds.<\/p>\n

Reynolds said painting is literally a magic wand, and good d\u00e9cor and decluttered furnishings can transform a home.<\/p>\n

\u201cBring plants into your living spaces and integrate your outdoor living areas into the home. Create a favourable first impression by ensuring that your verge is neat and presentable and your driveway is well-maintained.”<\/p>\n

She said that the features that today\u2019s buyers seek are open-plan living areas, modern kitchens and bathrooms, and good flow which creates effortless indoor-outdoor living spaces \u2013 highly desirable in South Africa with its pleasant climate and outdoor lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Outdoor open spaces such as a patio or level garden area, even if modestly proportioned, make a property more appealing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are looking to add value to an existing home, always consider its \u2018bones\u2019. Structural additions can be costly, so ideally, you want to start with a canvas that has good bones, said Reynolds.<\/p>\n

This refers to good fundamental structure \u2013 in other words, a home that has the basics right, most notably, living areas and kitchens are well-positioned within the home, so that with a few small changes they will flow to the outdoor entertainment area.<\/p>\n

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“Removing walls is generally more cost-effective than adding on additional coverage, so remove one or two internal walls and this will create instant flow and bring light into the home.\u201d<\/p>\n

From a finishing perspective, said Reynolds, bathrooms, kitchens and built-in-cupboards can certainly add value to your property.<\/p>\n

Consider upgrades in these rooms first, and then paint the rest of the home to give it a facelift. Floors also play an important aesthetic role – try to keep these consistent throughout the home. If possible, don\u2019t mix and match as one look throughout works best.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn uMhlanga, suburbs like Izinga which are newer, tend to already have modern, open-plan homes with good flow, so the key here is ongoing maintenance and small upgrades over time. D\u00e9cor dates quite quickly, so keep it on-trend with small tweaks like new cushions and one or two occasional chairs that have modern flair.<\/p>\n

Privacy is also important, so plant your boundary areas and try to create your own oasis and haven within the estate, the property expert said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a broader perspective, if you\u2019re looking to invest in property generally, then you will need to consider both your potential returns as well as the potential capital growth on your asset. Your strategy may be to buy, renovate and flip, or it may be simply to buy and hold either to live in or rent out for additional income and as an investment property.\u201d<\/p>\n

Always consider the ceiling price for the area that you\u2019re investing in, Reynolds advised. The last thing you want is to overcapitalise and then struggle to sell. When renovating, try to complete the build within two months so that you can flip quickly and sell the home within six months \u2013 the quicker the better to reduce holding costs.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFrom a rental perspective, \u2018gearing\u2019 is my favourite word and I suggest that you consider investing in multiple smaller properties, gear them and let them pay for themselves over time,” said Reynolds.<\/p>\n

“In my opinion, this strategy is far better than putting all your eggs into one more lavish basket. Take your budget and spread it over a mix of properties, rather than tying it up into a single property. If you want to minimise risk then property investing, like all investing, requires diversification.”<\/p>\n

Reynolds pointed to areas with high rental demand in hotspots \u2013 like Durban North, La Lucia, uMhlanga and Cape Town, for example. Then acquire one or two-bedroom apartments in good complexes.<\/p>\n

“Sometimes one-bedroom units actually generate higher yields, so I would prefer to have two one-bedroom units than one two-bedroom unit.”<\/p>\n

“Some investors like to buy off-plan and this is also a good strategy – put down a deposit, wait a few years to take transfer, and then enjoy the price escalations as the development matures, which means that the value of your unit appreciates at the same time.<\/p>\n

If you have the means available to invest in more than five off-plan units, there are tax savings available, making the investments even more attractive, said Reynolds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe current low-interest rate environment makes it a good time to buy a property for investment purposes such as a buy-to-let option, as it provides favourable terms for gearing your investment purchase by taking a home loan on the property. Here are some points to consider why this would be a good investment strategy,” said Rhys Dyer, chief executive officer of mortgage originator, Ooba.<\/p>\n

Getting the best deal on your bond is a crucial part of maximising the return on a buy-to-let investment, and you\u2019ll need a home loan specifically designed for buy-to-let, said Pam Golding.<\/p>\n

Existing bondholders can also apply for a second bond. Typically, as a small to medium investor, you should have some equity saved from other sources, said Reynolds.<\/p>\n

“You would normally set up your financing in such a way that your second bond is paid off or cash flow neutral in order to take the long payment off the bond and slowly grow equity. With rental increases and positive cash flow, you will then develop equity to invest into the next property.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dyer said that while 100% home loan finance is available depending on your credit risk profile and affordability assessment, lenders generally expect borrowers to put down larger deposits on buy-to-let bonds.<\/p>\n

Dyer said for buy-to-let investors, it\u2019s all about the rental yield on their properties or their property portfolios The yield is simply the annual rent you\u2019re earning on the property divided by its value, expressed as a percentage. \u201cSo a house worth R1 million, on which the annual rent is R120,000 or R10,000 a month, would yield 12%.<\/p>\n

He stressed that this is a gross yield, meaning it\u2019s calculated before costs. Out of that rent, you\u2019ll have to make bond repayments, cover building insurance premiums, find money for maintenance and possibly pay a letting agent\u2019s fees.<\/p>\n

If we assume those costs come to R8,000 a month, leaving you R2,000 profit, that reduces the net yield to 2.4% a year. You will probably need to pay income tax on this too.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis example shows it is essential to do your sums before embarking on a buy-to-let property investment. You need to be sure you can earn enough rent to make the investment worthwhile, and factor in safety margins for emergencies such as a large, unexpected bill or a period when you don\u2019t have a tenant \u2013 or when the tenant fails to pay the rent. The bond is the largest cost for most buy-to-let investors, but don\u2019t forget about other bills too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dyer pointed out that buy-to-let investors have the same bond options as other borrowers \u2013 whether to go for a fixed or variable rate, for example, and at what level to gear their purchase by accessing a home loan instead of paying cash, thereby creating some liquidity and a taxable expense to offset against their rental income, in so doing creating a tax efficient option.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn summary, property is such an exciting asset class, because there are so many options available. Whether you are simply wanting to add value to your home, or wishing to build up a property portfolio, weigh in on area, costs, returns and capital growth and ask your local estate agent to give you some comparative market statistics to assist you in making an informed decision,” said Reynolds.<\/p>\n

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Read: The best and worst municipalities in South Africa\u2019s biggest cities<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Property is a hot commodity, and rarely does an investment conversation unfold without delving into a discussion around market trends and buyer appetite, says Carol Reynolds, Pam Golding Properties area principal for Durban Coastal.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":532374,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12755],"tags":[26,10070],"class_list":["post-532362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property","tag-headline","tag-pam-golding-properties"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/532362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=532362"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/532362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":546580,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/532362\/revisions\/546580"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/532374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=532362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=532362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=532362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}