Get Invested: Turnkey or turkey? The new-build rules nobody teaches you with Kate Hill and Alex Dutt
Property Hub - Investment Insights & InspirationShow Notes
New property can offer compelling advantages for investors, but “new” doesn’t automatically mean “better”. As Australian property investors reassess their options in the post-Budget environment, eligible new residential property is attracting increasing attention thanks to potential tax, depreciation, maintenance and cash-flow benefits. But those benefits only matter if the underlying investment stacks up. This week on Get Invested, Bushy Martin is joined by two property investment specialists from Adviseable, founder Kate Hill and new-build expert Alex Dutt, to cut through the simplistic new-versus-established debate and examine what makes a quality new-build investment actually work. Kate is a Licensed Buyer’s Agent, Qualified Property Investment Adviser (QPIA), experienced property investor and co-author of the award-winning book The Female Investor. She brings the strategy, location, demand and asset-selection lens to the conversation. Alex has been investing in property since 2004 and specialises in the new-build and turnkey construction process, helping investors navigate everything from sites, builders and contracts to specifications, costs, finance sequencing, inspections and handover. Together, they explain why investors need to forget the word “new” initially and first ask whether they would still want to own the property based on its location, demand, scarcity and long-term owner-occupier appeal. Because tax benefits, depreciation and a shiny new kitchen cannot rescue a poor investment. They also unpack one of the most misunderstood parts of new-build investing: the difference between a marketed “package price” and the true tenant-ready cost. Bushy, Kate and Alex explore the risks that can emerge between buying the land and collecting the first rent, including construction delays, variations, builder issues, valuation gaps, finance complications and overlooked inclusions, and how the right process, buffers and independent specialists can help manage them. The message isn’t that new property is superior to established property, or vice versa. It’s that superiority needs to be earned by evidence. In this episode you’ll discover: Why investment quality should always come before “newness”
How to compare quality new builds with quality established property
Why scarcity, location and owner-occupier appeal remain critical
What “turnkey” should really mean for an investor
Why the advertised package price may not be the true cost
How to calculate the tenant-ready, all-in investment cost
The construction, builder and valuation risks investors need to understand
Why construction finance requires different planning and sequencing
The importance of contingency buffers before you start building
Why independent inspections and separately accountable advisers matter
How Adviseable approaches new builds from strategy and location first, rather than starting with available stock
Where depreciation, stamp-duty savings, warranties, lower maintenance and tenant appeal can strengthen the investment case
How to decide whether a new build genuinely deserves a place in your long-term wealth strategy
For the right investor, in the right location, at the right price and with the right team, a quality new build can be a powerful post-Budget investment pathway. But the brochure doesn’t get to decide that. The evidence does. Connect with Adviseable here: adviseable.com.au FREE PROPERTY INVESTOR’S FIELD GUIDE How Should I Invest In Property Now? After months of post-Budget analysis, modelling and conversations with investors around Australia, Bushy has distilled the key insights into a practical guide designed to help you cut through the confusion and identify the opportunities that still exist for strategic property investors. Download your free copy here: https://bushymartin.com.au/fieldguide Take the next step with Bushy Personal Solutions Session Get clarity and personalised guidance: Book now
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