Forum Replies Created
Hi jcso99,
You read my mind as I logged on to post the same question.
Cheers,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Celivia,
Can you give me your word on that?
Cheers,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Uhmm,…Polygraph?
Cheers,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi wits end,
You came up with some great ideas!
I have never completed a reno to onsell so my advise may not be as successful as your determination, but here goes.
If the carpet is in good nic, leave it. If it needs replacing then check if the floor boards are worth polishing without excessive outlay.
Add a third room from what already exists, rather than adding onto what exits already.
Upgrade the kitchen ’emotionally’ to the buyer with inexpensive ‘shiny’ tap handles, door knobs, etc from places like Bunnings (check for sales), rather than fund it from scratch.
Definitely repaint if needed to give it a ‘fresh/larger’ appearance (very cost effective).
Stipulate on contract if possible to have access to do reno work during settlement period, etc.
I hammer a nail with a paint brush, so leverage the use of other trady’s time if more cost effective for you.
Personally if you are doing a reno for a quick turn around, things like cable tv, broadband and solar heating I’d leave for buy and hold tennants other wise you may be overcapitalising and eating into your profits for the next reno?
Landscape gardening doesn’t have to be a huge ‘backyard blitz’ outlay. Just keep it green and clean (concrete, etc).
Others on this forum will have much better ideas, advice and personal experience to help answer your questions.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Gatsby!“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi Terry,
Thanks for posting the new book on Trust Structures.
Kind regards,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi grossrealisation,
In the words of ‘Charles Pierce’, pertaining to truth;“There are real things,
whose characters are entirely independent
of our opinions about them”.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi Don and Liz,
Just finished watching ‘At the Movies’ with Marg and Dave. They reviewed ‘Enron’. Definitely worth a view for anyone interested in investing/economics. Their problem with the film was that they stated that it would have appealed to ‘economists’ because they got lost with some of the doco.
Cheers,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi Don and Liz,
I actually just got back tonight from seeing it. I knew it was a one joke movie but I think I had too high expectations (not quite up with ‘There’s Something About Mary’). Some of the scenes were hilarious (chest waxing, the Indian salesmen, one liners, etc). The cinema I was in was fairly empty and the females in the audience seemed to laugh the most at the language. Some great lines in there and perfectly executed (I’m going to put my bike in your trunk!). ‘The Proposition’ was great also. First Aussie film (well half Aussie made film) I’ve enjoyed in a long time. Worth seeing.
Cheers,
Gatsby.
PS. ‘Enron’ the inside documentary about it’s collapse is being released here in Melbourne this weekend. Looks great from what I’ve previewed.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Don’t worry Dazz,
My avatar’s face is even uglier than my own. When it fell down the ‘avatar ugly tree’ it hit every single branch on the way down! So now I wear an avatar deer suit. I’m the one in the back. I called the avatar front half that you can see an ‘ar#@h#le’. It just looked back at me and said “Shut up and be yourself”.
Cheers,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Well I’ve just read this whole thread and something must be wrong with me man. I’ve been by the phone ‘all day’ and no one’s called me! At all! Next telemarketing/Sub Continental call that I get, I’ll be complaining!
“What took you so long? Aren’t I good enough to hassle? Save your breath, I’m buying it anyway!”
I’m actually going to India on the 28th. I’ve been a couple of times and to be honest, there must be something wrong with me if everyone’s getting all these telemarketing calls.
(True story). Last time I was walking down Janpath Lane in Connaught Place and all I could hear was this guy yelling out, ‘Heroin, heroin, coke, coke, heroin,…….(top of his lungs).
I walk past him and he looks at me and says,…… ‘Glue?’ GLUE?-I was embarrassed to death!!
“I can afford your bloody heroin mate! I’m doing my laundry right now! “COME HERE MR DEALER, COME HERE!! SEE THIS, IT’S MY ATM CARD. I’M GOING TO GO ACROSS THE STREET AND SHOW YOU MY BALANCE! (Then I think I’ll buy glue from that little guy over there!!) Sorry, but I was humiliated at the time.
Cheers,
Gatsby!“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi Don and Liz,
I’ve been looking forward to that film. I’ll be seeing it Friday so I’ll give you my verdict.
Cheers,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi Michelle,
I agree about checking some of the excellent brokers on this site or anywhere for that matter. I’ve got a one bedroom flat in Glen Iris in Melbourne and to squeeze every penny out of every buck I should sell it and do something else to maximize returns. However if you can look at some ABS stats, etc on the amount of people who will be living on their own within ‘x’ amount of time it will blow you away. Also I’m more a ‘buy and hold’ and I like the area it’s in (I know I shouldn’t view investing emotionally) ie, close to trams, to city, shops, yadah, yadah. So personally if it’s affordable (positive returns) and is close to the city then maybe look at the stat’s of single renters, etc in coming to a decision.
Cheers,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi g7 and all.
That theory of Phil’s has been his thinking for quite some time now. It’s ironic because I went to Emmaus College in Forest Hill and in year 9 I was a close mate of Justin Ruthven, Phil’s son. That was a looooooooooong time ago. The argument against Phil (yeeeeeeeeeeeeeaars later!) was that people by nature are poor savers and would only come out ahead if they literally put every cent after rent, bills, etc into investing over the life span.
A bit too tight,…even for me.
Cheers,
Gatsby!“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
grossrealization I like your idea. Personally, I think the term ‘gazumped’ is a misnomer as it’s definition is used so liberally (and illegally) across the board in purchasing. Even after the ‘ink is dry’ I’ve been told ‘don’t worry you’ve just been ‘gazumped’ and it will only serve to make you a better investor in the future!’
Cheers,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi skatz,
I would defininetly be seeking some sort of legal advice re: the dogs. By that I mean under council law, dogs must be registered (and in some cases micro chipped) to an owner’s name. If one of the dogs bite’s someone (and again, I’m only second guessing), I’d hate to see the ‘owner’ of the property left being liable if proof of dog ownership is left up in the air. Big dogs generally need lots of exercise (I’ve got 2 of them) or a big ‘fenced’ yard to keep them in. However if they are lap dogs the size of ‘navel flint’ and the rent’s a great return, it may be a great deal if you can skillfully negotiate with them and (and possibly the neighbours?) and have it put in writing it could be great tennants?
Best of luck,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi Vinny,
As Simon mentioned, your goals and situation should dictate your structuring. Also bear in mind, your long term goals and plans probably have an equal, if not more important factor in the decision/s you make in the equation. The excellent brokers on this site such as Steven, Simon, et al would have your future direction in mind when structuring.
Cheers,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi Maruco,
Derik is spot on. I have Trust Magic and totally agree.
Cheers,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Speaking of extraterrestrial life, why is it a lot of UFO sightings tend to appear in outback ‘ute muster’ type towns? Maybe they’re not some kind of incredible intelligence. Are we perhaps being invaded by ‘redneck aliens?’ I can just picture now somewhere in, I don’t know, (Denni?) a UFO sitting out the front of someone’s trailer on ‘blocks’!
“Are you here to invade us?”
“No, we just had a long trip and thought we’d just kick back and whittle some(!). We thought we might enter our mothership in the tractor pull competition(!!)”
I also remember reading a report in the Sun Herald of a UFO landing being sighted in Fife, Alabamma a couple of years ago. People were bringing shotguns to UFO sightings! Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, “You ain’t from around here, are you boy?” You would think by now that we would come to some sort of a social development where we could leave our guns at home, just for once. People stated that they were armed because they were being ‘abducted and taken on board UFO’s for scientific experimentation?’ Maybe it’s a kind of clean up the universe pact? Maybe they abduct you under a ‘straighten your teeth and sterility program?’
If I was there and saw everyone with shotguns, etc and told this I’d probably reply, “What, and leave all this???? Excuse me. I think this UFO’s for me!!”
Cheers,
Gatsby!“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Similiar. I park part of it in offset account and the rest I’m going to use to pay down a ‘bit’ of principle on an investment property.
Cheers,
Gatsby.
(Oh!..and maybe it’s time for a new pair of blue jocks?)“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
Hi IIT,
Worse! The Herald Sun! I didn’t see the tv report. I just noticed an actress who was putting her name to it (Rowena Wallace I think?). I work with a female colleague in her 50’s and last report she was so motivated with being mentored, etc. My take on this is, if someone decides to put their name to a product (ie artist) then are they accountable for selling their reputation, do they have a duty of care to the client? I know plenty of actors and I admire the ones who believe they have a social contract with their audience that would be compromised by selling their craft (a bit ‘holy than thou’ I know, but something that I admire).
Cheers,
Gatsby.“Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is often the best thing to do.”
