Post-settlement
The portfolio review you should run every 12 months
Rents, equity, structure, costs and goal-fit — the questions that compound in your favour.
Most investors buy a property and then forget it exists until tax time. The compounding cost of that habit is enormous. A 60-minute annual review, done properly, is worth more than most people’s next purchase.
The five questions, in order
Where the upside actually comes from in a typical year
Estimated $ value uncovered per property
1. Rent — is it actually at market?
Your property manager is incentivised to keep tenants, not to maximise rent. A formal CMA every 12 months — with a polite notice if needed — almost always finds 4–8% slippage.
2. Equity — is it stuck or working?
Equity sitting unused is a tax on your own balance sheet. The review asks: can it be released, into an offset, against the next deposit, or held as a buffer?
3. Structure — has the goal moved?
Marriage, business income, kids, super contributions — every one of these can change the optimal ownership structure. Most reviews uncover one structural change worth making before the next purchase.
4. Costs — what is leaking?
Insurance premiums creep. PM fees creep. Loan rates drift above market. None of these line items are big alone. Together they are the difference between a positively and negatively geared portfolio.
5. Goal-fit — is this still the right asset?
Sometimes the answer is: sell. Not often. But the review is the only place that question gets asked honestly.
A property is not a set-and-forget asset. It is a small business with one customer and one product. Treat it that way.
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FAQ
Frequently asked
- How often should I review my property portfolio?
- Full review annually; lender pricing check every 6 months; rental review at every lease renewal. Major life events (marriage, kids, business sale, inheritance) trigger an immediate restructure review.
- Should I sell underperforming properties?
- Only after testing whether the underperformance is structural (location, asset type) or fixable (rent, management, renovation). Selling triggers CGT and transaction costs of 5–8% — recover those before celebrating.
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Written & reviewed by
The NOVAQ founders
Every NOVAQ article is written or reviewed by our founders — both Chartered Accountants who actively invest in Australian property. Not journalists, not interns.
Shreyas Doshi
Co-Founder · Chartered Accountant
15+ yrs in international tax, compliance, structuring and advisory across Deloitte, PwC and a large multinational mining company. Multi-state personal portfolio under different structures.
Yuvraj Kapadia
Co-Founder · CA, CPA, SMSF Specialist
ASIC-registered SMSF Auditor, Tax Agent, licensed Finance & Mortgage Broker and Buyer's Agent. Multi-state personal portfolio under different structures.
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