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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