26/09/2026
This is the bit they don't put in the property investment brochures.
Buying a property is relatively easy.
You're then responsible for whatever you've bought.
And that's one of the reasons I've learned that a good deal isn't automatically a deal I should buy.
Especially when you've spent weeks looking for one.
The numbers work.
The property looks right.
The agent is telling you there’s other interest.
And suddenly you start finding reasons why you should buy it.
I've done it.
But something I've learned over the years is that a property can be a perfectly good investment and still be the wrong investment for you. Before I get excited about the potential return, I want to know:
Does it fit what I'm actually trying to achieve?
How much of my money will it tie up?
How much of my time will it take?
What happens if the optimistic numbers don't happen?
Does it still work when something goes wrong?
And probably the one I've learned to take most seriously:
Do I actually want to own and operate this for the next 5–10 years?
Because buying a property is the easy bit. You're then responsible for whatever you've bought. Sometimes the best property decision I've made has been buying.
Sometimes it's been walking away.
What makes you walk away from a deal, even when the numbers appear to work?
