Saving for premium Surfers Paradise real estate

Homes take up an interesting place in our lives. It's hardly just just four walls and a roof, designed to keep us dry and safe from the elements. Nor is it simply somewhere to eat, bathe and lay our heads at the end of a long day. Our homes define a large part of our lifestyle and to an extent, our identity. Perhaps for many, this is why they are willing to splash out on a premium piece of Main Beach real estate, a luxury Surfers Paradise apartment or wherever it is they choose to find prestige property.

While many of these residents would agree that the comforts and sheer fulfilment of living in such real estate is worth the asking price, there's no doubt it could add a strain to your finances, depending on your economic capacity.

In fact, a November report by Growth from Knowledge (GFK) shows that in Australia, financial concerns are a big point of anxiety. The findings reveal that 35 per cent of Australians cited a lack of money as a major cause of stress.

If you want to be able to comfortably afford a premium piece of Surfers Paradise property without condemning yourself to carrots and peas for three meals a day, there are ways you can go about this.

Saving

Now, this is a fairly obvious solution. In fact, everyone should have good saving habits regardless of where they are in life or what they're trying to accomplish. If you're not quite yet in the swing of things in this area, it's never too late to start. Begin by tracking down your incoming and outgoing cash flow by examining your bank statements. Note down expenditure, categorise them into three groups:

• Fixed costs: These will be necessary expenses that occur on a regular basis such as rent, internet bill, insurance, and so on.
• Variable essential costs: Expenses in this category are essential to living, but are flexible in cost like groceries, petrol and so on.
• Variable non-essential costs: These are non-essential expenses usually for enjoyment, such as beverages, coffee, hobbies, concerts and so on.

Start by cutting down what the Australian Securities and Investments Commission calls 'spending leaks', which are the small but regular expenses that keep drain your finances if kept unchecked. Many of these could be variable non-essential costs, which can be reduced significantly with a little discipline.

There are also many approaches to mitigating variable essential costs. Use petrol as an example. Car pooling with friends is a great way to quickly cut down on fuel expenses. With groceries, opt for cheaper brand alternatives when picking out ingredients. These are just a few of the ways you can save big money in the long run.

Downsizing

Sometimes, compromises have to be made to get the lifestyle you're after. This could come in the form of picking Surfers Paradise property that might be smaller than what you had originally envisioned.

Sure, you may not get the wide, open-plan dining room, or the extra study that you were looking for. However, it could be worth the sacrifice if you want the comfort and benefits of premium real estate and steadier cash flow, especially since you could adapt your living arrangements to fit the space.

Furthermore, there's investment potential behind opting for a smaller home. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals that there is a growing trend of lone person households. The number of these dwellers are projected to increase to between 3.3 to 3.4 million by 2036. This shows that even if you decide to rent it out and sell it off at a later date, there could be high demand, possibly causing the property's value to increase substantially.

If you feel like you're in the position to buy a Surfers Paradise property, get in touch with Ray White Surfers Paradise, and we'll show you a great range of housing options, premium or otherwise.