Most Australians have heard of Noosa.
The name conjures up thoughts of sun, surf, cafes and restaurants, all alongside the rich and famous. It’s a place where if you won lotto you could buy that ‘getaway’ you’ve always wanted, right….
Well guess what - now you can afford to buy in Noosa!
This exclusive suburb has been hit hard by the GFC and subsequent downturn in tourism.
Unit prices have decreased by 7.85% in the past 12 months, showing the median unit price at $430,000.
A quick search of available properties shows a river view apartment with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 1 car park in a small complex situated in Hastings Street, Noosa Heads at a list price of $425,000.
Position is THE key criteria when selecting an investment as a holiday letting prospect.
Holiday makers want to be close to the action. ie. walk to the beach, the shops, restaurants and clubs. They want to park the car and leave it parked.
A great idea is to spend a few nights at the property yourself before committing to purchase. This way you can not only check what is and isn’t working but also find out what happens after hours. Do the bins from restaurants get emptied at 6am? Is there late night partying that can be heard from a nearby club?
Secondly, look at the management of the complex- if there is no on-site manager. Select an agency that has specialist staff to service holiday bookings, with quick response times if something is broken or ‘extras’ are requested. I have personally stayed at a resort where the onsite managers were downright rude when extra blankets were requested. This could ruin anyone’s holiday.
If your holiday tenants have an enjoyable time they will repeat book and tell others to request your property.
Lastly Noosa has hundreds of accommodations, all of which can be booked online. Many buyers fail to investigate a complex’s online presence. Check not only the website, photos and search engine capacity but most importantly ease of booking, making payments and response times to online enquiries etc.
Websites such as Trip Advisor have genuine feedback from past guests - both good and bad - concerning their experiences.
In these times your property needs to stand out from the crowd.