Hey Friend,
At the end of each month, Kaci and I sit down to review our finances.
We reflect on the wins and challenges from the previous month… and set our focus for the month ahead.
In our January review, we made the decision to sell our investment property.
It wasn’t a decision we took lightly.
I actually felt a lot of emotion around letting it go.
I think part of that is because it was the final piece still tying us to Whyalla – a place that has meant so much to me.
Last week, I shared how I had to sell $18,000 worth of Bitcoin to cover our expenses in late 2025…
Because our financial foundations had eroded.
This decision was directly connected to that.
A quick backstory
Kaci bought the property back in 2014 for $270,000.
An incredible achievement – buying her first home on her own.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be the worst possible time to buy.
The Whyalla market dropped hard the following year.
We lived there together until we moved to Adelaide in January 2022.
When we moved, we decided to hold onto the property and rent it out.
First to a footy mate of mine… then later to the Whyalla Hospital.
Without even realising it, we became “rent-vesters.”
Over time, it actually turned into a solid little investment.
It was cashflow positive, and the loan was gradually being paid down.
So why sell?
In January, a maintenance issue came up.
There was mould in the shower that needed fixing.
Nothing major.
But it prompted a bigger question:
Should we still be holding this property?
As we reflected, a few things became clear.
1. We wanted to simplify
Life is full right now.
We’re building a business.
We’re raising young kids.
And our mental bandwidth is one of our most valuable resources.
The property came with extra mental load.
Managing tenants.
Maintenance.
Decisions.
It all adds up.
2. The market presented an opportunity
I reached out to some friends in Whyalla who run a property business.
They gave us an updated appraisal.
It came back $100,000 higher than what I had on our net worth sheet.
That was a signal.
Whyalla is a cyclical market, heavily tied to steel and mining.
And right now, it appears to be running hot.
Kaci bought at the worst possible time…
But this was our opportunity to still come out on top.
Sometimes the best financial decision is simple:
Take the win.
3. The tax advantage
Because the property was our primary residence for 7 years…
And has been rented out for less than 6…
We fall within the rules that allow us to sell without paying capital gains tax.
That’s a significant advantage.
4. Rebuilding our foundations
This was the big one.
Selling the property allows us to rebuild our cash reserves.
Which, as I shared last week, is the foundation of everything.
As Warren Buffett once said:
“You do need oxygen… and if you’re ever without it for four or five minutes, you will learn. Cash is that way. You always need to have it available, because you do not know what will happen.”
That analogy really stuck with me.
Because when your cash disappears…
Everything else starts to feel harder.
5. Alignment with our long-term strategy
I also asked myself a simple question:
If we had the cash today, would we buy this property again?
The answer was no.
And I think that’s one of the most powerful questions you can ask when making investment decisions.
6. Playing to our strengths
The truth is…
Property has never been my primary game.
The share market is.
It’s where I’ve spent the last 10+ years learning, investing, and building confidence.
And I believe I can allocate that capital more effectively there than leaving it tied up in this property.
7. Preparing for what’s next
There’s also something else at play.
Right now, there’s a lot of uncertainty in global markets.
And historically…
Uncertainty creates opportunity.
But only for those who are prepared.
That’s why I want to be cashed up.
Not just to rebuild our foundations…
But to be ready to act when the right opportunities present themselves.
To have a war chest ready to deploy.
The trade-off
Of course, there’s a downside to selling our investment property.
We lose the asset.
And the income stream.
But we also remove:
- The expenses
- The management
- The mental load
And we gain something more valuable right now:
Peace. Simplicity. Options.
This decision wasn’t just about money.
It was about alignment.
With our lifestyle.
With our long-term goals.
And with the season of life we’re in right now.
