The Price of Shelter

[skippy]

People wanting to get into the property market should be looking outside the main cities to do so.
Look at regional centres, especially if they have universities in them, students need accommodation.

[mantra]

My nephew whose parents will have nothing to leave him if they die started investing in property when he was very young. Although he grew up in Sydney he loves the Central Coast and bought a very old one story duplex 3 years ago which he has gradually renovated. It was very cheap compared to Sydney prices. He lives in one flat, uses B&B holiday rentals for the other which is lucrative and has recently turned the carport into another dwelling as well which he rents out on a permanent basis. The income from the property means he is set for life. He can afford his travel as well.

He's trying to convince me to put another dwelling on my block which has front and rear street access, but that means destroying some of my trees which are more important to me than the extra income. It would help my children though when I depart if I can make the sacrifice. I'm not sure if I can. The difference though is that my nephew has managed to never pay rent and has always grabbed cash from his parents if an opportunity arose, whereas I've taught my children to pay their way which they've always done. Rent has always taken a big chunk of their income, but on top of their travel which they're addicted to - it doesn't leave them with enough to buy a home.

Granny flats seem to be the way to go at the moment though. I did inquire about them, but the Council told me that they would have to send an environmental inspector to look at my garden before I touched anything. I don't want my frogs, migratory birds or any other little creature taking shelter there to be displaced - at least not during my lifetime.

[IQS.RLOW]

You already displaced little creatures by being there in the first place. What makes you so special?

[mantra]

Nothing was displaced. When I moved there it was a sandbank in the middle of a small suburb without any animal or insect life aside from a few mosquitoes.