Any type of investment is a risk and in New Zealand there are two main types of investments to consider: business investments and property investments. Business investments are considered a more favorable option over property investments for several reasons.
Business Investment Advantages:
New Zealand Ideal for Investors
According to a 2016 World Bank Doing Business Survey, New Zealand is one of the easiest countries to operate a business in. The restrictions on establishing, owning and maintaining a business in New Zealand are few and the process of incorporating a new company can be completed in a few hours with some simple online paperwork. The economy is also perceived to be very stable.
Stability
When you invest in a brand, it’s understood that the business has had some level of success in the past and is well established. The advantage of investing in a business, whether it’s a hotel, motel or restaurant, is that it can be very profitable for the investor.
Also, with tourism rapidly increasing in New Zealand, certain industries are likely to experience increased growth, especially those in hospitality. Investing in New Zealand businesses also contributes to the overall economic growth of the country while also creating jobs.
More Profitable
Business owners can earn a significant profit if the business is continuously successful. Business owners who invest in a brand name can expect to earn more than a property investor, since the sky’s the limit in terms of profits, as they’re generally dependent on how well the company is doing.
Property Investment Advantages:
Investor Control
One of the advantages of property investment is that you have control over most parts of the investment. The income you earn is likely set in the form of a lease, so it’s less at the mercy of market whims. It doesn’t fluctuate and it’s not dependent on outside factors, like the number of sales a company made or how successful they were during a certain quarter. As a property investor, you have control over:
- How the mortgage is structured
- How much cash you’ll contribute to your property investment
- How you’ll improve its value to achieve a favorable rental return
- If you’ll manage the day-to-day operations of it yourself, or if you’ll hire a property management company.
However you choose to manage your investment property, it’s definitely not a passive way to make money. If individuals invest in property, they’ll want to be actively involved in the daily operation or hire a trusted management company to take on this concern.
Added Security
When individuals purchase an investment property, they’re buying a physical, brick and mortar asset. Many people are more comfortable with this as opposed to less intangible investment types such as shares or trusts.
Property Investment Disadvantages
Lots of Risks Involved
Any investment is a risk, but property investment, in particular, can be a risky undertaking. A big mistake property investors make is not understanding the true risk of their initiative. They have a mindset that property prices can only go up, but that doesn’t always happen. For example, leverage can help boost returns when it’s used well, but it can also hurt investors.
If a $500,000 property is bought with a $100,000 deposit, the owner benefits from the gains of a full $500,000 investment. If prices move up 5 per cent within a year, their initial deposit grows to $125,000 in equity with leverage, rather than $105,000. However, if prices drop 10 per cent, the house is now worth $450,000 and half of their initial deposit would be gone.
Have To Be Active In Its Management
Many investors don’t have the time to manage a property or overestimate the time they’ll be able to devote to it. Many investors may not know how to handle problem tenants and they’re also responsible for handling repairs and maintenance. Investors can hire out these services to a property management company, but then that cuts into their profits and income.
For further information about this article, contact your nearest LINK Business Broking office at:
