The budgeting and planning behind one couple’s bid to move up the property ladder

ABC Life / By Patrick Wright and Emily Stewart

https://www.abc.net.au/life/the-realities-of-one-couples-bid-to-move-up-the-property-ladder/10880758

Like many Australians, Ross and Sangita worked hard to achieve their dream of building their own home.
Ross, a chef who moved to Australia from Nepal 12 years ago, has worked two jobs for the last five years: one in the morning, and one in the evenings. Sangita also works full-time in hospitality.
Even with three jobs it took the couple six years to save for the deposit to buy a block of land in Truganina, about 20 kilometres west of Melbourne’s CBD, but they made their dream come true in 2017.
Now they’re exploring another dream — to buy an investment property to help set the pair up for the future using an inheritance they’re about to receive.
“I’ve got good jobs at the moment. I’m working hard [and] I’m making a bit of money. I figure… it’s the right time to invest, because we’re coming into some money,” Ross says.

Before they take the plunge, Ross and Sangita want some advice. They want to make sure they know the risks, and that they can afford to pay another mortgage.
To help Ross navigate the issues, he’s working with two financial advisers, who each volunteered their time.