Future Proof Property Podcast

Should you hold an investment property for 30 years, or sell sooner to pay off your mortgage and get your time back?

In this episode of Future Proof Property, host Dawn Fouhy sits down with Bryce Holdaway and Ben Kingsley from The Property Couch for a spirited debate on timing the Australian property market versus buying and holding for long-term wealth.

Bryce and Ben make the case for buying quality assets, managing debt and letting compound growth do its work. Dawn challenges the assumption that everyone can afford to wait decades for financial freedom. After losing her mum at 57, she asks a powerful question: what if the retirement you're saving for never arrives?

They explore when selling an investment property could make sense, whether market cycles matter even for long-term investors, and why property quality, cash flow and the next buyer matter more than hype.

IN THIS EPISODE
Sell or hold? Paying off your home loan versus keeping an investment property.

Timing the market vs time in the market: the risks of trading property.

Why Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and regional Queensland require different considerations.

The hidden cost of holding: interest rates, land tax, maintenance and cash flow.

Why some buyers may be better off waiting or investing outside residential property.

Regional market liquidity, buyer demand and the risks of following buying trends.

The North Star question: are you collecting properties or creating time freedom?

Despite their different approaches, Dawn, Bryce and Ben find common ground: a good property investment strategy should support the life you want, not simply grow the number of properties you own.

MEET THE GUESTS
Bryce Holdaway & Ben Kingsley | The Property Couch
Website: https://thepropertycouch.com.au/
Bryce: https://thepropertycouch.com.au/couch-crew/bryce-holdaway/

HOST & FUTURE PROOF PROPERTY
Dawn Fouhy | Future Proof Property Advisory
Business: https://www.futureproofpropertyadvisory.com.au/

SOCIALS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futureproofproperty/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawn.fouhy
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/buyersagentinvestmentpropertycashflow
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dawnfouhyproperty
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/39LgldNq0mFuJNQOrY83R5
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/future-proof-property-podcast/id1884741442

DISCLAIMER
This episode shares general information and the personal views of the host and guests. Property prices, markets and future performance are uncertain. Nothing discussed is financial, legal or investment advice. Do your own research and seek qualified professional advice before making property decisions.

You’ve built the portfolio. You own the properties. From the outside, everything looks great.

So why do you still feel no closer to freedom?

In this episode of Future Proof Property, Dawn Fouhy gets blunt about why accumulating properties is not a strategy, why a data score is not one either, and how to work backwards from the life you actually want.

From pre approvals and suburb scores to sell or hold decisions, buying for yield and the sunk cost trap, Dawn challenges the idea that a bigger portfolio means a better life. She shares a real story of an investor who deployed $1.2 million off the back of a supply and demand score, without a clear end goal.

Because growing your portfolio is not the same as growing the life you want. And every property you own needs a job.

IN THIS EPISODE
Why accumulation is not a strategy

How to define your end goal using your ideal Monday

Why pre approvals, suburb scores and yield alone are not a strategy

How blindly following data can leave you worse off

How to think like your future buyer, not just an investor

The one question to ask before you sell or hold a property

Why emotional attachment and sunk cost keep you stuck

Why you do not need ten properties to be free

How to tell if an advisor is serving you or their sales targets

Why every property in your portfolio needs a clear job

CHAPTERS
00:00 Accumulation is not a strategy
02:28 Why a big portfolio can still feel stuck
04:18 Your ideal Monday and working backwards
05:41 Think like your future buyer
08:01 The $1.2 million data score story
12:15 Stop asking where to buy
14:59 Sell or hold: the question to ask yourself
17:18 Should you buy for yield?
19:12 Audit every property you own
22:26 What job does this property do for your life?
25:08 Why generic advice fails you
29:37 Sell, clear the mortgage, buy freedom
32:22 Final thoughts

TWO ACTION STEPS FROM THE EPISODE
Write down why you are investing and set goals for one, five and ten years.

Go through every property you own and ask if you would buy it today.

BUILD YOUR OWN PROPERTY STRATEGY
Owning more is one thing. Building a life with freedom in it is another.
At Future Proof Property Advisory, Dawn Fouhy and her team help Australians build tailored property investment strategies aligned with their financial goals, lifestyle and long term plans.
Future Proof Property Advisory:
https://www.futureproofpropertyadvisory.com.au/
Website: https://www.futureproofpropertyadvisory.com.au/

FOLLOW FUTURE PROOF PROPERTY
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futureproofproperty/
Facebook (Dawn Fouhy): https://www.facebook.com/dawn.fouhy
LinkedIn (Dawn Fouhy): https://au.linkedin.com/in/buyersagentinvestmentpropertycashflow
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dawnfouhyproperty
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/39LgldNq0mFuJNQOrY83R5
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com.au/podcast/future-proof-property-podcast/id1884741442

If you know someone with a portfolio they cannot explain, share this episode with them.

This podcast is for general information only and reflects the personal views of the hosts and guests. Nothing discussed is financial, legal or investment advice. Property markets can change and past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Always do your own research and seek advice from a qualified professional before making any property decisions.

You’ve built a successful business. Revenue is growing, you're working harder than ever, and from the outside, everything looks great.

So why don't you feel any wealthier?

In this episode of Future Proof Property, Dawn Fouhy sits down with Kerrod Holland, financial adviser and Founder of Tenex Wealth, to unpack why so many Australian business owners are brilliant at making money but struggle to turn that success into genuine personal wealth.

Because a successful business doesn't automatically make you wealthy. And a high income doesn't necessarily buy you freedom.

IN THIS EPISODE
Why successful business owners can be asset rich but cash poor

The difference between business revenue, profit and personal wealth

How lifestyle creep quietly destroys financial freedom

Why some business owners have created themselves an expensive job

How business structures and tax planning affect the wealth you keep

Why cash reserves matter for both your business and personal finances

The risks of overleveraging into investment properties

How to build wealth outside your business through property, shares and other investments

Why paying off your family home can transform your financial position

How to calculate your personal financial freedom number

Why thinking in decades, not days, changes your investment strategy

How to turn business success into more freedom, family time and financial security

CHAPTERS
00:00 The expensive job trap: business success vs personal wealth
01:09 Why making money doesn't mean building wealth
02:05 Where business owners lose their profits
03:12 Business structures, tax and profit leaks
05:51 How lifestyle creep eats into your income
07:18 Building wealth outside your business
08:05 Could your business survive without you for six months?
10:18 Using your business to fund long-term wealth
10:59 The property investors spending $50,000 a month just to hold their assets
12:28 Expensive lifestyles and the pressure to keep earning
15:04 Why your family home can become your biggest financial burden
17:15 Diversifying your wealth beyond your business
17:58 Finding your financial freedom number
20:23 Paying off your mortgage while investing for the future
22:35 Commercial property, shares and investment structures
23:48 Tax planning vs genuine wealth creation
27:41 Building a diversified investment portfolio
29:42 Why revenue growth isn't always profit growth
30:59 Understanding gross profit vs net profit
33:46 How much money do you actually need to be free?
35:04 The personal cost of chasing business success
38:04 Kerrod's wealth-building checklist for business owners
38:48 Making money vs building wealth: the final takeaway

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Kerrod Holland | Founder & Managing Director, Tenex Wealth
Kerrod Holland is a Newcastle-based financial adviser and business owner who helps Australians, particularly business owners and professionals, make informed financial decisions and build long-term wealth.

Connect with Kerrod:
Website: https://tenexwealth.com.au/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/kerrod-holland-76696b133
Tenex Wealth LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tenex-wealth

BUILD YOUR OWN PROPERTY STRATEGY
At Future Proof Property Advisory, Dawn Fouhy and her team help Australians build tailored property investment strategies aligned with their financial goals, lifestyle and long-term plans.
Future Proof Property Advisory:
https://www.futureproofpropertyadvisory.com.au/

FOLLOW FUTURE PROOF PROPERTY
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futureproofproperty/
Facebook (Dawn Fouhy): https://www.facebook.com/dawn.fouhy
LinkedIn (Dawn Fouhy): https://au.linkedin.com/in/buyersagentinvestmentpropertycashflow
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dawnfouhyproperty

If you know a business owner who's making great money but struggling to build real wealth, share this episode with them.

If someone handed you $800,000 to invest in property today, would you buy in Melbourne, Perth or somewhere completely different?

Dawn sits down with Lachlan Delahunty, founder of Follio, buyer’s agent and investor, to answer it with their own money. No sitting on the fence, no waffle.

Lachlan is about to settle on a Geelong West character home for around $775K, with a plan to lift the yield from 3.5% to 5.5%. Dawn makes the case for boutique townhouses and units in blue chip Melbourne suburbs. Then it gets honest: the investor with 17 properties and only $500K equity, what happens when investors leave a market, and the brutal YouTube comments about buyer’s agents.

Because the property isn’t the goal. Your end game is.

IN THIS EPISODE
Where Dawn and Lachlan would put $800K today

How a $60K to $70K renovation could add $120K to $150K

Why the investor with 17 properties has only $500K equity

Why $800K in Perth is not what it was in 2020

Sell in the FOMO phase, don’t buy in it

Should buyer’s agents be regulated?

CHAPTERS
00:00 Seventeen properties, seventeen headaches
00:40 The $800K challenge
01:18 The Geelong West renovation plan
13:20 The investor with 17 properties
20:26 Why $800K in Perth is not what it was
36:36 The verdict: Melbourne or Perth?
40:08 The YouTube comments
1:00:57 Property is not the goal
GUEST
Lachlan Delahunty, Founder of Follio
Website: follio.com.au
Instagram: instagram.com/folliopropertypod
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lachlandelahunty 

BUILD YOUR OWN PROPERTY STRATEGY
Future Proof Property Advisory: futureproofpropertyadvisory.com.au 

FOLLOW FUTURE PROOF PROPERTY
YouTube: youtube.com/@dawnfouhyproperty
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/39LgldNq0mFuJNQOrY83R5 Apple: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/future-proof-property-podcast/id1849741442 

General information only, not financial, legal or investment advice. Always seek qualified professional advice before making property decisions.

What would you do if you had $700,000 to invest in property today?

In this episode of Future Proof Property, Dawn breaks down exactly where she would put $700,000 of her own money in the current market, and just as importantly, where she wouldn't.

Rather than chasing markets that have already experienced significant growth, Dawn explains why she would look towards earlier-cycle opportunities in blue-chip Melbourne, particularly boutique units in suburbs like South Yarra and Armadale.

The key isn't simply finding a property you can afford. It's understanding what job the property needs to do, where the market is in its cycle, who the future buyer will be, and what will make that buyer willing to pay more in the future.

Dawn walks through a real South Yarra property she would buy herself, explains why she believes some Melbourne units are significantly undervalued compared with comparable markets around Australia, and shares the process she uses to assess growth, scarcity, demand, affordability and future liquidity.

Because you're not buying yesterday's growth.

You're buying for the future buyer.

In This Episode
Why Dawn wouldn't put $700K into Perth, Brisbane or Darwin right now

Why investors need to think about the job each property needs to do

How to identify markets that are earlier in their property cycle

The importance of population growth, employment and supply constraints

Why future buyer demand matters more than today's affordability

Dawn's strategy for investing $700K in the current market

Why she would consider boutique units in blue-chip Melbourne

The case for South Yarra and other inner-Melbourne suburbs

Why some Melbourne units have barely moved in 10–15 years

What New Farm's growth can teach investors about scarcity and demand

Why a future buyer pool can determine the liquidity of an investment

When Dawn would consider selling an investment property

Why she doesn't believe every property should be held forever

How she thinks about net profit rather than paper gains

What to look for when buying a boutique unit

Why investors need to be forensic with Owners Corporation and strata issues

The importance of having a growth mindset and challenging your own assumptions

Why your strategy should come before your budget

The correct order: strategy → market → asset → budget → structure → future buyer

Why you shouldn't simply copy someone else's suburb or investment strategy

Chapters
00:00 What Would Dawn Do With $700K Today?
01:20 Start With the Job of the Property
03:39 The Fundamentals Dawn Looks For Before Buying
05:59 Why Dawn Would Buy in South Yarra
08:18 Why Future Buyers Matter More Than Today's Market
10:39 The Melbourne Unit Opportunity
12:55 The $700K Property Dawn Would Buy
15:19 Why Investors Need to Challenge Their Own Assumptions
17:42 Don't Start With Your Budget, Start With Your Strategy