Four of SA’s youngest property investors reveal top tips for cracking into the market

They’re the savvy 20-somethings who started snapping up properties straight out of high school. Here, four South Aussies share their secrets to investment success.

For most Australians under 30, getting a foot on the property ladder in today’s economic climate is an unattainable fantasy.

But these savvy real estate moguls are living proof it is possible, having snapped up multiple properties fresh out of high school — avocado toast and all.

Meet three young South Aussies building impressive investment portfolios and eyeing off a cushy sub-60 retirement age.

And here’s how they did it.

Ryan McColluch, 27

Up and coming property magnate Ryan McColluch has snapped up three properties and sold one all before celebrating his 30th.

His first — which he sold in 2022 for $410,000 — he bought for $268,000 in Paralowie at just 20 years old after scrimping and saving while working as a McDonald’s restaurant manager in his teens.

At 21, he bought a second three-bedroom home for $280,000 in the same suburb.

It has become a strong investment for the senior associate, who now rents it out for $450 per week.

His third property which he now lives in, he bought three years ago for $325,000 in St Clair.

Mr McColluch, who works at a major consultancy firm, plans to rent it out for $520 a week when he relocates to Melbourne in the coming months.

Ryan McColluch, 27, has owned three properties before 30. Picture: Supplied

So how did he do it?

Having climbed the ladder at McDonald’s at the age of 19 and locked in healthy saving habits early on, making him an attractive mortgage candidate, Mr McColluch snapped up property number one with a 10 per cent deposit and no guarantor.

“While I was living at home with mum and dad, obviously didn’t have a great deal of expenses apart from paying a little bit of board,” he explained.

“I went and asked the question to multiple banks when I was 19 and kinda got laughed out of there and they said, ‘you need this much money’.

“So I went away and saved and went back 12 months later.

“I had a 10 per cent deposit and an income of $60,000 and very few expenses and they gave me 250,000.”

Number two took a year of saving hard while living in his first home, with some added help from the climate of the real estate market at the time.

“I was lucky that the first property grew in value in about 12 months time, so I bought my second property using the equity out of the initial property that I paid down some debt on.

“I bought my third property again pretty much using the equity out of the first two. And then I ended up selling the first property I bought while interest rates were going up, thinking it’d be a great idea to cash out,” he said, adding if he’d waited a year or so it would have had a much higher sale price.

Mr McColluch has been saving hard since his teens. Picture: Supplied

The 27-year-old is a senior associate at a major consultancy firm. Picture: Supplied

His goal has always been to secure “five properties before 30” for complete financial freedom later in life, but concedes it is becoming “less and less realistic” to achieve by himself with the market as it currently stands.

“I’m really happy with the position I’m in at the moment and I consider myself very lucky but whenever I’m able to continue purchasing properties, it will definitely be a focus of mine.”

Driven by his career aspirations, Mr McColluch has well and truly caught the property bug.

“I’ve always had the desire to run my own business of some sort and I was very lucky to have a mentor that I worked with when I was young.

“He’s always told me if you ever want to run your own business, you need money, and a really great way to build equity is through property.”

This, plus a passion and genuine interest in property, has made the journey all the more exciting.

His strategy has always been to focus on land size, with the view of subdividing in the future.

As for his saving tips, he said having “clear objectives” is key.

“There are some things that are really important to me, like going out for dinner with my friends that I factor into my budget, so I don’t feel so constrained by my budget and it’s a little bit more sustainable, but I also make sacrifices where I live well within my means.”

His tips for those looking to go down the investment property route is to try and avoid “swimming in research”.

“You can kind of get lost in the data, so while research is important, I think it’s more about researching what’s important to you, what’s your risk appetite, and what’s your property strategy.”

Jake Halliday, 26 and Ella Buckley, 26

Jake Halliday was just 21 years old when he and partner Ella Buckley bought their first property in Salisbury for $310,000, now rented out for $520 per week.

Jake Halliday and partner Ella Buckley are on their way to building a strong property portfolio as they start their family together. Picture: RoyVPhotography

Former bartender Mr Halliday, now a property consultant at Harris Real Estate who makes around $90,000 a year, and Ms Buckley, a midwife, are well on their way to mogul status.

The couple bought their second property in Salisbury Heights for $520,000 about two years ago thanks to lower interest rates, which are currently at a 12-year high of 4.35 per cent.

For property one, they saved up a 10 per cent deposit while living at home and working, and saved on lender’s mortgage insurance (around $8000) with a guarantor loan.

Property two was bought after tightening up their budget to save up then refinance.

A glimpse into their future as property flippers — they’re currently living in and renovating their Salisbury Heights 90s-build while expecting their first child together.

They’re early on in their journey, which they hope will see them with eight to 10 properties by 50, setting them up for early retirement.

Jake Halliday and Ella Buckley are future property flippers. Picture: RoyVPhotography

Growing up around property while watching and helping his dad in the construction industry, Mr Halliday said he’s “always been pretty interested by different ways people make money” and has spent years gathering advice from his real estate peers.

“I deal with a lot of investors and see what they do,” he said.

“I’ve got a lot of successful people around me, and they’ve done similar to what we’re looking to do in the future, so I take a lot of guidance through people I work with as mentors.”

Like Mr McColluch, he said land size is imperative when it comes to what to buy, while taking into account the areas with the most potential for growth.

“We’re hoping to start looking next year to buy another one,” he said.

“It will be another investment probably around the City of Playford area where there’s a lot of change, so we’re looking to jump on that before the market gets too crazy.

“We’re looking for something with big land that has future subdivision potential, and obviously good immediate rental returns.”

“Land size land is what appreciates, the house depreciates. So the more land you can get, the better,” he said.

As for saving, cutting back on nights out by cooking at home and spending less money on clothes has been key.

“Realistically, it doesn’t take too long if you do the right things. For us it was eating out and having nights out, we didn’t really do any of that.

“We only spent a certain amount on clothing … just really kept everything we possibly could low.”

His top tip is “looking at the worst house on the nicest street” for maximum equity growth.

Andrew Wilson, 30

Andrew Wilson has bought a property a year since his investment journey began in his early 20s.

Managing to save up 20k while working at a local petrol station in Findon outside his studies, he first bought in Flinders Park for $480,000 in 2018 — a three-bedroom home he lives in with his wife while building a new home in Fulham.

The associate director of sales and leasing at McGees Property has taken a slightly different approach in his investment journey — jumping on commercial property opportunities to build an impressive portfolio of five properties in total.

While his parents assisted by going guarantor on his first loan, clever investments and joint ventures along the way have helped in the long run.

“I rented out two rooms in my house to housemates for a period of time for extra income and worked full time to build up some money for a deposit on a warehouse which I purchased 50/50 with my brother in 2020,” he explained of the Woodville North property he bought for$670,000, now worth around $1.5 million with the potential of an 11 per cent rental return.

Andrew Wilson, 30, owns five properties. Picture: Supplied

“I was then able to use equity gained from this property to purchase another warehouse in Hendon ($715,000) and a small strata office suite on Pirie Street ($129,000) which I sold for a 30 per cent uplift in a 12 month period.”

His latest purchase was an older house on a large block in Fulham for $1.05 million, which he and his wife are subdividing to sell off an allotment to fund the cost of their new build on the remaining land.

“In the short term, my goal is to purchase one property, or be involved in some property purchase (potentially development) every year.

“Now that I have built up some equity I expect this to become easier,” he said.

Much like Mr McColluch, a quest for financial freedom has set him on his path, realising that working alone will make it difficult to achieve.

Andrew Wilson has owned five properties by 30. Picture: Supplied

The associate director in commercial property plans to buy a property each year. Picture: Supplied

His top tips for others hoping to build their portfolio:

“Generally speaking, try and chase capital growth rather than rental return on your investments. This is where significant wealth can be created,” he said.

“Personally I also prefer investing in commercial property for a number of reasons such as no stamp duty, generally less buyer competition and more landlord favoured lease agreements.”