Two life-changing years of investment has spawned a growing property portfolio

At age 40 Laura Kolomyjec had a steady job, loving family and a family home paid off over 15 years of steady saving, and a focus on living a rather traditional life.

Little more than two years later, it’s a very different picture.

By her own admission, she was not financially adventurous or ambitious. Having married Simon at 25 with a media and communication degree in the pocket, her and her husband were watchful money managers who were cautious about what they spent and followed dad’s advice to pay off the home loan as quickly as possible.

“We were just content on building a normal life and following the tradition: get married, buy a house, have kids, white picket fence etcetera, and that’s exactly what we did, literally including the white picket fence.”

That sensible, no-mucking-around approach to financial security was rather abruptly upended when Ms Kolomyjec assumed a new role as the Executive Assistant to the director of a buyers agency in Perth.

Up until then her career had been more dynamic than her financial arrangements.

“From sound engineering, to fitness, to television production, to executive producer - I’ve had a lot of amazing and interesting roles, all of which have not only been fantastic life experiences but also helped provide the income I needed to achieve the goal of being debt-free by 40.”

Her new boss was young, driven and had a passion for property that he instilled in Ms Kolomyjec.

Her fear of debt and conservative approach to saving was supplanted by an appreciation of her hard-won equity in her home and a realisation of what was now possible from an investment perspective.

The flurry of activity that has led to a four-property portfolio is a long way from the $120pw outer suburban rental in Armadale that Ms Kolomyjec moved into as a high school student asserting her independence at a young age.

The couple have now, in just two years, gone from owners of their home in Perth’s middle class Cannington to investors with two investment properties in Perth, in Maddington and St James, and one in Melbourne’s Reservoir.

In Cannington, the median house price from 2016 had fallen from $465,000 to $360,000 by late 2019. But their equity took a major boost in the subsequent years as the suburb enjoyed a Perth-wide boom that saw that median more than double to sit at $726,000 today.

That boom also ensured their Perth investments added to their overall wealth. In two years, St James’ median house price has rocketed from $630,000 to $877,000. It’s a similar story in Maddington, where prices rose from $453,000 in August 2023 to $669,000 now.

Reservoir has delivered a small capital growth increment, with the median house price inching up from $918,500 to $924,200 in that time.

The first investment property

Working for a buyers agency meant property advice was only a desk-hop away.

Ms Kolomyjec enlisted a buyers agent to source a suitable property that aligned with her strategy.

“I let him do his thing, and he presented suitable options for my husband and I to consider, and did all the negotiation, and helped us navigate the purchase process.

“By this time it had been 16 years since we purchased a property so times had changed, and long gone were the days of making an offer below the asking price, instead it seemed like a bidding war out there.

“We missed out on a few, but finally we settled on our first investment property in Maddington in March 2024.

“We did a small uplift and rented it for a great yield of 6.2 per cent.

“My strategy is built on capital growth, although reducing the holding costs of course helps our family budget,” Ms Kolomyjec said.

Buying that first investment property and accepting debt as tool was not without its reservations.

“I was nervous but also very excited as I knew I was doing it the right way with a fully thought out strategy, not just cowboying my way through because things I had seen on social media, or because a friend of a friend had said something about property; I was completely armed with a strategy.”

Building on solid foundations

Buoyed by the success of that first investment property purchase, the property bug had bitten.

“Just as the data had suggested, that property delivered a great amount of appreciation in a short time, so I began the process again, first setting up a new trust with the help of an accountant, working out my out-of-pocket holding expenses, applying for finance and engaging the buyers agent.

“By January 2025 we purchased our second property in St James, a lovely little townhouse and once again, I was not sure how this would perform but it brought in a 6.7 per cent yield from the day of settlement and has performed amazingly well.”

With two properties under their belt, she enrolled in Property Investing Professionals Australia’s QPIA course to help her clients fulfil their own property goals.

The couple also set their sights on expanding their portfolio and once again relied on the same methods used for the two previous purchases.

“This time I wanted to purchase with a higher amount, so I decided to use superannuation to fulfil my next purchase - and the data was pointing to Melbourne.

“Keeping in mind my strategy is based of retiring rich and leaving a legacy for my three children, purchasing with super’ gave me more options. 

“One, I had a higher borrowing amount as my husband and I have combined our superannuation in a self-managed fund. 

“Two, we are already paying a shortfall on our current properties of $2,000 per month.

“Three, we would be looking at a long-term hold and paying principal and interest from our super’ contributions.”  

Expanding their search beyond Perth, they first looked into Pascoe Vale in Melbourne, but decided they wanted something that needed little to no maintenance, was fairly new, and came with a maximum purchase price of $850,000.

“We secured a property in nearby Reservoir that met nearly all our requirements for the investment. 

“I am going to get my next property by the end of this year, and will be purchasing another one in Melbourne, as the price-point reflects my borrowing capacity.”

Having studied the national property market, she believes Perth is still likely to deliver capital growth, even if it is more difficult to get into the market now. Darwin is also on her radar, while she thinks 2026 will be the year Victoria’s property market delivers its long awaited gains.

The goal now is to keep buying, with eight properties in ten years being part of the ambition.

“My aim is to generate a passive annual income of $150,000 in 10 years.

“Is this achievable? It’s a tight squeeze but I like to dream big.

“I don’t plan on ever retiring as I love my job, but I want to know I can at 55 have a property for each of my children, although not to live in, but for them to use the equity to invest themselves.”

And the advice she would her children and anyone starting out on their property journey?

“Start investing as soon as you can; it may mean cutting back on a few things, but you will find comfort in knowing you’re building something much bigger for your future self.

“A wise man – my dad – once told me, ‘If you do nothing, nothing will change and you will keep on the same track’.

“Property, even though expensive to buy into is a relatively low risk investment compared to other investments like shares.

“It takes time, so the earlier you start the further you will get.”