News

2021 reports have revealed a huge increase in Perth’s popularity with almost 50% of property investors across Australia selecting our capital city as the best location to purchase an investment property.

Our sister company, M/Property, manage 26 apartments in Mount Lawley and the statistics speak for themselves.

To download our Mount Lawley snapshot with facts about the demographics, the current investor market and our own data drill-down of M/Property’s Mount Lawley portfolio visit www.itsamatch.com.au/mount-lawley-rental-snapshot/

In a first for the Australian reconciliation movement, Aboriginal building company Marawar is taking the lead in a merger with M/Construction. The move will effectively increase the company’s capacity to rival Perth’s construction heavyweights.

Marawar was introduced in 2018 in response to the Federal Government’s policy initiatives to build strong relationships, respect, and opportunities for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities.

It was formed in partnership with Perth property company M/Group, the parent company of M/Construction, on a plan to transfer skills that would assist Marawar to independently build capabilities and enable growth across the operation, its staff and project portfolio.

Nyoongar Traditional Landowner and Marawar Director, Mr Gerry Matera, said the two-company merger is a perfect representation of what true reconciliation is about.

“It was never about creating a ‘them and us’ divide between cultures, nor was it aimed at encouraging tokenistic gestures. It has always been about standing together as a strong and capable force. This is what has been achieved at Marawar,” he said.

“Over the last four years, both companies have grown from working closely together, and Marawar is now a sophisticated building resource backed by a string of awards and accolades for its work.

“This merger will place the company in a new building category and give us the capacity to compete for higher value projects. What this means is that Perth will soon see an Aboriginal-led company take on large construction projects, sending a strong message to business and setting an example to emerging Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander industry.”

Marawar was recently named the 2021 Supply Nation Registered Supplier of the Year Award and continues to grow a strong client base.

The merged company will retain Marawar as a brand, meaning ‘West’ in Nyoongar, and will integrate a unique business model established to identify, and address the needs of the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander workforce.

It will be the first time an Aboriginal business will be elevated to a position of authority within a multi-cultured organisation.

Mr Lloyd Clark, Managing Director of M/Group, said the partnership has delivered much more than anticipated.

“Our association with Marawar has provided a depth of appreciation for Indigenous cultures, with shared learnings that have resulted in a highly productive and successful work environment that not only reflects the company’s values, but that of its clients and the broader objectives,” he said.

“This merger signals a new era for the Australian construction industry and gives larger companies a sound and reliable vehicle to meet their own reconciliation targets. It is what reconciliation really looks like and we are all very proud of the part M/Construction and M/Group have played.”

M/Construction was established in 2010 and has won numerous awards for its work across luxury homes to multi-storey commercial and residential developments.

Marawar has worked on large-scale Government and private sector projects, including Bunnings in Albany, Match apartments in Parry Street, Fremantle, Armadale Emergency Health Service, Department of Finance, Fremantle Ports and ongoing maintenance contracts.

For more information visit www.marawar.com.au/mconstruction

2021 reports have revealed a huge increase in Perth’s popularity with almost 50% of property investors across Australia selecting our capital city as the best location to purchase an investment property.

Looking deeper, we can see Fremantle specifically has had an increase of up to $100 per week from 2020-2021 and with this steady improvement we are seeing investors take advantage of the current market. Even more so, they’re benefitting from purchasing apartments during the construction stage with tenants ready and waiting to move in upon completion.

Our sister company, M/Property, manage over 50 apartments in Fremantle and the statistics speak for themselves.

To download our Fremantle snapshot with facts about the demographics, the current investor market and our own data drill-down of M/Property’s Fremantle portfolio visit www.itsamatch.com.au/fremantle-rental-snapshot

When it comes to door locks, windows and external lighting there is a minimum level of security that landlords must adhere to.

Main entry doors must have either a deadlock or a key lockable security screen door. Other external doors must have a deadlock, patio bolt lock or a key lockable security screen door.

Windows should be fitted with a lock and window latches and closers should be kept in working order to reduce the risk of a window being forced open from the outside.

As well as this, there are certain requirements for lighting which need to also be met.

Some requirements may be different within apartment complexes and you should refer to the strata by-laws for more information. You can read the official security regulations in more detail here.

Rental properties must meet specific guidelines when it comes to RCDs and smoke alarms to ensure that the premises and occupants are protected.

In some cases, fines of up to $20,000 may apply to landlords that are found to be non-compliant.

Landlords are required to have a minimum of two RCDs installed on the switchboard at their rental premises before a tenancy agreement is signed. As well as this, it is mandatory for the landlord to ensure smoke alarms are fitted in the correct location, are no more than 10 years old, are in good working order and are permanently connected to consumer mains power.

Read the official regulations in more detail here.

Owning an investment property can be profitable. However, renting out your property comes with risks. Without putting landlord insurance in place, your profitable investment can quickly become a financial nightmare.

A landlord insurance policy is designed to protect your investment from the risks it could face.

Taking out a specialist landlord insurance policy could cover you from the following:

• Cover against loss of rent, you cannot control a tenant’s job loss, relationship breakdown, health or if they are to leave unexpectedly
• Cover against damage caused by weather events such as storms, hail, floods, cyclones and bushfires
• Cover against legal liability, if you are found to be legally liable for an incident e.g. tenant injury
• Cover against legal expenses such as court costs and tribunal fees
• Cover against denial of access, should a tenant refuse to leave your property and a court order is required to gain back possession
• Cover against tenant damage, should a tenant cause damage to your property
• Cover against pet damage, should your property be damaged by a tenant’s pet kept at the property
• Cover against water and fire damage

Please note: M/Property are not insurance advisors; we recommend you shop around for the policy and insurer that best suits your needs.

We want to provide you as much value as possible, which is why with our vast experience and knowledge in the apartment sector it makes M/Property the natural choice over self-management.

The feeling that you can keep an eye on your property and save money by managing it yourself is often overshadowed by considering the true cost of management, the responsibilities and skill involved in the job, and if it’s worth your while financially.

Bear in mind that management fees are a tax deductable cost plus the cost of your time. That seems a very slow way to make money and is a gross underestimation of the value of your time. Add to that the fact that you aren’t trained with a Property Management License and that you don’t have access to a national database of information about tenants and their histories and so are at risk of unwittingly choosing the wrong tenant.

The benefits of managing your property personally include:

• Cost savings as no management fees will be deducted from your rent
• It won’t take too much time if you only have one property to manage – as long as you have a good tenant who pays their rent on time

However, the drawbacks include: 

• Once you start to accumulate more properties, you may not have the time to manage all of them
• You may lack full understanding of the laws applying to landlords and tenants including inspections, acceptable communication timeframes, tribunal disputes, emergency repair timeframes and documentation
• The savings in costs are usually not worth the cost of your time
• Interviewing tenants and uncovering their financial and rental histories may be difficult
• The requirement to appear in court if a tenant defaults on rent or requires to be evicted
• Relationship boundaries with tenants

The costs of professional management may be a small price to pay when you place a true value on the time you may spend yourself and your peace of mind.

Managing rental properties professionally is what we do. Our services and expertise allow you to focus on your personal time and enjoy life without all the hassles that come with rental property self-management. Talk to other rental property owners who have done it, and get an idea of whether you are ready to take on the challenge of self-management.

Whether you are ready to talk about our management services or you are simply looking for additional resources, please contact us. We’d be happy to talk you through each option, and help you come to the decision that’s best for you.

For more information please contact Deanne Almond via the below details:

Deanne Almond
Property Consultant
0408 068 158        
appraisal@mproperty.com.au  

As the salesperson at the forefront of boutique property company, Match, Amanda Spagnolo has helped to showcase a countless number of beautiful apartments and terrace homes, ranging in style from urban to heritage and coastal.  However, recently one stood out enough for her to make a personal investment.

M/31 Apartments by Match is located in DevelopmentWA’s visionary Shoreline precinct in North Coogee. It is the sister project to its neighbouring and highly acclaimed M/31 Terrace Homes by Match, and part of a three-site design cluster that will create an architectural fusion that interacts with the natural surrounds, connection to the ocean and extensive open space.

Ms Spagnolo was instrumental in the sell-out success of M/31 Terrace Homes, so when the apartments were released onto the market, she couldn’t help but buy one for herself.

“I wasn’t really looking for an apartment, although I am always on the hunt for a great opportunity,” she said.

“Having lived north of the river my whole life, I never thought I would venture south. However, as my work has taken me to Perth’s southern coastal corridor, I have really started to see why people find it so special.

“This part of North Coogee borders South Fremantle and is what the locals call ‘South Beach’, but the price tag is vastly different to the South Fremantle property market. I considered the M/31 apartments to be a particularly good purchase as it is also so close to the beach and all the surrounding amenity.

“After viewing the visionary DevelopmentWA video on Shoreline and what is planned for the area, I was excited about getting on board.”

M/31 Apartments by Match comprise of 28 boutique apartments. It is architecturally designed by well-known and respected Cameron Chisholm Nicol Architects and is said to ‘push the envelope’ when it comes to creating signature residences that maximise the location and space.

The apartment architecture is led by the building’s beach-side location with large balconies to capture shade in summer and sun in winter. All materials and colours are inspired by the surrounding coastal environment.

Managing Director of Match parent company M/Group, Mr Lloyd Clark, said the response from the market has been unquestionably positive. He confirmed that in just a few months, the ground floor apartments had sold out and interest continues to increase.

“This is an impressive building. The top-floor apartments are designed to stand out with a ‘floating’ illusion from the exterior and a ‘pop’ of colour to create impact. Inside, this design feature accommodates a limited supply of split-level luxury-living with dual balcony space and additional features, including a study nook,” he said.

“It’s no surprise that any astute sales consultant or property investor would see value in this development. We wholeheartedly congratulate Amanda on her purchase.”

As an ‘off-the-plan’ offer, all apartment interiors and colour schemes can be altered to the buyer’s taste during the construction phase.

Ms Spagnolo does not intend to adjust the apartment in any way as she believes the ground-floor apartment she secured will deliver great flexibility into the future.

“I’ve been living in apartments for around five years and really enjoy the security and the lock-and-leave aspect of the lifestyle,” she continued.

“While my plan is to live in the apartment, down the track I know that rentals on the coast are always in high demand, so I felt that this was a very safe purchase in both regards.

“I’m looking forward to walking to the South Freo Café strip for a Sunday breakfast. Or just bike riding to the local bakery to get a loaf of bread.”

M/31 Apartments by Match have one and two-bedroom layouts available and are priced from $375,000 for the one-bedrooms and $475,000 for the two bedrooms.

Construction is expected to commence soon and will be built by M/Group’s award-winning building company, M/Construction.

For more information visit www.m31apartments.com.au or call 0432 660 066.

Once the nerve centre of Fremantle’s wool industry, this landmark heritage warehouse provides a blank commercial canvas and opportunity to create the next chapter of history.

Redeveloped by M/Group as Heirloom by Match in 2016, the former Dalgety Wool Store has been transformed into a New York-style industrial warehouse with 183 completed residential apartments and a dual-use commercial space, which has been listed for sale at $1.6 million.

The commercial site, which has been pitched as a café, restaurant or wine bar, offers 260sqm on the ground, with a soaring six metre ceiling height creating potential for additional floor space with a creative mezzanine or extra floor.

The building was originally part of a group of wool stores.

Largely unused for two decades, the Dalgety Wool Store has stood as a significant icon in the port city’s streetscape for almost 100 years.

It was originally part of a group of wool stores that occupied the entire street block and is now the only remaining one adjacent Fremantle Harbour.

Monumental in scale and form, the property was built in 1923 to cater for WA’s burgeoning wool industry from the end of World War I until the late 20th century, and was commandeered by the US Navy 7th Fleet as part of the combined allied World War II effort.

M/Group director Lloyd Clark said the $130 million Heirloom redevelopment had leveraged the existing structure to create a unique warehouse conversion.

Mr Clark said while the listing at 184/51 Beach Street had been positioned as a commercial enterprise, the dual zoning also fostered the prospect of a residential conversion.

“This particular listing…has created interest around the endless possibilities for a custom fit-out whilst designed around the exposed feature heritage red-brick, the 100-year-old jarrah columns and the exposed timber ceiling,” Mr Clark said.

“The space boasting 100 years of genuine Fremantle history lends itself to use as a café, restaurant, gallery, wine-bar or even a funky office. As the space is a shell, a complete custom fit out is available for the buyer.”

Mr Clark said the redevelopment paid homage to the building’s history.

“It was a goal to retain as many of the heritage elements as possible throughout the building and this was achieved by keeping or re-using over 85% of the original heritage fabric,” he said.

“New York-style conversions have become popular in recent years especially when considering living and/or working in a genuine warehouse environment, a limited prospect in Australia when compared to overseas.

“Developers had previously been hesitant to touch historic fabric due to the risks and unforeseen costs compared to the low cost, high profit ‘cookie-cutter’ buildings that were materialising across the city.”

Design experts say heritage renewals have long been popular for businesses and commercial enterprises, but required an astute architect with foresight and respect for the history of the property.

Nedlands architect Suzanne Hunt said there was a sense of romanticism associated with refurbishing historical buildings, despite the obvious constraints of working within heritage protections.

“There’s a romance about it,” Ms Hunt said. “People just love heritage buildings.”

“If you go into a heritage building that has been refurbished well by an architect, you have this wonderful feeling of history. There is this wonderful layering of history, the old and the new, and I think that gives a lot of opportunities for different types of design that has more of a depth of design in it.”

“Heritage buildings give character and it doesn’t matter what purpose or business you’re putting in there, you’ve got this wonderful sense that the building is old, it has its own history and you’re just making more history.”

Ms Hunt said refurbishing heritage buildings was possible while remaining cognisant of the heritage listing and ensuring respect for the old fabric.

“If you’re putting a refurb or buying a heritage building, there’s a fallacy that you can’t do anything. That’s actually not true,” she said.

“Good heritage design is saying we’re going to respect the old building and we’re going to put something contemporary…If you understand the history of the building, you can reinterpret that history in a contemporary way through your design.”

By Nicole Cox, realcommercial.com.au, 3 June 2021