It is a common belief that one of the best ways to ‘make money’ is to buy real estate, and while that comment may be true, it sometimes will take you years to realise the return on your investment. Residential real estate does come with greater resale value and, in most cases, higher appreciation in shorter periods, but commercial and industrial real estate comes with a greater rental return, which is what makes these types of properties very attractive. Add to that a long-term investment objective; you would be doing everything possible to generate the greatest return. Also, keep in mind commercial tenants are liable to pay for the landlord’s outgoings (unless otherwise stipulated in the lease).

Generally speaking, a tenant does have to reimburse the costs of all of the landlord’s outgoings unless the lease states otherwise. Land tax cannot be charged to a tenant if it is a retail lease. 

We are commonly asked this question and tend to respond with the comment “how long is a piece of string?” There is no common table of returns, but generally speaking, most commercial and industrial properties have far better returns than other property types. You should expect a fair and reasonable return for the amount of money you are investing and the common rule of thumb is, if you spend more, you make more.

This is something we come across every day. We always tell our clients that these properties can sometimes speak a different language and while the process may be as simple as invoicing and receiving payment, it’s not always as comfortable. Rules and regulations can often change and it is our job as agents (or advisors) to stay up to date with these changes, so you are not only paying for someone to invoice your tenants, you are paying for someone to advise you on what path you should or shouldn’t take with reference to your property.

We always hear things like “you wouldn’t operate on yourself, you would use a doctor, so this is no different”. Metaphorically speaking, sure, no one will operate on themselves but with the inception of the internet and information at your fingertips, self-diagnosis seems to be very popular, however, there are always those nifty disclaimers saying if you have ‘x’ type of symptoms, see your doctor. The moral of the story is, if you do not understand it, but want to learn more about it, employ someone who is willing to work with you. While knowledge is power, at CPN, our knowledge is to your benefit and we love nothing more than walking you through the processes so you best understand why it is done a certain way, so that one day, you may have the basic skills to understand and appreciate the product.

This is what we call a ‘going concern’ which in real estate terms means there is a current tenancy in place with justifies the ‘no GST’ applicable clause. GST is payable on all sales unless otherwise indicated in the contract of sale, or unless your accountant has suggested otherwise.

In short, yes, we can. Most people will suggest using a solicitor to prepare legal documentation, and in some cases where the lease may involve other, more complex matters, this option is always advisable. However, we use certified documentation prepared by the legal department at the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV), and being members of REIV, we are authorised to prepare this documentation on behalf of our clients.

We are located in Essendon, a short drive from Derrimut, Sunshine, Keilor, Maribynong, Moonee Ponds, Niddrie, Airport West and Tullamarine Airport. We currently manage properties in all major commercial hubs of Melbourne and service Melbourne wide for commercial and industrial property sales and buying needs.