Property Asset Planning in 2026 — The Essential Questions to Ask Now

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With the most wonderful time of the year comes a strange blend of busy last-minute gift-buying and major meal decisions, along with much-needed winding down over a cocktail, or two… or three. December and January are also an unusual “reset” period when we both reflect on our lives and lifestyle over the past year, with a view to planning how we address our shortcomings over the next 365 days, making it the perfect time to focus on property asset planning and how we address our shortcomings over the next 365 days

In this way, it’s not surprising that the month of January is named after the ancient Roman god, Janus, whose two-faced head looks forward and backward, or to the past and the future, simultaneously. Janus is the god of doorways, gates, archways, and other major, opposing lifestyle situations, including life and death, and war and peace. This extra-special festive-season god also represents reflection and renewal.

Unfortunately for us, we don’t have Janus’ ability to see both the past and the future at the same time. But you can use December and January’s reset period to reflect on the property past that you do know and to plan your real estate future.

Start by talking to family and friends during the festive season about their property experiences. You’ll have more time in this period for such conversations too, so these discussions can be (almost) the next best thing to talking with Janus himself!

Here are some other property questions to ask yourself this festive season.

FIRST HOME BUYERS

1. Do you plan to be an owner-occupier, investor, or rentvestor?

2. What are your property and location must-haves in 2026 and beyond? And why are they must-haves?

3. Are you prepared to compromise on some of these must-haves? If so, which ones? If not, why not?

4. How much can you afford to spend on a home? (i.e., do you have pre-approval?)

5. Do you know what first-home-buyer government concessions and grants are available to you?

HOMEOWNERS PLANNING TO BUY

1. What do you like and dislike about your current home and location, and why?

2. Why do you want to buy another property? (Hint: the negatives in/around your current house should outweigh the guaranteed positives of your new home to make such a move worthwhile.)

3. Do you know your borrowing power, including your equity?

4. What are your must-haves for your new property and location in 2026 and beyond?

5. What are your overall property and lifestyle plans in the short and long term? (ie do you plan, or would you like to, invest, rentvest, have children, retire, move to a new job in a different state, etc.)

ALL HOMEOWNERS

Remember how I talked about festive season reflections and renewals? Every homeowner should regularly review certain details of their property situation, and the new year is the perfect time to do so.

Firstly, you should have a strong idea of the state of the economy and of real estate markets, including Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cash rates (I’ll give you a hint: there were three cash rate cuts this year, which brought the national figure down to 3.6 percent).

You should also keep a close eye on Consumer Price Indexes (CPI), or inflation, figures, as the RBA certainly does (another hint: in the latest statistics, inflation has risen to 3.8 percent). The RBA watches unemployment rates too (I’m making this easy for you! These rates are holding fairly steady at 4.3 percent.

And, what about your mortgage? If you’re on a variable rate, you’ll likely be regularly checking your interest rates. But even if you’re on a fixed rate, you should make the time to keep an eye on your loan and its main features, especially repayments.

If you’re on a fixed rate, aim to repay above the minimum figure required before your lender makes you pay extra fees for doing so, of course. Remember, you should also be making repayments weekly, rather than fortnightly or monthly, as this will reduce the total life of your loan.

If you’re not completely happy with your interest rate and other mortgage inclusions, talk to your lender or mortgage broker about a better deal.

While doing all of this, make sure you check the “happy” things about your loan too, such as your outstanding balance versus the property’s value—i.e., your equity position.

Don’t forget that the tight market we’re currently experiencing means many homeowners will be enjoying strong capital growth, especially those in Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.

Finally, if beach times and turkey lunches are more tempting than cash rates and capital growth right now, never fear. My team and I have both the self-control and experience needed to ignore such festive temptations. When you need help with your property journey this coming year, the people to turn to are our Propertybuyer specialists. We also have strongly grounded advice, experience, contacts, and networks that even your most savvy property friends don’t have. Just make the call and get your 2026 real estate actions underway with our professional, even while you celebrate the year just done.

  To have one of the friendly Propertybuyer  Buyers' Agents  to contact you:

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call us on 1300 655 615 today.