Why “Ew” Properties Make the Best Investments
My First Investment Property.
I know what you’re thinking.
“Ew.”
Good.
I love “ew”.
Because here’s the truth:
“Ew” gets ignored by emotional homebuyers chasing pretty photos on realestate.com.au and Domain
“Ew” means my money goes into LAND, not lipstick
“Ew” gives me room to add value, instead of paying for someone else’s renovation markup
“Ew” is where the opportunity is.
So what does “ew” really translate to?
Better potential for capital growth.
And here’s the actual proof from my own portfolio:
$790K in 2019 ➝ $1.6M today.
That’s not luck.
That’s fundamentals doing the heavy lifting.
Property Investing Doesn’t Have to Be Sexy
In fact, if your property looks too sexy…
It’s probably a terrible investment.
Give me:
The older, solid home
On a bigger block
In a quality area
With good bones
With clear value-add potential
In a suburb that owner-occupiers actually want to live in
Over:
The glossy, renovated-on-Instagram home
On a small block
In an average location
…any day of the week.
Why?
Because I’m investing for capital growth, not aesthetics.
I care about performance, not polish.
Pretty doesn’t compound.
The Fundamentals Always Win
Here’s the mindset shift most investors never make:
You’re not buying a brochure.
You’re buying an investment vehicle.
One grows your wealth. The other drains it.
When you strip the emotion out and focus on:
Land value
Owner-occupier demand
Block size
Orientation
Streetscape
Value-add
Supply constraints
- Suburb fundamentals
…you get outcomes like $790K → $1.35M in five years.
Not from guessing.
Not from speculating.
From buying well.
Final Word
Sexy sells.
But ugly grows.
Focus on fundamentals.
Let the homebuyers fight over the pretty stuff.
You stay focused on what actually builds your net worth.
Leave sexy for someone else.
Author
Written by JP Ghabriel
Founder & Buyer’s Agent — Investr.
7.2M+ personal property portfolio
55+ client purchases
Specialising in high-growth, fundamentals-first property investing.
