Can property investment provide a reliable retirement?

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It makes sense to consider an investment property as part of your retirement living, but make sure you know exactly what your goal is.

Perhaps your goal is to buy an investment property, or more than one, before you retire and live off the rent. Maybe you want to use the rental income to subsidise other forms of income or develop a nest egg in case anything goes wrong.

You may also want to hold onto the property for capital gain reasons, or eventually pass it onto your children. Whatever your property investments goals, it pays to get in as early as you can and get advice from the experts.

It's also important to understand how many properties you want to invest in. More doesn't usually mean more income, so take all that into account when looking for options.

Given the state of the property market in most capital cities, it makes sense for your first thought to be towards looking for a residential property to invest in.

Finding a suitable mortgage for a residential property can mean looking for shorter-term loan and using any equity you have in your current home as a jumping-off point.

But don't just look towards the standard single residential home as an option. Most banks and lenders can help you with property development finance as well, giving you options to turn a large block into a couple of townhouses or units. Auguring well, you might be able to sell them for a nice profit.

And then there's the commercial option. Investing in a commercial property can be more expensive than residential options, but you may have the added security of longer leases.

If you are looking to use your investment to supplement your income, having that long-term security can be a big attraction.

Using your superannuation to invest in property can be a smart way to help your retirement funds.

A Self-Managed Super Fund can provide you with a lot of flexibility as to where your retirement funds are invested. What that means is you will have an almost unlimited choice of investment opportunities, allowing you to take total control.

Not only can you use your SMSF to invest in property, but you can now also use your SMSF to borrow the money you need. Importantly, stay across the legal restraints and tax rules when making these decisions.

This is sponsored content for Mortgage House.