From a $505k Townhouse to Over $1M: The Real Story Behind the Numbers

It was 2018, and my wife & I were staring at a small townhouse listing. $505,000. My stomach churned with equal parts excitement and terror. I didn't come from money. No one in my family had done anything like this before. But something inside me knew that if I didn't take this step, I'd spend the rest of my life wondering "what if."

That purchase changed everything.

The Beginning: Learning to See Opportunities

That first townhouse wasn't glamorous. It wasn't in the trendiest suburb. But it was ours, The area had growth potential, and more importantly, it was the beginning of understanding how real estate actually works. Not from YouTube videos or get-rich-quick seminars (Which we also tried), but from navigating mortgage processes, understanding market cycles, and learning what makes a property valuable beyond the listing price.

We held onto that townhouse as we continued to learn and plan our next moves. The real game-changer came when we decided to stop just buying properties and start creating them.

The Leap: Building a Property Development Company

In hindsight, starting a property development company sounds bold. At the time, it felt closer to madness. We were new in the workforce, still had a large debt on our first townhouse, but we wanted to go bigger. We managed to secure a property for $750,000 with a vision to subdivide it. What we didn't fully grasp was everything that "subdivide" actually meant: council approvals, safely removing asbestos filled house, civil works, contracts & managing multiple builders, council compliance obligations, coordinating property managers, residential vs commercial processes and navigating a thousand decisions we'd never made before.

There were moments I questioned everything. Late nights reviewing plans, unexpected costs, delays that made my chest tight with worry. But we pushed through, learning as we went. We treated each build like an experiment, applying design thinking and iterative improvements from one project to the next.

The result? That initial $750,000 property became two investment properties, each now worth $1.4 million. Combined with our original townhouse, we now have three properties total. The financial return was incredible! It was a moment where we realised 'jobs' alone will never get us close to our goals. but the real wealth was in what we learned: how to manage complexity, how to lead teams, how to make decisions when the stakes are high and the path isn't clear, and how to manage risks.

Beyond Real Estate: Diversifying and Taking Risks

To be honest, we could just keep going with at real estate. It would be enough. but its slow. and we keep seeing new opportunities we cant ignore. Stocks. Crypto. Emerging technologies that most people dismissed as too risky or too complicated, and biggest of all, business acquisitions.

Are there risks? Absolutely. Yeah, we've doubled our money in stocks and crypto and done well with property, but there were also moments where markets dropped and I had to remind myself why I'd invested in the first place. there were multiple times we questioned how we could fund our properties. The lesson hasnt been about being fearless; it was about being informed, staying disciplined, and not putting all your eggs in one basket.

Diversification isn't just a financial strategy - it's a mindset. It's about recognizing that the world is changing fast, and the people who succeed are the ones who adapt.

What Money Can't Buy (But Success Helps You Appreciate)

Here's what they don't tell you about hitting financial milestones: the money is great, but it's not what changes you.

Becoming a father to a baby girl changed me more than any property deal ever could. Suddenly, leadership wasn't about managing contractors or hitting targets - it was about patience, presence, and modeling the kind of person I want my child to become. It gave me perspective on what actually matters.

I also learned that you can't sustain success if you're running on empty. I prioritise health through calisthenics and strength training, not because I'm trying to look a certain way, but because a strong body supports a sharp mind. When I'm physically grounded, I make better decisions. When I'm exhausted or burnt out, everything suffers.

And relationships? They're everything. The deepest connections in my life—my amazing wife, close friends, trusted mentors—these are the people who keep me grounded when things get crazy and push me forward when I doubt myself. Success isn't a solo journey, even when it feels like you're the only one taking the risk.

The Thread That Connects It All

Looking back, I can see the pattern now: I've always been someone who sees possibilities before they're obvious to others. I spot the trends early, make decisions with conviction, and position people (including myself) where their strengths can create real momentum.

But here's the thing—I didn't start out knowing this about myself. I discovered it by doing. By taking that first terrifying step with the townhouse. By choosing to start a development company when I had no idea what I was doing. By investing in crypto when people thought I was crazy.

I set high standards for myself, and I don't apologize for that. I cut through complexity because I've learned that overthinking kills more dreams than failure ever will. And when things go wrong—and they do—I take ownership, learn fast, and move forward.

Why I'm Sharing This With You

I'm not writing this to impress you with numbers or to sell you a course. I'm sharing my story because I wish someone had shared theirs with me when I was starting out.

Success isn't linear. It's messy and uncertain and filled with moments where you question everything. But it's also possible, especially when you're willing to learn from every mistake, pivot when needed, and keep moving forward even when the path isn't clear.

If there's one thing I want you to take from this, it's this: you don't need to have it all figured out to start. You just need to take the first step, stay curious, and be willing to learn as you go.

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If this resonated with you, I'd love for you to stick around. Im writing about Business & M&A, AI & Technology, Health & Fitness, Leadership & Growth and my learnings on what it takes to be a great father. Not the polished, Instagram-worthy version, but the real, sometimes messy truth. Follow along, connect, and hopefully, you'll avoid some of the mistakes that cost me time, money, and sleep. Let's figure this out together. :)