Client
Duration
Nov 22, 2024
Learning by Doing — From First Investment to Full-Scale Developments
Starting his property journey at just seventeen, Matthew took early lessons from his father’s advisor and turned them into a strategy for long-term success. Now, with multiple projects underway, he’s blending disciplined feasibility with bold execution and reaping six-figure results.
Matthew’s story began with a spark of curiosity.
At seventeen, he joined his father in a meeting with a financial advisor who told him something that stuck — “There are two ways to make money: business or property.” That moment set him on a lifelong path of property investing and learning by doing.
He bought his first investment property young, studied hard, and over time took part in multiple development courses. But while the theory helped, he knew that real learning only came from action.
“No matter how much you try to learn before doing it, when you actually jump in, that’s when you really learn.”
Before joining Viva, Matthew wanted clarity, precision, and the confidence to take his developments to the next level.
Matthew connected with Viva after seeing the community online and joined to refine his process, from feasibility to structure.
One of his key projects is a three-townhouse development in Brighton East, built on a 600 square-metre site.
He budgeted a $1.45 M build with expected sales of $1.6 M per townhouse, giving a total revenue between $4.5 M and $4.8 M and a total cost base around $3.9 M.
The approach was measured and meticulous:
Engaged a town planner and designer early
Completed a building envelope study before going unconditional on the site
Based all feasibilities on today’s market prices, not speculative growth
Adopted a cautious mindset — “If it’s better than the base numbers, that’s just cream on top.”
At the same time, Matthew worked on a dual occupancy build delivering positive cash flow and another project within his super fund, creating multiple income streams and diversification.
“You don’t know one hundred percent until you go through the process, check your numbers, talk to the right people, and plan for today.”
The Brighton East development alone is projected to yield over $600K in profit, while his other projects provide ongoing income and portfolio growth.
Matthew has quickly transitioned from student to seasoned investor, juggling multiple builds across states while maintaining a data-driven approach.
“It’s great to be part of a community that guides you, challenges you, and helps you take action.”
From his first investment at seventeen to managing multi-site developments, Matthew embodies the Viva philosophy of learning through doing, executing with discipline, and steadily building wealth that lasts.
