SOLID GOLD STRATEGIES

How committed are you to succeeding in property investment? Probably not as committed as Michael Burge. Four years ago, Burge was a self-employed personal trainer in the fitness industry, which meant his income was patchy. Some months were great, but others were uninspiring. He’d always hoped to be able to build passive income through his business, but he realised that wasn’t happening.

“I thought, ‘I need to own something’,” says 31-year-old Burge. “I had some money in KiwiSaver, which kind of forces you to put it into property, and I had some friends who had been successful in property. I vividly remember lying down on my bed, telling myself: ‘I know nothing. Whatever I think I know, I’m going to push to one side. I’m going to go out there and