The SMSF Property Clarity Review — Know Whether It Stacks Up Before You Make an Offer
- Leonie Martin
- 19 hours ago
- 8 min read
Know whether buying property through your super stacks up — before you commit a cent.
Most people approach SMSF property backwards.
They find a property. They fall in love with it. They ask around, get a few encouraging nods, and start moving: calling lenders, talking to agents, maybe even making an offer —before anyone has actually run the numbers on whether the structure works.
Then they find out the fund won't service the loan. Or the timeline is impossible for the settlement date the vendor wants. Or there's a going concern issue with the GST that nobody flagged. Or the numbers looked fine until you added the stamp duty, the setup costs, the borrowing costs, and the cash buffer the lender requires... and suddenly there's nothing left.
The structure is unforgiving. Most of the costly mistakes can't be undone once you've committed.
A few hours of clarity now is cheaper than any one of them.
What the SMSF Property Clarity Review Is
The SMSF Property Clarity Review is a fixed-fee written assessment — $1,750 + GST — for business owners weighing up whether to buy commercial or residential property through their superannuation using an SMSF, bare trust, and Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement.
It is not a discovery call. It is not a verbal maybe. It is a complete written assessment based on your actual numbers: rent, contributions (including super guarantee), running costs, and borrowing, not rules of thumb.
The output is a clear go / no-go, with the numbers behind it.
Who It's For
This review is for you if:
You're considering buying commercial or residential property through your super and want to know if it actually stacks up before making an offer
You're weighing up an SMSF, bare trust, and Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement and want the full picture on what it costs, what's left in the fund, and whether the loan is serviceable
You've found a specific property and need to move quickly but not so quickly that you sign something in the wrong name or on numbers that were never going to work
You lease commercial premises for your business and want to know whether buying them through your SMSF makes financial sense
Why Look Before You Sign
The SMSF property structure is not complicated but it is unforgiving. Here are the mistakes that happen when people skip the assessment:
Wrong name on the contract. The purchase must be made in the name of the bare trustee company — not the SMSF, not the corporate trustee, not your personal name. Sign in the wrong name and you may trigger a second round of stamp duty. In some cases the error is irreversible and the deal falls over.
Too little left in the fund after settlement. Once you've paid the deposit, stamp duty, setup costs, and borrowing costs, the fund needs enough remaining cash to satisfy lender liquidity requirements and cover ongoing expenses. If the numbers are tight going in, they can become impossible after settlement.
A below-market lease to your own business. If you lease the property back to your business at below-market rent, the ATO's Non-Arm's Length Income (NALI) provisions apply — and all fund income can be taxed at 45% rather than 15%. That eliminates the entire tax advantage of the structure.
Numbers that don't service the loan. Rental income plus superannuation contributions need to cover the P&I repayments, property expenses, and fund running costs — with enough buffer for vacancy and unexpected costs. If the cashflow doesn't work in year one, it doesn't get better. It gets worse.
A timeline that can't meet the vendor's settlement date. From a standing start, the minimum realistic timeline to be in a position to sign contracts is 6–8 weeks. If the vendor wants settlement in four weeks, or won't agree to an extended finance clause, that is itself a problem — and one you need to know about before you make an offer, not after.
What the Review Covers
The SMSF Property Clarity Review assesses your actual position across six areas:
1. Executive summary — the whole picture on one page Income against every cost, and a clear go / no-go. Not a summary of possibilities — a specific assessment of your situation.
2. Year 1 cashflow and 10-year projection Whether the rent and contributions genuinely service the borrowing now, and whether the surplus holds across the life of the loan as rental income grows and the borrowing cost deduction phases out.
3. Liquidity and cost breakdown — to the dollar What's left in the fund after settlement. This includes setup costs (SMSF establishment, corporate trustee, bare trust), borrowing costs (loan establishment, valuation, lender legal, broker, mortgage registration), acquisition costs (conveyancing, stamp duty, inspection), and the cash buffer required. All categorised by tax treatment — what's deductible, what's capital, what's not deductible at all.
4. Structure and timeline How the SMSF, corporate trustee, bare trust, and LRBA fit together — and who holds what at each stage. The sequencing dependencies that most people don't know about: why the lender must be selected before the bare trust deed is drafted, why the Director ID must be in place before the corporate trustee can be registered, why the rollover cannot start until the TFN is issued.
5. Compliance check Every step from decision to settlement, in the right order and the right names. Including the GST and going concern position, NALI risk assessment if there's a related party lease, and contribution cap verification.
6. What happens next if it stacks up If the review confirms the purchase is viable, HelloLedger can establish the SMSF, corporate trustee, bare trust, and LRBA in the right sequence — coordinated with your solicitor and lender, including the identity verification required before establishment.
A Feel for the Output
Here's an example of the key numbers section from a review (illustrative — your figures will differ):
Super balance | $500,000 |
Purchase price | $800,000 |
Loan required (70% LVR) | $560,000 @ 7.0% p.a. — 25 yr P&I |
Gross rental income | $40,000 (5.0% yield) |
Liquidity buffer post-settlement | $186,740 remaining in fund |
Net Year 1 surplus | +$7,514 after all costs |
The full review then confirms whether that surplus holds across ten years, whether the liquidity buffer is sufficient for both lender and ATO requirements, and whether the lease and structure meet ATO compliance requirements.
What the SMSF Property Clarity Review Is Not
It's worth being clear about what this review is and isn't.
It is a CPA-prepared tax and compliance assessment of your specific SMSF property purchase scenario.
It is not financial product advice or a Statement of Advice (SOA). HelloLedger is not a licensed financial adviser. If you need investment strategy advice — a formal recommendation on whether an SMSF is appropriate for your overall circumstances — you need a licensed financial adviser. We can refer you to one.
It is not a substitute for legal advice. The bare trust deed, contract review, and conveyancing require a solicitor with SMSF and LRBA experience. We can refer you.
How It Works
Step 1 — Share your details Tell us about the purchase and your super position. A quick online intake form or a short call — enough for us to model it accurately. We need the property details (price, location, type, rental income), your current super balance, salary information for both members, and any known costs.
Step 2 — We run your numbers We model your actual position: costs, liquidity, serviceability, structure, and sequencing. This is a CPA-prepared assessment using the specific inputs you provide — not a calculator with generic assumptions.
Step 3 — You get your review A clear written go / no-go, and exactly what needs to happen and in what order, before you make an offer. Delivered within 5 business days of receiving complete information.
Step 4 — If it stacks up, we establish it If you're ready to proceed, we set up the SMSF, corporate trustee, bare trust, and LRBA in the right sequence — coordinated with your solicitor and lender, including the identity verification (AML/CTF and Director IDs) required before establishment.
The Price
$1,750 + GST — one-time fixed fee.
For context: that's less than the stamp duty on the first $50,000 of a $650,000 commercial property purchase in Queensland. It's less than one month's interest on a $455,000 SMSF loan. It's less than one of the mistakes it prevents.
The review is priced as a standalone service because its value is the clarity it gives you before you commit — regardless of whether you proceed.
FAQs
What's included in the $1,750 + GST?
A complete written assessment covering executive summary, year 1 cashflow and 10-year projection, liquidity and full cost breakdown (by tax treatment), structure and sequencing assessment, compliance check including GST/going concern and NALI risk, and next steps if the purchase is viable. Delivered in writing within 5 business days of receiving complete information.
Is this financial advice?
No. The SMSF Property Clarity Review is a CPA-prepared tax and compliance assessment. HelloLedger Pty Ltd is not a licensed financial adviser. For investment strategy advice — a formal recommendation on whether an SMSF is appropriate for your overall circumstances — you need a licensed financial adviser. We can refer you to one.
Does the $1,750 get credited toward SMSF setup if I go ahead?
No. The review is a standalone fixed-fee service and is not credited toward establishment. SMSF setup, corporate trustee, and bare trust establishment are priced separately at $2,500+. This is intentional — the value of the review is the clarity it delivers before you commit, not as a deposit toward the work that follows.
How quickly do I get the review?
Within 5 business days of receiving complete information from you. If you have a specific property and are working to a timeline, flag that when you get started and we'll prioritise accordingly.
What information do I need to provide?
Property details (address, purchase price, property type, current rental income or estimated yield), your current super balance for each member, annual salary for each member (for SGC contribution modelling), any known costs (stamp duty if you have a quote, borrowing costs if you've spoken to a lender), and details of any related party lease if applicable.
What if the review says it doesn't stack up?
That's the point. If the numbers don't work — the fund can't service the loan, there's not enough left after settlement, or the timeline is impossible — you find out before you've committed to anything. That is $1,750 well spent. We'll also tell you what would need to change for the structure to become viable: a larger super balance, a higher-yielding property, a different LVR, or a different approach entirely.
Can you help with both commercial and residential property?
Yes. The review covers both. Commercial property has additional considerations (going concern GST exemption, related party lease rules, NALI risk) which are specifically addressed. Residential property cannot be leased to a related party — which is worth confirming early if that was part of the strategy.
I'm interstate / interstate — does that matter?
Not at all. HelloLedger is a fully online accounting firm. We work with clients Australia-wide and can accommodate international time zones for calls. The intake form and review delivery are all handled online.
Related Guides
You can explore each of these via our guides below:
👉 Eligibility & Trustee Responsibilities
Ready to know whether it stacks up?
The review takes your numbers, models the full picture, and gives you a clear written answer, before you make an offer, sign a contract, or commit to a structure that can't be undone.
$1,750 + GST. Fixed fee. Delivered in writing within 5 business days.
Or call 0490 033 038 — or email leonie@helloledger.com.au
