How do you know when you’ve bought enough property?

In this Friday Fundamentals episode, Polly Chu is joined by mortgage broker Luke Oxenham to tackle a question from listener Andrew:

“How do you know you’re ready to land the plane?”

For many investors, the accumulation phase becomes second nature. The focus is always on the next property, the next equity release, and the next opportunity.

But what happens when you’ve built the portfolio you need?

Luke and Polly explore why there is no universal number of properties, why borrowing capacity shouldn’t determine your investment goals, and how investors can start thinking about debt reduction, passive income and lifestyle by design.

They also unpack:

✅ Why “enough” looks different for every investor
✅ The role of passive income in defining your finish line
✅ Why lenders don’t decide when your journey ends
✅ The transition from accumulation to consolidation
✅ Debt reduction strategies as retirement approaches
✅ Balancing wealth creation with actually enjoying life

Because at the end of the day, money is a tool, and investing should help fund the life you want to live.

Got a question or a “hill” you’d like us to unpack? Send it through here 👉 https://thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/

⏱️ Timestamps

00:18 Andrew’s question: “When do you land the plane?”
01:29 Why there’s no universal finish line
02:20 Why borrowing capacity shouldn’t define success
03:19 Working backwards from passive income goals
05:05 Defining your ideal retirement lifestyle
05:44 Accumulation vs debt reduction
06:39 Why paying down debt matters
07:41 Interest-only vs principal-and-interest strategies
09:17 When should investors start enjoying life?
10:15 Money is a tool, not the destination
11:34 Just because the bank says yes…
12:14 Why enough is personal
12:31 Final thoughts