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Smashed Avocado: How I Cracked the Property Market and You Can Too
Buying a property isn’t easy. It’s not meant to be. It’s one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make in your life. But it is worth it.
At thirty, journalist Nicole Haddow had an unstable income, no financial plan and only credit-card debt to her name. But less than two years later she was a homeowner.
In Smashed Avocado, Nicole explains the steps she took to purchase her own home, and interviews other people who have found diverse ways to enter the property market, including rentvesting, flipping, Airbnb, tiny homes and buying regionally. She shares practical tips from property experts and the acquired wisdom of a new generation of homeowners – down to the micro-details. She even thrashes it out with Bernard Salt, the man who said young people should stop splashing out on expensive brunches if they want to own their own home.
Nicole’s story is inspiring and optimistic – but, most importantly, it’s realistic. The home ownership dream might look different today, but it’s still possible to make it a reality.
‘A refreshingly real, informative and thoroughly researched must-read for anyone struggling to enter the housing market’ —Lucy Feagins, The Design Files
At thirty, journalist Nicole Haddow had an unstable income, no financial plan and only credit-card debt to her name. But less than two years later she was a homeowner.
In Smashed Avocado, Nicole explains the steps she took to purchase her own home, and interviews other people who have found diverse ways to enter the property market, including rentvesting, flipping, Airbnb, tiny homes and buying regionally. She shares practical tips from property experts and the acquired wisdom of a new generation of homeowners – down to the micro-details. She even thrashes it out with Bernard Salt, the man who said young people should stop splashing out on expensive brunches if they want to own their own home.
Nicole’s story is inspiring and optimistic – but, most importantly, it’s realistic. The home ownership dream might look different today, but it’s still possible to make it a reality.
‘A refreshingly real, informative and thoroughly researched must-read for anyone struggling to enter the housing market’ —Lucy Feagins, The Design Files
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2019
105 people are currently reading
642 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Haddow
5 books16 followersNicole Haddow is a journalist and communications professional. Her books Smashed Avocado, The Ethical Investor and Couple Goals are out now. An audio edition of Couple Goals can be found on Spotify and Audible.
Nicole lives in regional Victoria with her husband, Sam, and their fur girls, Frankie and Olive.
instagram: @nicolehaddow
Nicole lives in regional Victoria with her husband, Sam, and their fur girls, Frankie and Olive.
instagram: @nicolehaddow
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
January 2, 2020
While I liked the tidbits from others and the real life advice from industry professionals, I found the author’s story to be a bit of a kick in the face. She pissed away her twenties, got herself in a lot of stupid debt, and then when offered the opportunity to live at home cheaply (not something on offer to anyone I know here in Brisbane), whinged that her “friends” were always out without her and that her $150 a week (!!) self allocated fun budget wasn’t enough.
Those of us who are actually working hard independently are renting as cheap as we can and saving as hard as we can. She also earned more than tour typical marketer in their late twenties and was pretty unrealistic with her budget for herself. She bought after one year of saving. Not exactly a hard slog.
Nice book for a pipe dream for those who currently have debt, and the ability to move home when they stuff up. Better books to be read if you’re at all better with money than her.
Those of us who are actually working hard independently are renting as cheap as we can and saving as hard as we can. She also earned more than tour typical marketer in their late twenties and was pretty unrealistic with her budget for herself. She bought after one year of saving. Not exactly a hard slog.
Nice book for a pipe dream for those who currently have debt, and the ability to move home when they stuff up. Better books to be read if you’re at all better with money than her.
June 27, 2020
Couldn't be bothered to read past 25% It's cheery and upbeat but so would I if I earnt heckloads a month and spent $200 each weekend on nights out. Extremely unrelateable. I think this book needs to be marketed more at middle class white millenials than anything.
February 22, 2020
Really enjoyed this look into how a single female got her shit together to buy her first home!
It was a brilliant read and I felt like I was listening to a girlfriend. The author was very easy to understand and as an Australian, gave relevant examples. I would recommend this to anyone looking to buy their first home!
It was a brilliant read and I felt like I was listening to a girlfriend. The author was very easy to understand and as an Australian, gave relevant examples. I would recommend this to anyone looking to buy their first home!
February 22, 2020
Some of the stuff in this book was interesting and helpful, specifically the crash course it provides in the housing market and what all those ephemeral terms like ‘stamp duty’ and ‘conveyancing’ mean. With that being said, this is not a good model for people attempting to buy their own homes. Living your 20’s through an endless bender, then managing to save enough for a place in a year and accomplishing your homeowner ‘goals’ is just...bizarre, especially after travelling the world. A lot of us aren’t at that point at all- low, unstable income with no disposable money, a complete dearth of work, lack of super, and already living on minimal income. The author bemoans living off of canned tuna- a large portion of millennials aren’t even at canned tuna level on their incomes. This just served to make me more miserable honestly, and the housing market’s severe increases only worsen that. When your whole salary a year makes up about three months for this woman at her lowest point, then maybe write a book about home ownership.
February 7, 2020
This book glorifies property ownership at the expense of financial security and long-term wealth building. Given that buying property is ‘one of the biggest financial decisions you will make’ I would have thought that professional financial advice would have featured more in a book like this. I’m hesitant to recommend this.
October 10, 2020
Didn't love this one...
I go on self-help/personal development non-fiction binges every now and then, so am well acquainted with the person finance genre. This one was definitely not my favourite. I enjoyed that the author was an Australian women, it gave it a new perspective in an genre dominated by dudes and very often US focused.
This book was marketed as a realistic story but, oh boy, I did not like the glamourisation of extending your finances to get into the housing market while you still have significant credit card debt and car repayments. The author talked about the struggle of managing this level of debt but ultimately landed on this being 'worth it.' The process and thinking behind the author's journey was interesting and she obviously thought through what type of property she was after, as well as market conditions.
Overall, this just left me with the feeling that the author was lucky in her success rather than having any sort of expertise. Others who don't have the same level of privilege or safety nets could have a far worse outcome.
I go on self-help/personal development non-fiction binges every now and then, so am well acquainted with the person finance genre. This one was definitely not my favourite. I enjoyed that the author was an Australian women, it gave it a new perspective in an genre dominated by dudes and very often US focused.
This book was marketed as a realistic story but, oh boy, I did not like the glamourisation of extending your finances to get into the housing market while you still have significant credit card debt and car repayments. The author talked about the struggle of managing this level of debt but ultimately landed on this being 'worth it.' The process and thinking behind the author's journey was interesting and she obviously thought through what type of property she was after, as well as market conditions.
Overall, this just left me with the feeling that the author was lucky in her success rather than having any sort of expertise. Others who don't have the same level of privilege or safety nets could have a far worse outcome.
December 14, 2021
It's amazing that there are two books about entering the Australian property market written by property journos that start with mea culpas about living extravagantly on the credit card float and having to have their parents give them a wake up call that end, after a long and gruelling period of being (relatively) poor as shit, with them owning property. I would probably say this is the better of the two primarily because it is more actual real estate advice than worryingly stringent 'how to live on $2 a day' tips like Powers' How To Buy A Home, though both are still clearly in the camp of being incredibly privileged relative to a lot of other people looking wistfully at property.
That aside, Haddow's book has a better throughline and also grapples strongly with the economic and psychological realities of not only having to save skinflint for a property but also having to live with the mortgage afterwards. While there are a lot of interviews with other property owners who have managed to get a place in various interesting-to-less-interesting circumstances it is somewhat defanged by having most of them end up being various forms of entrepreneurs, business owners, house flippers etc. Where's the nurses and truckies who are just looking to buy one place and not start a business empire? It's often said that Australians have an obsession with property investing and if the people interviewed here are representative I'd believe it; you can't throw a brick in this book without hitting an interview with someone at least part-landlord.
That aside, Haddow's book has a better throughline and also grapples strongly with the economic and psychological realities of not only having to save skinflint for a property but also having to live with the mortgage afterwards. While there are a lot of interviews with other property owners who have managed to get a place in various interesting-to-less-interesting circumstances it is somewhat defanged by having most of them end up being various forms of entrepreneurs, business owners, house flippers etc. Where's the nurses and truckies who are just looking to buy one place and not start a business empire? It's often said that Australians have an obsession with property investing and if the people interviewed here are representative I'd believe it; you can't throw a brick in this book without hitting an interview with someone at least part-landlord.
April 5, 2021
2.5 stars. I don’t regret reading but I don’t recommend.
If you have absolutely any financial saving sense then this book will make you roll your eyes on more than a few occasions.
Although it has some good sections about legal-ese speak when property buying and what to expect, it has so many other sections which were a bit of a struggle to get through. So many times the author said something and I almost said “duh” out loud.
Her lack of financial sense was very entitled, so when she says that she was spending hundreds of dollars on wine a week for most of her adult life and now she’s got no money - did she expect me to be sad for her? Those parts were near impossible to relate to and I think will fall flat with a lot of people like me who this book is marketed to.
I wouldn’t put this at the top of your TBR pile.
If you have absolutely any financial saving sense then this book will make you roll your eyes on more than a few occasions.
Although it has some good sections about legal-ese speak when property buying and what to expect, it has so many other sections which were a bit of a struggle to get through. So many times the author said something and I almost said “duh” out loud.
Her lack of financial sense was very entitled, so when she says that she was spending hundreds of dollars on wine a week for most of her adult life and now she’s got no money - did she expect me to be sad for her? Those parts were near impossible to relate to and I think will fall flat with a lot of people like me who this book is marketed to.
I wouldn’t put this at the top of your TBR pile.
February 4, 2022
I love smashed avocado, the food, but not this book, I had to skip pages and pages to make it to the end. I found the authors story extremely difficult to relate to and irresponsible to be adverting how she got into the property market. The byline "how I cracked the property market and you can do"...I think it needs to be revised to "how I only just cracked the property market.." with $17 dollars remaining. I found this book very poorly structured, lacking any real guidance or inspiration and unrelatable not only due to its age and almost every example was Melbourne based.
August 2, 2024
I really liked the author’s perspective towards the property market, as well as this gives me real ideas of what we’ll face once we purchased our home. This contains 3 interviews with different people who owns property, going through some struggles in terms of property that was not expected. This gave me ideas what I shall do and shall not towards my future.
March 5, 2022
Thought this book might have some good information on saving, buying a home, investing. Perhaps if you had absolutely no knowledge in this area it may be useful. 2.5 ⭐️
December 13, 2020
An inspiring read that uses real people as examples when explaining the finer details of getting into the housing market, purchasing property and investing. A great read for anyone who wants to own their own home!
September 3, 2019
Disclaimer: I do work for the publisher that has released this book.
For those who are feeling like buying a house or in fact saving is a mountain you are never going to be able to climb this book shows you where the steps are.
Through Nicole's own experience and that of many others you are inspired and educated about the many different paths not only to home ownership but to prioritising and making your life what you want it to be.
For those who are feeling like buying a house or in fact saving is a mountain you are never going to be able to climb this book shows you where the steps are.
Through Nicole's own experience and that of many others you are inspired and educated about the many different paths not only to home ownership but to prioritising and making your life what you want it to be.
September 19, 2020
A finance book that featured realistic interest rate numbers that I could actually relate too.
But once again it’s another person who didn’t save properly and then scrambled and burnt themselves out to save quickly all while earning decent income from the get go.
Get me someone who earns like $15k a year and how they did it, I’d read that book ASAP.
I actually enjoyed this book though. Had nice detail about the fees and associated costs when buying and selling a house that normally I wouldn’t have thought about.
And it’s written by an Australian for once.
But once again it’s another person who didn’t save properly and then scrambled and burnt themselves out to save quickly all while earning decent income from the get go.
Get me someone who earns like $15k a year and how they did it, I’d read that book ASAP.
I actually enjoyed this book though. Had nice detail about the fees and associated costs when buying and selling a house that normally I wouldn’t have thought about.
And it’s written by an Australian for once.
October 31, 2024
I studied my master in Australia back in 2017. I found the property market boom fascinating and beguiling. Then I happened to find a book on this topic. This book teaches me so much about property market in general. I’ve learned so much that I spent a week writing a thorough review and the review was published by trusted Taiwanese media. After two years, the article has been read or browsed for over 13,000 times! It’s amazing how one article can reach such a wide audience 😆! It’s one of my favorite reviews I’ve written so far. Hopefully I can share with some fellow reader friends here on Goodreads. You can read it in the link below 👇
https://opinion.cw.com.tw/blog/profil...
https://opinion.cw.com.tw/blog/profil...
August 25, 2020
Whilst book starts off seemingly familiar with a millennial in a lot of debt learning saving strategies which I feel like I have read a lot about, the insight into her personal journey with actually buying her first place and the struggles that come with it was what I opened the pages wanting. I also enjoyed stories from other people who have taken different paths to try to get that dream long term home. Gave me insights and ideas and hope that one day there might also be a path for me. A good easy read for someone unfamiliar with different pathways into buying property.
December 3, 2019
Bit of a reality check for me. Nicole goes into real numbers of what her budget looked like in the lead up to saving her deposit which was helpful but as she was earning significantly more than what a lot of 20-somethings get paid, plus a 'side-hustle', the timeline doesn't look the same for me.
It had some good tips about Lenders Mortgage Insurance and Body Corp which will be useful down the road but I'll have to wait a while until I can put them to use.
It had some good tips about Lenders Mortgage Insurance and Body Corp which will be useful down the road but I'll have to wait a while until I can put them to use.
January 10, 2025
It was fine. Informative, especially re property market lingo but (as I’ve read on another review on here) if you’re already good with money, savings and budgeting, there are better and more inspiring books out there.
December 11, 2025
It is my opinion that the author of this book is not qualified to give financial advice.
After settling on her first house, she was left with $17 in her bank account and a mountain of credit card debt. This is one of the most insane financial stories I have ever heard. I have no idea at all how she wrangled the banks into loaning her a mortgage, especially considering that by her own admission she spent virtually all of her twenties pissing away her income on wine.
For the next few years, she survived by pumping most of her income into her repayments and making lots of essential purchases with her credit card. She carried ~$11k of credit card debt for years before amassing enough equity to consolidate that debt into her mortgage. This is deeply inadvisable.
To make matters worse, her 'absolute minimum' budget during her first year included a $150 per week fun budget. And she's single! This is double what she paid for food each week and triple what she paid for transport. This is absolutely insane. For context, my fun budget, at 3% of my net pay, is $34.5 per week, or less than one quarters of hers. And I'm partnered!
Instead of paying down her massive credit card debt so that she could then pay down her massive mortgage, she spent a massive $150 per week on fucking getting pissed. I don't know how else to say this, but what a loser idiot.
She is an absolutely terrible financial advisor. Despite consolidating her credit card and home loans, she kept one credit card open "just in case". No: pay it off, rip it up, and learn to live within your means instead of taking on more debt on top of your mountain of a mortgage. She also quit her job after consolidating her loans and buggered off to Ireland for a working holiday because she thought she was debt-free. Her words. What a train wreck.
Nevertheless--and this is the screw on which the whole book turns--the long-term financial payoff of getting into the Aussie property market might have been lucrative enough to outweigh all of her many abysmal financial decisions.
This is my main takeaway from this book: that Aussie property is an insane money-printer. (I knew that already, of course, as do all adult Aussies bombarded with news about the housing crisis. But anecdotes and stories have a way of making abstract knowledge feel more real). And that any Aussie who wants to get rich or at least financially comfortable ought to seriously consider doing as the author did and get on the gravy train at their earliest possible convenience. I would only caution against taking on the radical levels of debt that their author. Get on the gravy train ASAP, but be prudent, patient, wise. Make haste slowly. Build a bigger savings buffer, learn how to budget, eliminate all other debt, and get used to living well within your immiserated mortgagee means.
After settling on her first house, she was left with $17 in her bank account and a mountain of credit card debt. This is one of the most insane financial stories I have ever heard. I have no idea at all how she wrangled the banks into loaning her a mortgage, especially considering that by her own admission she spent virtually all of her twenties pissing away her income on wine.
For the next few years, she survived by pumping most of her income into her repayments and making lots of essential purchases with her credit card. She carried ~$11k of credit card debt for years before amassing enough equity to consolidate that debt into her mortgage. This is deeply inadvisable.
To make matters worse, her 'absolute minimum' budget during her first year included a $150 per week fun budget. And she's single! This is double what she paid for food each week and triple what she paid for transport. This is absolutely insane. For context, my fun budget, at 3% of my net pay, is $34.5 per week, or less than one quarters of hers. And I'm partnered!
Instead of paying down her massive credit card debt so that she could then pay down her massive mortgage, she spent a massive $150 per week on fucking getting pissed. I don't know how else to say this, but what a loser idiot.
She is an absolutely terrible financial advisor. Despite consolidating her credit card and home loans, she kept one credit card open "just in case". No: pay it off, rip it up, and learn to live within your means instead of taking on more debt on top of your mountain of a mortgage. She also quit her job after consolidating her loans and buggered off to Ireland for a working holiday because she thought she was debt-free. Her words. What a train wreck.
Nevertheless--and this is the screw on which the whole book turns--the long-term financial payoff of getting into the Aussie property market might have been lucrative enough to outweigh all of her many abysmal financial decisions.
This is my main takeaway from this book: that Aussie property is an insane money-printer. (I knew that already, of course, as do all adult Aussies bombarded with news about the housing crisis. But anecdotes and stories have a way of making abstract knowledge feel more real). And that any Aussie who wants to get rich or at least financially comfortable ought to seriously consider doing as the author did and get on the gravy train at their earliest possible convenience. I would only caution against taking on the radical levels of debt that their author. Get on the gravy train ASAP, but be prudent, patient, wise. Make haste slowly. Build a bigger savings buffer, learn how to budget, eliminate all other debt, and get used to living well within your immiserated mortgagee means.
November 7, 2021
Smashed Avocado is a combination of a personal biography of how Nicole purchased a house (and other anecdotal evidence) and facts from those working in the housing industry. It takes a deep dive into what to expect when first entering the housing market in Australia, to some degree.
I want to start of by saying good job to Nicole for being able to purchase a house when she did, it would have been difficult, but she managed to do it. However, this book/story is not for everyone. I felt a lot of the stories in this were extremes, which I didn't like, and not a story I could relate to. I have been saving, even if small amounts, since I was young, but also enjoying life, and I don't feel that this path was reflected in any of the stories that Nicole went through.
Having said that, I don't think I am the target audience for this book. I think people who have little to no savings and don't know where to start, this book would be a good mind opener to the realities of purchasing a house, and what to expect. The writing was clear and easy, and the financials broken down very clearly, which was good to see. But, that is the only group of people I would really recommend this for though, I feel most other groups of people could get frustrated by a lot of this author's self reflection on how she spent all her money and then had to scrimp and save to afford a house.
I want to start of by saying good job to Nicole for being able to purchase a house when she did, it would have been difficult, but she managed to do it. However, this book/story is not for everyone. I felt a lot of the stories in this were extremes, which I didn't like, and not a story I could relate to. I have been saving, even if small amounts, since I was young, but also enjoying life, and I don't feel that this path was reflected in any of the stories that Nicole went through.
Having said that, I don't think I am the target audience for this book. I think people who have little to no savings and don't know where to start, this book would be a good mind opener to the realities of purchasing a house, and what to expect. The writing was clear and easy, and the financials broken down very clearly, which was good to see. But, that is the only group of people I would really recommend this for though, I feel most other groups of people could get frustrated by a lot of this author's self reflection on how she spent all her money and then had to scrimp and save to afford a house.
May 26, 2021
Very readable journalistic style, lots of good, practical info.
The class stuff just felt icky to me.
Did I judge the author because her success partially came from living with her parents?
Or when chapter 3 is literally about how your parents can help you?
Did I judge the author when she couldn't wait to get out of her new apartment because it wasn't up to her boujie living standards?
Did I struggle to make it through the paragraph on negative gearing because the odds are so stacked against the poor in Australia and we're sitting here swapping tips?
I know the point of this book is to say 'You can do it too!' rather than social commentary. The book does acknowledge some of the struggles, but I would have liked to see more of an examination of the conditions that have led to the point where social support is so below the poverty line, where community housing is under funded, where home ownership for many young people is a pipe dream, and the future we face with the double whammy of no old age pension and no home ownership.
The class stuff just felt icky to me.
Did I judge the author because her success partially came from living with her parents?
Or when chapter 3 is literally about how your parents can help you?
Did I judge the author when she couldn't wait to get out of her new apartment because it wasn't up to her boujie living standards?
Did I struggle to make it through the paragraph on negative gearing because the odds are so stacked against the poor in Australia and we're sitting here swapping tips?
I know the point of this book is to say 'You can do it too!' rather than social commentary. The book does acknowledge some of the struggles, but I would have liked to see more of an examination of the conditions that have led to the point where social support is so below the poverty line, where community housing is under funded, where home ownership for many young people is a pipe dream, and the future we face with the double whammy of no old age pension and no home ownership.
April 12, 2022
4 stars for inspiration’s sake, if not practicality’s.
I really liked this one! It’s got mixed reviews which I understand (mostly people mad that the author partied away her actually quite a bit higher than average salary, and then proceeds to save an entire house deposit single handedly in like 18 months…)
So it’s not the most realistic, let’s be real. But she’s probably the most realistic example we can hope for in a published Millenial author right now.
I’m not really in the immediate mindset of wanting a house of my own, but this book gave me exactly what I was looking for - a bit of inspiration, a bit of motivation, a bit of a reality-check, and enough hard facts to make me choke.
But I think my favourite story was about the couple who moved from inner city Melbourne to buy literally 100 acres of remote land, who then bought a derelict old house and had it shipped onto the property, and are now in the process of revegetating their own rainforest wonderland while raising their kids which they’ve named Wilma and Florence.
So I’ve got a few extra life goals now…
I really liked this one! It’s got mixed reviews which I understand (mostly people mad that the author partied away her actually quite a bit higher than average salary, and then proceeds to save an entire house deposit single handedly in like 18 months…)
So it’s not the most realistic, let’s be real. But she’s probably the most realistic example we can hope for in a published Millenial author right now.
I’m not really in the immediate mindset of wanting a house of my own, but this book gave me exactly what I was looking for - a bit of inspiration, a bit of motivation, a bit of a reality-check, and enough hard facts to make me choke.
But I think my favourite story was about the couple who moved from inner city Melbourne to buy literally 100 acres of remote land, who then bought a derelict old house and had it shipped onto the property, and are now in the process of revegetating their own rainforest wonderland while raising their kids which they’ve named Wilma and Florence.
So I’ve got a few extra life goals now…
August 4, 2025
It is well written & informative. It just lost a couple of stars because it is evident in 2025, house prices, loan interest rates and the ability for young people…heck, even a single average aged person to actually get into the housing market in Australia has become an even bigger challenge.
We are currently experiencing a cost of living crisis, everything has gone up in price, wages are stagnant and based upon rental prices, housing affordability AND availability, the dream of owning your own home is closer to impossible.
I’m certain with the right kind of living situation and support, above average wage where an employer will actually allow you to be working more than one standard job. Plus having someone willing to help you with a loan application (because they have assets!!), might mean you may be able to own your own home.
It makes it clear within the pages, the longer you wait, the more the prices will rise.
So, this is my long winded way of saying, there’s solid advice in there, just doesn’t really reflect on pricing post Covid….
We are currently experiencing a cost of living crisis, everything has gone up in price, wages are stagnant and based upon rental prices, housing affordability AND availability, the dream of owning your own home is closer to impossible.
I’m certain with the right kind of living situation and support, above average wage where an employer will actually allow you to be working more than one standard job. Plus having someone willing to help you with a loan application (because they have assets!!), might mean you may be able to own your own home.
It makes it clear within the pages, the longer you wait, the more the prices will rise.
So, this is my long winded way of saying, there’s solid advice in there, just doesn’t really reflect on pricing post Covid….
August 22, 2025
Spurred on by an article stating that young people spend too much money buying fancy Smashed Avo on toast, Nicole takes a step back and looks at her situation. She shares her journey in buying her first house and uses other stories and examples to show different aspects of the property market and how to potentially make money.
This is based in Australia and needs to be said that, depending on when this is read, the market will obviously shift, and differences may apply in other countries. The math in this book will change through the years, but the principles will remain the same.
There are many useful tips throughout the book and it also includes explanations to some of those weird terms used. And examples of how to save where you can when you are trying to get a deposit together.
It is primarily aimed at those wanting to crack into the property market, but could serve as a good guide for those that haven’t invested in quite some time.
Recommended for anyone wanting to understand more about property and what certain terms mean.
This is based in Australia and needs to be said that, depending on when this is read, the market will obviously shift, and differences may apply in other countries. The math in this book will change through the years, but the principles will remain the same.
There are many useful tips throughout the book and it also includes explanations to some of those weird terms used. And examples of how to save where you can when you are trying to get a deposit together.
It is primarily aimed at those wanting to crack into the property market, but could serve as a good guide for those that haven’t invested in quite some time.
Recommended for anyone wanting to understand more about property and what certain terms mean.
June 23, 2020
‘Smashed avocado’ by Nicole Haddow has been the first book I’ve ever bought about finance and buying property and it was super beneficial and educational !! 🥑 • Overall the novel touched on some really great topics such as ways of saving money, rent-vesting, paperwork, debt, sacrifice, side hustles, growing a portfolio and ways of creating an income through things like Airbnb 🏡 • Haddow opened up about her own financial struggles and experiences with becoming a first home buyer so I found the novel really relatable and enjoyable.
• I also really liked how there was an index in the back of the book so you can pick certain pages for certain topics - really great for those that aren’t big readers but are looking for certain facts. The book was presented so beautifully with little drawings and graphics throughout the book too 🥰 a lovely one to keep on the shelf that I will definitely be borrowing to friends!📚 • 4/5 stars 🌟
• I also really liked how there was an index in the back of the book so you can pick certain pages for certain topics - really great for those that aren’t big readers but are looking for certain facts. The book was presented so beautifully with little drawings and graphics throughout the book too 🥰 a lovely one to keep on the shelf that I will definitely be borrowing to friends!📚 • 4/5 stars 🌟
July 14, 2022
I really enjoyed The Ethical Investor, so I had to check out Nicole's book on property as well! What I like about Nicole's writing in Smashed Avocado and The Ethical Investor is that she includes stories from everyday people and their experiences, as well as experts. This makes the novel feel more personable and hopeful that achieving home ownership in the current housing market in Australia is achievable... I like how honest Nicole is with admitting the mistakes and sacrifices to her personal wellbeing that she made while cracking the property market. While this book is a good starter for someone looking into property as an investment or is feeling down about their ability to achieve home ownership, I wouldn't rely upon this book for key definitions or advice. Branch out to other resources first before making a decision.
January 23, 2022
An excellent entry into the process of buying a house in Australia
Given how I got this book as part of Amazon Prime perks, I really wasn’t expecting much. Yet, it turned out to be a good, informative and encouraging read that will help push you into taking action.
While the book starts off and goes in and out of the author’s journey in home ownership, it also manages to give you information that is beyond a “tip” but insightful enough that will help you find out more on your own.
It’s also encouraging that the author has included many different experiences of other home owners and their journey, with different scenarios that will help expose you to the many different possibilities.
It’s a worthwhile read, especially for millennials and women.
Given how I got this book as part of Amazon Prime perks, I really wasn’t expecting much. Yet, it turned out to be a good, informative and encouraging read that will help push you into taking action.
While the book starts off and goes in and out of the author’s journey in home ownership, it also manages to give you information that is beyond a “tip” but insightful enough that will help you find out more on your own.
It’s also encouraging that the author has included many different experiences of other home owners and their journey, with different scenarios that will help expose you to the many different possibilities.
It’s a worthwhile read, especially for millennials and women.
January 14, 2020
This book was a good read. I was particularly drawn to the theme of single female saving enough money to buy a house, (it's a struggle out there!). This book actually partially prompted me to make a move back home to save money! I really liked the parts she wrote of 'her' story. Very relatable. The book was punctured with other people's stories of saving and buying, and the current real estate climate today. There were lots of figures and numbers which I found I brushed over, but it offered a different side to saving and broke through some stigmas of 'naww, poor single girl.' Fairly well written, and easy to follow.
April 4, 2021
Didn’t learn a lot about the property market but wish I had read it when I first arrived in Australia - a good book for new “entrants” and young people who want to know how to get a foot on the property ladder. Overall however the recipe is fairly simple if you cannot rely on mum&dad’s equity contribution or stay at mum&dad to save rent, ie sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice... which really doesn’t depict a great life experience if you are in your twenties and rather want to enjoy life instead of being fixated on saving every penny for a home deposit.. in the end it’s down to everybody’s choice, own personality and own goal I would say..
May 13, 2021
It was nice see a different perspective on the current housing market and the effect on first home buyers. It just reaffirms for those of us that feel that home ownership is out of reach, that we're not alone!!!
Probably not anything super informative, it was just interesting to read about another person's journey. Have to say, was a bit disappointed in the author's nature and she fell back into hold habits such as increasing her consumer debt and never even got rid of the debt in the first place, so not really sure what message she was going for here.
Worth it for a casual read, if you can get your hands on it for free, even better!
Probably not anything super informative, it was just interesting to read about another person's journey. Have to say, was a bit disappointed in the author's nature and she fell back into hold habits such as increasing her consumer debt and never even got rid of the debt in the first place, so not really sure what message she was going for here.
Worth it for a casual read, if you can get your hands on it for free, even better!
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