By Ben Kemp 
If your pipe breaks you call the plumber, if the powers out you call the electrician. But, if your finances are broken, what do you do? For most people, it’s a case of ‘hope for the best’.
It’s the old “Jack of all trades master of none” situation for many. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and while you likely wouldn’t call in the electrician to change a light bulb you would to re-wire the house. We all have a level of knowledge and ability to manage things to a certain point, but we need to be conscious of when it is time to reach out for assistance.
Personally, I have tried to make use of professionals whenever the time was right. When recently going through the process of purchasing a property I needed to call upon a range of professionals for specialist opinions. While I had a sound knowledge of what I wanted for my mortgage arrangements and what property I wanted to purchase I needed to outsource the process where possible. My home loan was established via a broker who could quickly compare a range of lenders for me in an instant, as well as covering a large amount of the paperwork requirements. For me, one of the best ‘investments’ I made was in a buyers advocate. While we all have an idea of what property and area we want to make home (or invest in) the ability to converse with a party who has no emotional attachment to the purchase is something I could not put a value on. Believe me after months of searching, losing bids at auction and failed negotiations it can all become a little overwhelming without a steadfast sounding board!
In my opinion I have a strong belief that investing in others is the greatest way to invest in yourself. Don’t ever be afraid to reach out to someone, ask a question and see what they have on offer. They are the master of their field for a reason.
