Investing made easy: Finding alternatives

The old cliché of not keeping all your eggs in one basket holds for property investment too - and it doesn't just mean spreading your property purchases around geographically. Investing in a range of other asset types altogether can offer advantages too.

The experts agree that residential property can be a great stepping stone to building wealth, but at some point it may come time to sell - be it as an investor nears retirement; tires of dealing with tenant or property issues; or just wants to make sure they have a good spread of risk in their finances.

Jeff Matthews, a senior adviser at Spicers Portfolio Management, says at some point people want to take their profits and do other things. He adds that while residential property might have been a good way to build up that nest egg, at the end of the day people also want to protect it.

"And the best way is to spread your risk," he says.