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FAQs

Have a question about Kō? We have answers. Review frequently asked questions on the following topics:

The Kō Model

Buying a Share In My Second Home

What is Kō?

Kō is the holiday home co-ownership platform in the APAC region. We aim to provide a smarter solution to owning a holiday home in Australia and Southeast Asia.

Our platform manages the entire home ownership experience while ensuring transparency and fairness

Once you become a Kō owner, you can schedule your time in the property using our advanced scheduling system, while we take care of the rest on your behalf: utilities, home and pool maintenance, repairs and insurance.

Kō offers all the benefits of owning a holiday home, with none of the hassle and at a fraction of the cost!

Is Kō a timeshare?

No, Kō isn’t a timeshare. When you own a Kō home, you are an owner in the property.

Owners also have complete control over the price and timeline of their home, including when and if they choose to sell their portion of the home. They can choose to list the home privately or sell their share(s) on the Kō platform.

In short, what does Kō do?

We offer a digital platform where existing or potential holiday homeowners can sell or find their dream holiday home.

Kō homes are managed and looked after by a team of expert property managers in each location, so you don’t have to worry about maintaining your property (utilities, cleaning, etc).

Kō owners have access to a neutral booking application, where they can schedule their stay fairly in proportion to the shares they own in a home.

How does Kō make money?

We charge two fees:

  1. 10% of the share’s value when you purchase a Kō home. This is a one-off service fee.
  2. A nominal platform administration fee of US$125 per month.

Co-ownership 101

What does “home co-ownership” mean?

Co-ownership (or fractional home ownership) is an arrangement that allows homeowners to share in the costs, benefits, and equity of a property, depending on what percentage of the home they purchase. It other words, it means that a property is owned by a group of owners instead of one single owner.

How many co-owners are there per home?

Homes can be divided into up to 8 shares and your individual usage of the home is proportionate to the number of shares you own.

One share will get you 6 weeks in your holiday home, 50% ownership (4/8) will get you up to 24 weeks.

What are the initial and on-going costs involved for Kō owners?

When you enter a co-ownership agreement with Kō, your first one-off payment covers the cost of your share, closing fees, any home upgrades (if applicable), and Kō’s service fee. We also set up a reserve fund, where each owner puts in 6 months of their share of expected operating costs.

Ongoing costs include:

  • A nominal platform administration fee of US$125 per month.
  • Ad hoc daily cleaning fees during your holiday stay. These vary for each property.

Buying a Kō home

Can I purchase more than 1/8 of the home?

Yes, you can.

Each home is divided into eight equal shares, and you can choose to purchase as many as you wish.

For example, if you purchase 4/8 shares, you will own 50% of the home – meaning that you will have access to the property for 50% of the year and own more equity in the property, allowing for greater returns if you choose to sell all or some of the shares.

What is covered in the purchase price of each home?

The purchasing price for each share, the one-off service fee, closing fees and any home upgrades (if applicable). We also set up a reserve fund, where each owner puts in 6 months of their share of expected operating costs.

What isn’t covered are the ongoing co-ownership costs such as:

  • A nominal platform administration fee of US$125 per month.
  • Ad hoc daily cleaning fees during your holiday stay. These vary for each property.
Can I visit the home before buying?

Yes, you can. When you register your interest in a home, Kō will connect you with our sales agent partners for the property. The agents will then share any relevant information you require and facilitate a visit to the property.

Do I own the contents of my Kō home?

Yes, Kō owners own the land, the property and its contents

What does the vetting co-owners process entail?

One of the benefits of co-ownership is that all parties involved own part of the property, so you can rest assured that the home will be treated with care and respect.

The vetting process is designed to ensure just that, that all co-owners will respect the property and look after it during their stay.

Checks we will conduct include: identity verification, credit check, employment status and assets.

Will I know who the other co-owners of the property are?

We believe privacy is key to each Kō owner, but we can share details such as the traditional booking preferences of the current owners.

Can the same Kō share be owned jointly by myself and another person (spouse, friend, family member)?

Yes, you may own a share as part of a larger ownership group.

Do I need a lawyer to purchase a Kō home?

You are welcome to review any legal documents and paperwork related to the purchase of a Kō home with your lawyer. Please note, however, that our standard documentation is not subject to changes.

Scheduling & staying

How many days do I get to use my home each year?

The number of days you are allowed to use the home in a year is based on the number of shares you own in the property.

For each share, you can enjoy 42 days at the property.

How many times a year will I be able to go?

How you decide to use your time at the property is entirely up to you.

To ensure a fair allocation of days across all owners for high and low season times, stays are limited to one week at a time per share of the property.

It is possible to schedule contiguous weeks, but that’s dependant on the schedule of other owners and any draft orders already received.

The booking application also allows you to trade weeks with other co-owners, enabling you to enjoy a longer stay of three/four weeks.

Contact our team to learn more about our scheduling system.

How long can I stay at a time?

To ensure a fair allocation of days across all owners for high and low season times, stays are limited to one week at a time (Sunday to Saturday).

It is possible to schedule contiguous weeks, but that’s dependant on the schedule of other owners and any draft orders already received.

The booking application also allows you to trade weeks with other co-owners, enabling you to enjoy a longer stay of three/four weeks.

Contact our team to learn more about our scheduling system.

How do I book time for public holidays?

You can reserve any time you want. However, you’re not allowed to book the house for both Christmas and New Years Eve.

We want to ensure that the allocation of the time is fair across all co-owners, so each owner has a limited number of “high-season” days that they can reserve each year – in proportion to the shares they own. Our system doesn’t only consider the weather, but we also take into account factors like school holidays, public holidays and any special activities the location may offer.

Contact our team to learn more about our scheduling system.

When can I reserve my time at the property?

You can book your time on a rolling basis, two years in advance. Contact our team to learn more about our scheduling system.

Maintenance & Costs

What are the on-going costs for Kō owners?

Just like any home, there are ongoing maintenance and management costs involved. One of the great benefits of co-ownership, is that these costs are shared across all owners, based on the number of shares of the home they own.

Ongoing costs include:

  • A nominal platform administration fee of AUD$150per month.
  • Ad hoc daily cleaning fees during your holiday stay. These vary for each property.
What is included in Kō’s platform fee?

The AUD$150 fee is for Kō to manage the booking platform.

Is there a reserve fund for unexpected costs?

We also set up a reserve fund, where each owner puts in 6 months of their share of expected operating costs. We also allocate a portion of the monthly fees for any future large improvements to avoid any large cash outflows when major repairs and upgrades are required. Its size is property dependent.

Who takes care of my home?

Kō is responsible for managing each of the homes on our platform. For physical maintenance, we partner with vetted agents based near each home to ensure the property is managed to the highest standards.

Can a Kō owner make decisions on behalf of the group?

Kō is a neutral third party that always acts in the best interest of the group. As such, we make decisions that impact routine maintenance of the homes such as weather proofing and smaller repairs. Bigger decisions need to be brought to a vote. Each share of the home equals a singular vote.

What if the co-owners want to stop their partnership with Kō?

If all co-owners agree, you have the right to exit the partnership with Kō as a manager.

Would I have to pay for repairs that results from a co-owner particular stay?

No, you don’t. The costs for the general management and upkeep of the house are shared. However, if a co-owner ruins an appliance during their stay, they are responsible to replace it.

If they refuse to cover the cost, Kō will use their portion of the reserve fund to cover any expenses.

In extreme circumstances, Kō can restrict their access to the home until the costs are covered.

What happens if a co-owner stops paying the monthly maintenance fees?

If a co-owner defaults the payment of the monthly fee, Kō will use their portion of the reserve fund to cover any expenses and restricts access during any period of non-payment.

What is included in “ordinary maintenance and repairs”?

It refers to the cost of labour and materials involved in ensuring that your holiday home lives up to the standards of a luxury home. In practice, this relates to things like landscaping, gardening, and pool maintenance among others.

How do I log a maintenance or repair request?

Each home has a property manager assigned who will be available to assist.

Where would the money of the co-owners be kept?

All the money collected from co-owners from each property will be kept in an account overseen by our third-party trustee and managed by Kō.

Will I have access to an annual budget so I can plan for the house costs?

Yes. Owners will have full visibility of money spent.

Do I receive cost updates in the form of monthly statements (bills, taxes, etc)?

Statements are shared with co-owners quarterly with a full reconciliation yearly. You will receive a financial statement for your property, a balance sheet, and a cash-flow statement.

Cost statements can be made available upon request.

Are Kō properties insured?

Yes, all Kō properties are insured.

What happens if a co-owner dies?

The share will be transferred according to the instructions in their will or to their heirs if there isn’t a will.

Selling a Kō home

Can I sell my share(s)?

Yes, you can sell all or part of your shares whenever you wish to do so.

Owners also have complete control over the price, and they can choose to list the home privately or sell their share(s) on the Kō platform.

Can I sell my share(s) to anyone?

Yes. Other co-owners have first right to offer when a share is going for sale, but if they do not wish to purchase the share they do not approve the new buyer. However, new owners will be vetting through our process before the transaction is closed.

How long does it take to sell a Kō home?

It depends on the price you set for your share and the real estate market at the time of the sale.

Are selling prices fixed?

No, they aren’t. As the owner of the share, you get to decide how much you would like to see the share sell for and how to go about it.

Are there any costs involved with selling my share?

You can expect the same costs you would incur if you were selling a normal home. Generally, these are sales commissions and closing costs.

Selling with Kō

I own 100% of a holiday home. Can I fractionalise it with Kō?

Yes, you can. Current homeowners can decide to fractionalise their holiday home and list it on the Kō platform.

Is my home a suitable Kō home?

In a nutshell, we are looking for luxury holiday homes in the Asia Pacific area. Turnkey homes that sit unutilised for a large portion of the year, and whose owners are ready to start benefitting from the co-ownership model.

These are some of the requirements of a Kō home:

  • Well-situated within a popular holiday home destination
  • Turnkey: requires little or no renovation.
  • A stylish home.
  • Ideal number of bedrooms: 3-5.
  • Number of bathrooms: ideally one per bedroom.
How many share(s) of my home can I sell Kō?

That is up to you, but we ask each property owner to offer at least 4 of the 8 shares (50%) within the first year. You can base the decision on factors like current home usage – i.e. sell back what you don’t use.