While most kids her age spend allowance money on toys or candy, 8-year-old Ruby McLellan made a very different choice — she bought a house.

Together with her siblings, Angus (14) and Lucy (13), Ruby pooled her savings to help buy a four-bedroom home in Clyde, Victoria, for $671,000. Two years later, that same property is worth nearly $960,000 — a jump of almost $289,000.

The three children saved $2,000 each by helping with chores and packing copies of their dad’s investing book. Their parents, Cam and Felicity, covered the rest, teaching their kids one of life’s biggest lessons — how to make money work for you.

Ruby admits it’s “pretty cool” being a landlord, though she hasn’t told her classmates yet. “They wouldn’t believe me,” she joked.

For their dad Cam, a seasoned property investor, the goal wasn’t just to build wealth — it was to give his kids a head start in life. “In ten years, buying a home will be nearly impossible for most young people,” he said. “So we decided to help them early — one small deposit now could change their future forever.”

The McLellans plan to keep the home until the children reach their twenties. By then, they hope it will hit the $1 million mark — their first full property cycle. The profits will be split equally between the kids.

Cam hopes their story inspires other families to start small and dream big. “Investing isn’t about luck,” he said. “It’s about learning early — and believing it’s possible.”