Adding Value To A Property Through Renovation

As investors we focus on getting the best return on our capital. When we talk property and renovations there needs to be careful consideration into how much capital is available and where it's directed on the improvement works within a project. The planning stage is crucial to where the real value will be created from a renovation. You need to establish a plan for where the greatest perceived value increase can be achieved. We find the most common areas to renovate include the kitchen and bathrooms but through our experiences the biggest asset on all projects is paint: tile paint, paving paint, roof paint, wall paint, window paint, benchtop paint – it's all similar type of paint – it's the golden nugget in your toolkit – and it's cheap in contrast to revitalising larger areas. Paint freshens the look and smell of a property and can be complimented with finer details such as fixtures and fittings creating the uplift in price. If you are unsure what to do I suggest a real estate agent will give you a solid guide into what you need to do or pay a professional consultant that will provide a detailed analysis based for your property and your budget. There is no question that a renovation whether it be low cost cosmetic or high end structural works these help an investor increase value or equity from their property. This extra value can be accessed in two forms through equity release for potentially another purchase or cash from sale. Renovation alone is one of the biggest wealth creation strategies and takes less time and money than sub division or developments. And when we talk risk in contrast to these other concepts a renovation is faster and lower cost on a general level and definitely more achievable for most of us. What we find is that people with minimal renovation experience often underestimate the cost and time required to achieve the desired outcome, which may ultimately never eventuate due to the unknowns that do occur. If you are engaging a professional tradesman always ensure you have a full scope of works and that any variations are signed off. We suggest that any plumbing or electrical changes be done only by licensed trades – do not attempt this work yourself as these are higher risk and higher cost areas. Plus your security is paramount. Some potential risks with a renovation are we underestimate the budget or scope of an improvement resulting in pressure to finish a job that may compromise quality standards. Reliability of trades and sticking to a timeline is another risk factor for consideration as this may impact when the property is ready for tenancy or sale. In one of our recent projects we helped a vendor extract an extra $295,000 in equity with only $60,000 spend in five weeks. This result was life changing for the vendor who was able to take a leap into the next phase of life. The vendor didn't have the money, we stepped in to help, found the trades and agent to sell, co-ordinated the project, provided some funds to move the son out and shed some tears together on auction day. The project was in a great location which we knew would command a strong price once renovated. The appraised price before commencing the project was $550,000. After opening up some internal non-structural walls we created a second bathroom to bring the price on auction day to $845,000. An amazing result in five weeks through renovation. We also nailed the budget spend of $60,000 which can often be rare for the enormity of these type of works. If the jury is out into whether to renovate or not always consider: Do I have the capacity to do it myself? Do I have the money to make it happen? Do I know the uplift in value I will create? If the answer is NO to any question then re-assess to be certain before moving forward in the future. Renovations are our favourite strategy and we've built some great strategies around this concept.