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Hi Ringading,

See you’re in S.A. If you have the opportunity to go to Peter Spann seminars, even the three hour introductory ones have tips on renovating. Their website is http://www.freemanfox.com.au. You can also buy their videos of the seminars if you can’t go.

It comes down to your budget, whether you are going to live in it or rent it out.

A few ideas from renos we have done –

Don’t do anything structural though unless you’re a builder or have mates who are, takes too much time and you want to get the rent coming in asap.

Paint a neutral colour – the tenants can put their own colour with curtains, lounges, bedspreads, etc.

Polished floors can’t be damaged in the same way as carpet or vinyl. You can always sand and re-estapol, easier than replacing carpet or patching vinyl. But you can also get good remnant or end of roll carpet and vinyl.

Have a neat functional kitchen and bathroom. A new vanity, say $300 and tiling (seconds, end of runs at sales) makes a difference. Maybe new tap fittings. You might just need to replace a couple of kitchen cupboard doors, the handles, sometimes the benchtop. You might find a kitchen manufacturer that has benchtops that are unclaimed orders and sell them half price and less and cut them for you.

Light fittings don’t have to be expensive – we just put new ones for under $25 each (sale price) and they were stainless steel and glass. New light switches look good and double power points in the kitchen area.

We have replaced internal doors from dull looking luan to panel.

Some tenants aren’t gardeners – and there might be water water restrictions. Last reno, we tidied up a lot, removed dead shrubs, trimmed trees, weeded the garden, spent $65 on good cyprus pine mulch so it ended up virtually easy care. New letterbox if it’s rusty.

Anna

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Thanks Anna for your indepth reply-I have taken notes from it and look forward to putting them to use. Will check out this seminar site in a sec and will try and get to one if they are still on. Thanks again!
Ringading