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James Goren: Things you can do when you are WFH

Get your home sorted

Now that we are all at home, it is a great time to tackle all the home improvement projects that we have been planning for the last two or three years: 

  • Working on the garden.
  • Water blasting
  • Cleaning the driveway
  • Cleaning your gutters (be careful)
  • Painting your home
  • Clear out the garage 
  • Get rid of all the rubbish and anything else you don’t need/haven’t used

A nice system that we recommend for cleaning and sorting your property is called The 5S system: Sort. Set
in order. Shine. Standardise. Sustain.

5S can be applied anywhere and is super relevant now that we are all WFH. For your work area, office and home: 

For your kitchen:


For your garage: 


Invest in your education

You could be WFH but there are still loads of opportunities to stay in touch with other AIPA members, investors, or anyone who has been involved in the
property industry. Conduct calls over the phone or via Zoom and other video chat platforms. We can learn from each other’s experiences and share stories.

Reading books is another great way to learn more about the industry or any subject that you wanted to study but couldn’t make time for before. 

Here are some of my favourite books: 

  • The Effortless Empire – Chris Gray – about property concept and portfolio
  • The Virgin Way (Chapterized) – Richard Branson – about growth and vision
  • The Millionaire Next Door – about how rich people think and act
  • Negotiation By Brian Tracy
  • The personal MBA By Josh Kaufman – education
  • Make your bed By Admiral William McRaven – about self-discipline

I personally like audio-books. Apps like Audible makes a lot of books easily accessible.

Look after your rentals

Your tenants are locked down at home. Why not get them to do a thorough check of the house before forwarding you a list of necessary repair and maintenance
work so you can start planning for them?

Property renovation during COVID-19

As soon as we drop to Level 3 or 2, some of the businesses will resume. We at The Renovation Team plan on returning to renovation sites as soon as it is safe to do so. There will only be one team on-site at all times to avoid crowding and all staff
and contractors will be wearing masks and gloves to stay safe.

For the time being, we recommend any investor looking to renovate their properties to start planning for a realistic work schedule taking into account
various safety precautions and the following considerations: 

  • Even at Level 3 or 2 there will be challenges such as longer turnaround time for material and labour;
  • The holdup in the market right now combined with new projects after the lockdown is lifted will add more even pressure to the building industry.
Start thinking about how you can maximise the value of your property, what are the component and labour costs, how much bargaining power do you have in
a sluggish market. What can you negotiate and commit to right now during the lockdown and would that give you a better deal? 

We are here to help. Everyone at The Renovation Team is busy WFH to support our customers through this difficult time. We have the necessary video call
facilities to take consultations, showcase previous projects and help you come up with a plan to maximise your rental property value as soon as the
lockdown is lifted! Email me at [email protected] to request a
video consult. I would love to hear from you! 

 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Goren

James is the Director of The Renovation Team that combines his extensive experience as a property investor and engineer to delivers excellent returns and
value increase for property investors Aucklandwide. 


 

 

 

 

 

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