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The $400 Renovation That Can Outperform a $40K Kitchen

1950s retro kitchen with pink cabinets and a woman in apron baking, illustrating outdated renovation trends
Boost rental returns without overspending. Discover the low-cost upgrades Auckland landlords are using to attract tenants faster in 2025. Psst! No designer kitchen required.

A new kitchen won’t save your portfolio. But a well-placed garden shed might.

It’s an uncomfortable truth for property investors still chasing the old formula of “buy, add value, bank the rent.” The market has changed. Tenants have changed. And the returns? Well, they’re going to the landlords who know how to think smarter, not spend harder.

In a rental climate where even good properties are sitting vacant for weeks, the smartest investors aren’t spending $50,000 on a flash renovation. They’re asking, “What can I do with $5,000 that will make this place rent faster and for more?”

📉 Why ‘Pretty’ Doesn’t Pay Like It Used To

One of the most quietly devastating traps investors fall into is the “Instagram Reno”, blowing the budget on a fancy bathroom or designer tapware while overlooking what really moves the dial on tenant demand.

Jeremy Lowe from Oncore Maintenance has seen it time and time again: landlords tacking a high-end vanity onto a tired bathroom or splashing out on a trendy benchtop that clashes with the rest of the property. The result? Tenants walk and value down the drain.

Instead, he recommends that landlords focus on low-cost, high-impact improvements that speak directly to tenant priorities. That means:

  • New, durable carpet (yes, the 1960s threadbare stuff has to go)
  • A fresh coat of paint in neutral tones
  • Replacing mismatched curtains with one consistent colour throughout
  • Updating tired light switches and door handles
  • Improving outdoor usability with low-maintenance landscaping

If your renovation budget can’t stretch to a full kitchen or bathroom refresh, don’t force it. You’ll get better ROI tidying up what’s already there and creating a cohesive, clean and warm space that feels intentional, not half-finished.

🧠 The Most Overlooked Value-Add in 2025? Storage.

Our houses are small, and stuff is cheap. It’s no wonder that tenants are increasingly looking for better storage solutions.

Many new builds, especially townhouses, are being delivered with minimal or no storage, no garage, and limited internal flexibility. Tenants clock that kind of stuff.

A simple solution? Install a basic garden shed. It’s a fast, low-cost way to add functional space that gives tenants room for bikes, tools, or seasonal gear, and can either lift the rent or speed up tenanting by weeks.

If your property doesn’t offer a garage or built-in storage, that $400 shed might just be your best return-on-investment decision this year.

🎯 The Real ROI Lies in Restraint

Maximising rental return isn’t about throwing money at a problem, it’s about identifying what your next tenant values. In 2025, that’s warmth, cleanliness, storage, functionality, and a home that makes sense.

Renovate with restraint. Aim for consistency. Add only what fits, and always, always think from the tenant’s point of view.

Because if the market doesn’t see value, you’ve just sunk your margin into aesthetics that won’t rent.

🎥 Watch the Full Discussion

Watch the full conversation with Paul Weeks and Jeremy Lowe in our May 2025 APIA event replay:
Smart Cashflow Hacks for Investors Who Want Big Returns Without Blowing the Bank

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