B/C class neighborhood renovations for rental property

[Jordan Baker]

Hey Bigger Pockets Family, 

I have a duplex in a B/C neighborhood in Jacksonville FL. I bought the property as a primary using my FHA loan and have been doing some updates to my side but have a tennant moving out soon and want to update the other rental side of my property. I currently get 950 in rent for the 2br/1Ba side of my property and I am looking to do about $2,000-$4,000 worth of work to the otherside to bump the rent up to 1200-1300 (this is what the upper rents are going for in this area).

Nothing is majorly wrong with the house at this time it is mainly doing some cosmetic updates becuase it looks really ugly and I know I can get more for it with this rental market. Mainly updating counter tops, new flooring, paint, ceiling fans, updated cabinetry, adding a garbarge disposal and possibly dishwasher. Most of this I will do my self except for the dishwasher and garbage disposal because i need to call in an electrician to wire it. 

My big questions is what are some renovations y'all have made that have gotten you a good return on investment and gotten you solid tennants willing to pay a bit more in these middle of the road neighborhoods? is it worth it to get granite countertops? Is it neccesary to put in the dishwasher for this small of a unit? 

Any input about the renovations worth doing that will make the biggest bang for your buck in this type of neighborhood would be greatly appreciated!

[Malcomb Stapel]

@Jordan Baker 2-4k dollars isn't going to get you very much renovation. Granite counters would burn a lot of that, a fresh repaint can easily eat 1k. I don't have a good answer for you on the dishwasher, but here's a few thoughts. 

- Menards and HD both sell high definition laminate countertops. You could do 16ft of countertop for less than $500. 

- Paint scheme really helps, nice fresh colors. I know flat white and navajo grey are super popular traditional landlord colors, but they can be very drab. 

- A clean, fresh looking bathroom is going to be a big selling point. Whats your current setup look like in there?