24 properties & a 4-hour work week

An expat couple living in Dunedin went from one derelict house to 24 properties and working from under a palm tree – and now they are sharing their story.

Monday, July 17th 2017, 12:00AM

by The Landlord

Tania and Kyle Elmer

North Londoner Kyle Elmer was a golf pro and Kiwi girl Tania was in accounting when they married in the UK almost 25 years ago.

But together they decided to move into property, and their lives now revolve around the residential property investment industry.

Like so many other cash-strapped young couples, they started by buying a first home that needed serious renovations.

They spent all their spare time and money renovating and extending, but the result was a dramatic transformation.

Encouraged by their success, they decided to learn how to build serious wealth through property.

On holiday in 1999, after reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad, the Elmers formalised their plans and started running some numbers.

When they arrived back in the UK, the couple started to investigate the New Zealand market, focusing on Tania’s hometown of Dunedin.

Eventually, they put in an offer on an old fire station residence in Dunedin, despite never having seen the property themselves.

But she thinks there might have been an advantage in the distance: “Being overseas it was easier to concentrate on the numbers and not let emotions get in the way.”

That was just the start. With the right combination of business cash flow and investment focus, the couple continued buying.

They now own 24 rental properties - many of which have multiple income streams, all strongly cash flow positive – and run their own property management company.

To read more about the Elmers’ property journey and their evolving strategy, click here to get the digital issue of NZ Property Investor magazine.

Subscribe to NZ Property Investor magazine here to get great stories like this delivered to your mailbox every month.

« Housing: National vs Labour

Preparing for future investing trends »

Special Offers