Small beginnings, big dreams

Lower Hutt investor couple Gurpreet and Kanwal Gill

Starting small and thinking big has proved to be a successful strategy for Gurpreet Gill and his wife Kanwal.

The couple have only been in the game for just over two years, but they already have four properties in their portfolio and a real passion for investment.

Gurpreet and Kanwal both moved to New Zealand to study nine years ago from India (they didn’t know each other at the time).

The pair met in 2014, but in the early days they had rather different goals.

“I always wanted to be a property investor. But Kanwal wanted a massive mansion,” he says. “It was in Greymouth!” Kanwal laughs. “So it was affordable.”

It didn’t take long for Gurpreet to convince her that property investment was a better idea than a Greymouth mansion.

He gave her a copy of Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, which she read in three days; “It was a real eye opener for me,” she says. 

Their first step was to buy a Petone property to live in for a few years so they could take advantage of the lower LVR and get their foot on the first rung of the property ladder. 

In August 2017, they bought their first rental property and, since then, they have bought two more properties.

They are currently focussing on improving their renovation skills but they now have a property portfolio that will provide them with a great foundation for future growth.

And they have some simple advice for people wanting to get into the investment game.

“Be humble - you don't have to rip someone off to get a good deal. A great deal is when it works for both parties.”

To read more about the Gills’ property journey – along with their top investing tips - click here to get the digital issue of NZ Property Investor magazine.

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