Can renovating an apartment for about PLN 100,000 recoup the investment within a year?
For the apartment on Długa Street, the figures clearly show the change’s scale.
We compared the apartment’s results in Sep 2025 with the results after renovation in Sep 2026.
And the difference is huge.
September 2025: PLN 6,764 net. September 2026: PLN 16,946 net
In September 2025, the apartment on Długa Street generated PLN 6,764 in net revenue.
A year later, after the changes, the result
PLN 16,946 net.
That’s PLN 10,182 more in a single month.
That’s about a +150% year-over-year increase.
In Sep 2026, the apartment generated about 2.5× the net result vs. the prior year.
But income alone isn’t the whole story.
Occupancy rate increase:
After the renovation, the apartment didn’t just start selling for more—it was also chosen much more often by Guests. The rise in this indicator shows that the changes affected not only the higher value of an individual booking, but also greater interest in the apartment itself.
That’s an occupancy increase of around 50% vs. the previous year.
That’s exactly the effect we look for when renovating a rental apartment: not only to raise the price, but to create a product that Guests want to book.
RevPAR:
The change is even more visible in RevPAR, i.e., the revenue per available day for the apartment.
September 2025 vs 2026: we record a year-over-year increase of 153%.
So RevPAR grew more than 2.5 times.
The apartment simply started using its sales potential much more effectively.
Increase in average nightly rate
Another change: the average price of booked nights.
The market absorbed the apartment’s higher rates, allowing us to increase ADR by 69%.
This is where the most interesting part of this case
After renovation, it was possible to
increase the average accommodation price, raise occupancy, and more than double the apartment’s sales efficiency.
This is what makes a planned investment renovation different from a simple “refresh of an
And what about the high season?
To avoid relying on only one month, it’s worth looking at another date range as well. From 1 June to 31 August.
Occupancy in 2026 was slightly lower by under 4.9%, and yet the result per available day was clearly higher.
RevPAR rose ~23%, and the average booked-night price rose nearly 29%.
This shows the aim isn’t always to sell every available day.
The goal is to maximize the apartment’s profit from each available day, while keeping every booking economically sensible. It’s not about reaching 100% occupancy at any cost. If selling a given day below a certain price threshold stops being profitable, we don’t lower rates just to fill the calendar. Every pricing decision should consider costs, margin, and the apartment’s real value—so higher occupancy translates into a better financial result, not just a higher number of bookings.
After renovation, the apartment could generate more value from a single booking and deliver a higher result even at a similar occupancy level.
What do these numbers give us?
If we look at September only, the difference between 2025 and 2026 is:
PLUS PLN 10,182 net per month.
If the same extra result held on average over the next months, annual growth would exceed PLN 120,000.
That’s why when we talk about a budget of about PLN 100,000 for renovation, we don’t look at it only as a cost.
We see it as an investment in a product that will earn money later.
Of course, results in short-term rentals change depending on season, demand, and many other factors, so you can’t assume the same increase every month.
This case shows very well how big the difference can be between an apartment before and after a well-planned transformation.
What did we change in the apartment on Długa Street in
A 102 m² apartment in Gdańsk’s Old Town.
During the work, it wasn’t just about creating a “prettier apartment”.
The apartment was fully refreshed and adapted primarily for the needs of families and larger groups. With the right use of space, it can now comfortably host up to 8 people. Inside there are two separate bedrooms with double beds and a room prepared for family stays.
Downtown Wood also made new kitchen cabinetry, raising interior standards and using the available space more effectively.
And that’s where the key to the results lies.
We didn’t design the interior just for photos.
We designed it for a specific guest and a specific way of selling the apartment.
With this floor area, the biggest opportunity is for families and larger groups. We also know which factors shape stay comfort, offer rating, and your achievable price.
That’s why, when investing in a renovation, we focus first of all on changes that can translate into better results later.
Not every apartment needs a full renovation.
The apartment on Długa Street shows more extensive modernization, but you don’t always need to start by tearing down walls or replacing the whole
At Downtown, we also carry out apartment renovations aimed at delivering the best possible effect within a controlled budget.
Depending on the property, it can include home staging, adding furnishings, changing the layout, modernizing lighting, replacing key furniture, improving functionality, or a professional photo shoot.
But the most important rule remains the same:
we focus on what truly influences guests’ decisions and the apartment’s sales potential.
On the Downtown website, we explain this process in more detail. In renovations, we focus on using existing space, improving furnishings, removing elements that cause negative reviews, and—where it’s justified from a business standpoint—changing the apartment’s functionality.
See what apartment renovations look like
How do we know what’s worth changing?
We don’t stop at the renovation.
Afterward, we bring this apartment to the market: sell stays, manage pricing, and analyze performance.
This lets us see very quickly which design decisions work.
Downtown manages over 1,000 apartments and handles over 60,000 bookings every year.
It gives us lots of data on:
what guests really choose, what they’re willing to pay more for, which apartment layouts sell better, and which furnishings increase the appeal of the offer.
That’s why, when renovating an investment apartment, we don’t just
“What will look better?”
We ask first and foremost:
“What will make this apartment sell better?”
The apartment on Długa Street is a very good example of an answer to that question.
It’s not just an interior makeover.
It’s a makeover of an investment
That’s exactly how we handle renovations and restorations at Downtown Rent.
