Upgrading a rental house does not need to be financially harmful or toilsome. There are several cost-effective or free ways to take a so-so rental property and boost its appeal to prospective tenants. By adding some very easy touches, swapping out a bit of hardware or fixtures, and doing a little low-priced resurfacing, you can make your single-family rental property one that quality tenants will be all willing to rent. As it turns out, with just five hassle-free upgrades, you can effectively boost your West Covina property’s appeal.
Changing Hardware and Fixtures
Replacing small hardware items such as doorknobs and light fixtures is at the top of the list among small upgrades that can have a significant impact. Over time, hardware and light fixtures can tarnish or look dated. When this comes about, a rental home’s interior can negatively impact prospective renters. Effortlessly updating old light fixtures in key rooms, putting in place a ceiling fan in a bedroom, or incorporating matching doorknobs, locks, and other hardware can raise visual appeal that is far greater than the costs. Hardware and light fixtures don’t need to be fancy or excessive; even just a rudimentary fixture that looks clean and modern will generally do the trick.
Touching Up the Paint
While repainting a rental home’s interior is a crucial way to get that fresh, clean look tenants delight in, it is possible to realize a similar effect by doing small touch-ups. Determined by the level of wear and tear, the complete interior may not need a full paint job in-between every tenant. In this instance, in your rental property, painting an accent, the trim, or a few walls can easily create the look of freshly painted walls without spending too much time or money.
Resurface the Countertops
The look of a rental home’s countertops can certainly significantly impact the property’s overall appeal. Seemingly more than other features, a fine countertop can lend a kitchen or bathroom a custom look and an upgraded feel. Favorably though, installing granite or other expensive options is not necessary to acquire this same result. There is widely differing countertop resurfacing kits available that can impart your old countertops an instant facelift without the designer price tag.
Don’t Forget the Details
Interior decorators know quite well that adding some small touches to a home can make a big difference. West Covina property managers can follow that example. Including new cabinet handles and drawer pulls to a bland kitchen can add beauty and function, straightforwardly upgrading otherwise tired old cabinets.
Updated and matching faceplates are also details that can get a home interior feel more put together and beautifully done. Cracked or mismatched faceplates can negatively affect a room’s feel and visual appeal. You can make each room in your rental house more gorgeous by simply replacing each faceplate with new, matching ones.
Besides these above, bring to mind adding a few tech-friendly touches! For relatively little money, you can bring about smart updates to your rental home that tenants will adore. For example, switch one or several regular outlets in key areas to outlets incorporating USB ports. You can even turn a GFCI outlet into a charging hub. Or, assess getting a video doorbell, smart light bulbs or plugs, or a Wi-Fi-enabled garage door. The money it costs you to spend on these updates will greatly add value to your property and make it a whole lot easier to attract quality tenants.
Landscape for Free
A rental home’s landscaping is a critical part of the property’s curb appeal and can even be one of the major causes a tenant chooses your property over another. A clean, low-maintenance yard is acceptable for rental homes, but tenants enjoy trees, flowers, and other beautifying elements. To add a few low-cost colors and green to your rental yard, take time to check your local utility or city website. Certain cities give away free trees or other plants to property owners. On top of that, take note to check the “Free Stuff” section of your local classifieds. In these ads, people most commonly advertise things they no longer need – such as, for example, shrubs and trees – to anyone open to coming and getting them. By doing so, you can upgrade your property’s landscaping for no higher cost than a little elbow grease and a shovel.
In Conclusion
Small upgrades can certainly equal big returns with reference to standing out in the rental market. With just a little time and some cost-effective purchases, you can upgrade your West Covina rental property and your ability to lure the kind of tenants you want to work with.
Tired of doing it yourself? Why not give Real Property Management Fairmate a call today? It doesn’t matter if you retain one rental home or several; our goal is to protect and maximize your real estate investment. Backed by over 30 years of nationwide experience, our property managers are here to successfully help rental homeowners magnify rental income while decreasing expenses and inefficiencies. Contact us online or call us at 626-691-9749 today.
Originally published on January 17, 2020
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