Upgrading a rental house does not need to be expensive or a real pain. There are quite a lot of cut-price or free means to take a so-so rental property and boost its appeal to prospective tenants. By adding some light and simple touches, swapping out some hardware or fixtures, and doing a little affordable resurfacing, you can make your single-family rental property one that quality tenants will be delighted to rent. In actuality, with just five rather easy upgrades, you can seriously boost your Columbia Heights property’s appeal.
Changing Hardware and Fixtures
Replacing small hardware items, for instance, doorknobs and light fixtures at the top of the list among small upgrades that can have a serious impact. Over time, hardware and light fixtures can tarnish or look dated. When this occurs, a rental home’s interior can leave a negative impression on prospective renters. Simply updating old light fixtures in key rooms, mounting a ceiling fan in a bedroom, or attaching matching doorknobs, locks, and other hardware can improve visual appeal that is substantially greater than the costs. Hardware and light fixtures don’t need to be fancy or super expensive; even a plain fixture that looks clean and modern will mostly do the trick.
Touching Up the Paint
While repainting a rental home’s interior is one very important way to get that fresh, clean look tenants take delight in, it is possible to achieve a similar effect by doing small touch-ups. Depending on the level of wear and tear, the whole interior may not need a full paint job in-between every tenant. If that is so in your rental property, painting an accent, the trim, or a few walls can develop 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 seriously impact the property’s overall appeal. Conceivably more than other features, a great countertop can lend a kitchen or bathroom a custom look and an upgraded feel. And the good thing, installing granite or other expensive options is not necessary to have this same result. There are numerous countertop resurfacing kits available that can furnish your old countertops with an instant facelift without the designer price tag.
Don’t Forget the Details
Interior decorators grasp well that adding particular small touches to a home can make a big difference. Columbia Heights property managers can follow that example. Incorporating new cabinet handles and drawer pulls into a bland kitchen can add beauty and function, at once upgrading otherwise tired old cabinets.
Updated and matching faceplates are other important details that can make a home interior feel more charmingly put together. Cracked or mismatched faceplates can affect a room’s feel and visual appeal. You can make each room in your rental house noticeably more beautiful by merely replacing each faceplate with new, matching ones.
Besides all that, always remember to add some tech-friendly touches! For relatively little money, you can choose to add smart updates to your rental home that tenants will enjoy. For example, switch selected regular outlets in key areas to outlets with useful USB ports. You can even turn a GFCI outlet into a charging hub. Or, check about getting a video doorbell, smart light bulbs or plugs, or a Wi-Fi-enabled garage door. The money you spend on these updates will add value to your property and make it so much simpler to attract quality tenants.
Landscape for Free
A rental home’s landscaping is a primary part of the property’s curb appeal and can even be one of the principal reasons a tenant chooses your property over another. A clean, low-maintenance yard is appropriate for rental homes, but tenants enjoy trees, flowers, and other beautifying elements. To add a few appealing low-cost colors and green to your rental yard, check closely your local utility or city website. Plenty of cities give away free trees or other plants to property owners. At the same time, bear in mind to check the “Free Stuff” section of your local classifieds. In these ads, people, all the time, advertise things they no longer need – for instance, shrubs and trees – to anyone broad-minded to come and get them. In this way, you can upgrade your property’s landscaping for no higher cost than just a little elbow grease and a shovel.
In Conclusion
Small upgrades can equal big returns in the matter of standing out in the rental market. With just a little time and only a few affordable purchases, you can upgrade your Columbia Heights rental property and your ability to appeal to the kind of tenants you endeavor to have.
Tired of doing it yourself? Why not give Real Property Management DC Metro a call? It doesn’t matter if you own 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 help rental homeowners build up rental income while happily lowering expenses and inefficiencies. Contact us online or call us at202-269-0303 today.
Originally published on January 17, 2020
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