Upgrading a rental house does not need to be very expensive or very difficult. There are some low-budget or free tactics to take a so-so rental property and boost its appeal to prospective tenants. By adding easy and simple touches, swapping out a lot of hardware or fixtures, and doing a little inexpensive resurfacing, you can make your single-family rental property one that quality tenants will be attentive to rent. Actually, with just five proven simple upgrades, you can unquestionably boost your Midwest City 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 greater impact. Over time, hardware and light fixtures can tarnish or look dated. When this appears, a rental home’s interior can leave a negative impression on prospective renters. Completely updating old light fixtures in key rooms, putting up a ceiling fan in a bedroom, or fixing matching doorknobs, locks, and other hardware can develop visual appeal that is much more valuable than the costs. Hardware and light fixtures don’t need to be fancy or expensive; a pretty simple fixture that looks clean and modern will generally do the trick.
Touching Up the Paint
While repainting a rental home’s interior is one definite way to bring about that fresh, clean look tenants are crazy about, it is possible to secure a similar effect by doing small touch-ups. Largely depending on the level of wear and tear, the whole interior may not need a full paint job in-between every tenant. This being the case in your rental property, painting an accent, the trim, or a few walls can form 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 unquestionably impact the property’s overall appeal. More than other features, a fantastic countertop can lend a kitchen or bathroom a custom look and an upgraded feel. And thankfully, installing granite or other expensive options is not necessary to acquire this same result. There are so many various countertop resurfacing kits available that can cause your old countertops an instant facelift without the designer price tag.
Don’t Forget the Details
Interior decorators understand completely that adding thoughtful small touches to a home can make a big difference. Midwest City property managers can follow that example. Placing new cabinet handles and drawer pulls in a bland kitchen can add beauty and function, upgrading in an instant otherwise tired old cabinets.
Updated and matching faceplates are other details that can easily make a home interior feel more exquisitely put together. Cracked or mismatched faceplates can affect a room’s feel and visual appeal. You can make each room in your rental house a lot more inviting by straightforwardly replacing each faceplate with new, matching ones.
Supplementarily, always remember to add some valuable tech-friendly touches! For relatively little money, you can bring smart updates to your rental home that tenants will appreciate. For example, switch a handful of regular outlets in key areas to outlets with USB ports. You can even turn a GFCI outlet into a charging hub. Or, seriously consider getting a video doorbell, smart light bulbs or plugs, or a Wi-Fi-enabled garage door. The money you spend on these updates will surely add significant value to your property and make it not difficult at all to attract quality tenants.
Landscape for Free
A rental home’s landscaping is an important part of the property’s curb appeal and can even be one of the basic reasons a tenant chooses your property over another. A clean, low-maintenance yard is great enough for rental homes, but tenants enjoy trees, flowers, and other beautifying elements. To add some much-desired low-cost color and green to your rental yard, search your local utility or city website. All cities give away free trees or other plants to property owners. Together with this, ensure to check the “Free Stuff” section of your local classifieds. In these ads, people typically advertise things they no longer need – such as shrubs and trees – to anyone ready to come and get them. Consequently, you can upgrade your property’s landscaping for no higher cost than a little elbow grease and a shovel.
In Conclusion
Undeniably, small upgrades can equal big returns relative to standing out in the rental market. With just a little time and a handful of low-budget purchases, you can upgrade your Midwest City rental property and your ability to pull in the kind of tenants you desire to have.
Tired of doing it yourself? Why not give Real Property Management Elevate a call? It doesn’t matter if you have 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 grow their rental income while trimming down expenses and inefficiencies. Contact us online or call us at 405-876-7611 today.
Originally published on January 17, 2020
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