Are you preparing to transition your home to a rental property? What improvements should you make to your Pensacola home? Here's Realtor Lindsay Scapecchi answering this question with advice for new landlords about how to make your property more attractive to renters.
What you can do to make your home more attractive to renters?
First, make sure the flooring is updated and in good condition. Many homes are being decorated with luxury vinyl plank, a popular and expensive flooring choice. While you don’t need new high-end floors in your rental home, you do need clean, safe, and smell-free floor coverings to lease your home in today’s market. Sometimes a simple cleaning can do the trick. If not, a vinyl plank product is preferred for living areas and will be a worthwhile investment. People still like carpeting in bedrooms as long as it’s clean. Don’t neglect cleaning grout lines in tile as it’s often overlooked.
Check on the cosmetics in your home including the paint! It’s hard to see what needs to be done when you are still living in your home as often furniture and personal effects like photo frames and TVs can hide cosmetic imperfections. Once everything is out of the house, you may find you need paint more than you realized when you were living in the home. Take a good look at your walls, baseboards, and doors. Are they in need of more than cleaning? Do you have dark or bright colors in each room or a personalized décor? Typically, neutral paints like creams, greys, and tans are much more appealing to a broader audience and can help your home rent faster. Most wallpaper is out of style and we recommend removing it.
If your home needs updating in the kitchen and bathrooms, we recommend investing a little money there, as you know what they say- kitchens and bathrooms sell houses! And of course, they rent them, too. We’re not suggesting you do a full-blown kitchen remodel, however, there are some cost-effective ways to give these areas a facelift. You can easily spruce up the cabinets in either area by cleaning, staining, or painting them and changing out the hardware. Countertops are a more expensive but worthwhile investment if your home needs them. New kitchen appliances not only give the kitchen a new feel but will also save you on appliance repair expenses later. In the bathroom, you can do these same items and change out things like lighting, towel bars, and toilet paper holders to modernize the bathroom.
Homes with fenced backyards rent better, due to them being more pet and family-friendly. A fenced backyard is an important feature as it creates a better quality of life for renters with pets and children. In addition to increased privacy and security, it also allows renters peace of mind and convenience.
Another exterior improvement you can easily make to your property to make it more attractive to renters is some simple landscaping. We don’t recommend a lot of landscaping or intricate bedding; however, we do recommend you have some curb appeal at your property. Some simple shrubbery can go a long way. Be sure that you trim down all shrubs, clear away anything too close to the house, weed out any beds, and put down some fresh mulch before moving out to improve your exterior.
Are you considering leasing your Pensacola home and in need of Pensacola property management? Realty Masters is the leading Property Management Company in Pensacola and is happy to help answer your questions about what improvements would make your home more attractive. Schedule a consultation today with our team! https://www.pensacolarealtymasters.com/pensacola-property-management
