Upgrading a rental house does not need to be extremely expensive or arduous. There are lots of affordable or free measures to take a so-so rental property and boost its appeal to prospective tenants. By adding some uncomplicated touches, swapping out a large number of hardware or fixtures with new ones, and doing a little inexpensive resurfacing, you can make your single-family rental property one that quality tenants will be disposed to rent. As a matter of fact, with just five trouble-free upgrades, you can boost your San Diego 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 considerable impact. Over time, hardware and light fixtures can tarnish or look dated. When this transpires, a rental home’s interior can leave a negative impression on prospective renters. Simply updating old light fixtures in key rooms, adding a ceiling fan in a bedroom, or putting in matching doorknobs, locks, and other hardware can create a visual appeal that is superior to the costs. Hardware and light fixtures don’t need to be fancy or high-cost; a basic fixture that looks clean and modern will, many times, do the trick.
Touching Up the Paint
While repainting a rental home’s interior is one necessary way to secure that fresh, clean look tenants appreciate, it is possible to benefit from a similar effect by doing small touch-ups. Contingent upon the level of wear and tear, the complete interior may not need a full paint job in-between every tenant. If this is the case in your rental property, painting an accent, the trim, or a few walls can produce 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 considerably impact the property’s overall appeal. Potentially more than other features, a fresh and beautiful countertop can lend a kitchen or bathroom a custom look and an upgraded feel. Thank goodness, installing granite or other expensive options is not necessary to acquire this same result. There are wide, many different countertop resurfacing kits available that can present your old countertops with an instant facelift without the designer price tag.
Don’t Forget the Details
Interior decorators are aware that adding a handful of small touches to a home can make a big difference. San Diego property managers can follow that example. Mounting new cabinet handles and drawer pulls to a bland kitchen can add beauty and function, easily upgrading otherwise tired old cabinets.
Updated and matching faceplates are other details that can help make a home interior feel more put together. Cracked or mismatched faceplates can affect a room’s feel and visual appeal. You can make each room in your rental house considerably more fine and attractive by merely replacing each faceplate with new, matching ones.
Furthermore, take into account adding a few tech-friendly touches! For relatively little money, you can add smart updates to your rental home that tenants will be crazy about. For example, switch some regular outlets in key areas to outlets incorporating USB ports. You can even turn a GFCI outlet into a charging hub. Or, try 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 easier to attract quality tenants.
Landscape for Free
A rental home’s landscaping is a focal part of the property’s curb appeal and can even be one of the key reasons a tenant chooses your property over another. A clean, low-maintenance yard is wonderful for rental homes, but tenants enjoy trees, flowers, and other beautifying elements. To add a bit of low-cost color and green to your rental yard, simply check your local utility or city website. A large number of cities give away free trees or other plants to property owners. Besides that, take note to check the “Free Stuff” section of your local classifieds. In these ads, people largely advertise things they no longer need – like shrubs and trees – to anyone agreeable to come and get 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 equal big returns to standing out in the rental market. With just a little time and some very affordable purchases, you can upgrade your San Diego rental property and your ability to draw in the kind of tenants you like.
Tired of doing it yourself? Why not give Real Property Management Realevate Specialists 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 increase rental income while lowering expenses and inefficiencies. Contact us online or call us at 858-997-2100 or 951-461-0100 today.
Originally published on January 17, 2020
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