Tips to Help Enhance The Curb Appeal of your Rental Property

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Tips to Help Enhance The Curb Appeal of your Rental Property

As a landlord, the last thing you want is for your property to remain vacant for long. That translates to a loss of rental income. Hence, you need to make every effort to ensure your units are market ready and always inviting to prospective renters. An effective way to do so is by enhancing the curb appeal of your rental property. Homes with presentable exteriors rent quickly and tend to fetch higher rental prices. If you are looking for ways to go about it, the following are simple tips to get you inspired.

Examine the property

Before you start working on renovating your rental asset, you need to identify the areas that need improvement. Otherwise, you might end up spending huge amounts of money, and your property will still look dull. Get into your car or stroll towards your home and pretend like you are seeing the home for the first time. With an objective mind, take note of the things that immediately grab your attention, as well as those that bother you. If possible, you can take digital snapshots of the property to help you in your quest. Armed with such points, it becomes easier for you to determine what areas you need to work on to boost your house’s appeal.

Use a pressure washer

A dirty curb can cause an otherwise beautiful paint job to look distasteful, or a modern house to seem hoary and neglected. Fortunately, you can turn around that image with the help of a pressure washer. Use the pressure to make the driveway, gutters, walkways, patio and any other surfaces that have dirt or debris, spotless. If your concern is the high cost of owning pressure washers, there is always the option of renting one for the day. The benefit you will receive by having an appealing exterior will undoubtedly outweigh the time and money you will use to get the washer.

Repaint the exterior walls

If there is something that makes a property look unpleasant, it is exterior walls with chipped, dirty and outmoded paint. Scrutinize the walls and analyze the paintwork. Is the wall defaced, or dusty? How does it compare to those neighboring it, and so on? If you decide to repaint the walls, make sure that you prepare the surface properly so as to get a professional finish. Otherwise, the result might end up being a chalky or dusty surface.

Install or repair exterior doors fixtures

Irrespective of how beautiful your house is, so long as it has worn out, outdated, or broken shutters and door fixtures, it will be a turnoff to many prospective clients. For this reason, take the time to upgrade the look of your doors and shutters. For instance, they should be free of damage, while the handles or knobs should be in perfect working condition.

Paint the front porch and door

As the saying goes, first impressions last. One of the primary features prospective tenants initially see when they look at your property is the front porch or door. Take the time to repaint these critical areas as it will entice them  to want to see the rest of the house. A good front door paint job can significantly enhance the aesthetic appeal of your property, without denting your pocket.

Demarcate Garden Areas

If your rental has an extensive lawn, why not give your prospect the impression that they can have their own garden if they lease your property. For this, use bricks, paving stones or even concrete curbing to define the garden areas such as the planting beds. Besides making your rental look beautiful, garden areas make the property more appealing to prospective customers in that it gives the tenant the freedom to make cosmetic changes that he or she fancies.

Add flora

Leafy and bright-colored plants make any property look beautiful. Take the time to add beautiful flowers and trees on your property. However, be careful and go for hardy, low maintenance perennials, which do not require constant or specialized attention. When it comes to planting the trees, also ensure that you plant them at a safe distance from the buildings, where the roots will not grow towards the structure’s foundation.

Keep the compound clean

It is not just enough to clean the lawn. You must consistently ensure that it remains tidy and well maintained. That means you should mow, water and weed the garden regularly. Furthermore, take the time to prune the hedges, overgrown bushes, and shrubs, and also get rid of any fallen leaves, twigs or branches. Lastly, include a trash can on the compound where the guests on your property can dispose of litter. A clean yard communicates to your prospecting tenants that you are genuinely concerned about their well-being.

While enhancing the curb appeal of your rental property does take a decent amount of time and effort, the financial returns you’ll receive will make it worth your while. First impressions are imperative to leasing out your property. By following the above tips you should see a decrease in the amount of time your rental remains vacant.

What have you done to enhance the appeal of your rental?  Have you ever attempted to rent a place that could use a fix-up?  Or decided against or for a property based on how it looked?