The first impression that potential tenants get when they visit your rental property determine if they are going to rent it or not. The truth of the matter is that potential tenants in the city go for properties that are appealing to their eyes and other things come second. Some tenants do not mind much about the status of the property they are renting as long as the property is appealing to their eyes. This means that landlords can make their rental property more attractive to potential tenants by improving its curb appeal. Here are some of the basic ways, which landlords can use to enhance the curb appeal of their rental property.
1. Planting Trees and Flowers in the Compound
Trees and flowers make the compound attractive and you can use them to improve the curb appeal of rental properties. This is a very important strategy, especially for single-family houses with a spacious compound. You can plant some nice looking trees with a canopy and attractive flowers to make it more appealing to potential tenants. However, you need to make sure the trees and plants have no harm to tenants and are not likely to damage the property. You also want to make sure it’s in line with city regulations.
2. Cover the Dead Spots in the Compound Neatly
When you plant trees and scrubs in the compound, their roots are likely to damage the ground near the trees. The dead spots that have no grass are ugly and can make the compound look dull and unappealing to potential tenants. However, you can improve the curb of your rental property by covering the dead spots in the compound. This is essential after making major repairs and renovations in the property compound.
3. Upgrade the Fixtures and Fittings in the Property
Tenants pay a lot of money to rent a decent housing and they equally expect to get total value for their money. This means that some of the items that landlords may live without in their homes are very important to tenants. Landlords can make their rental properties more appealing to potential tenants by replacing old and worn out fittings and fixtures with new and fancy ones.
4. Replace Old and Worn Out Mail Box and Gate
The mailbox and gate are the first things that potential tenants see when visiting a property that they want to rent. The way potential tenants see the entrance to your rental property and the mailbox close to it may give them a positive or negative impression that could influence whether they will rent it or not. Landlords in the city can improve the curb appeal of their rentals by replacing old and worn out mailbox and gate (see here for ideas).
5. Paint the Front Door with Appealing and Bright Colors
Painting the front door of your rental property with warm and bright colors can make it more appealing to potential tenants. It is essential to paint the front door and the front face of your rental property if you cannot re-paint the whole house. This is because if tenants are attracted to the front-face of your property, they are likely to enter the property see other items in the house. On the other hand, if the front face of your rental property is dull and ugly, potential tenants may assume that the entire house is in bad condition and are unlikely to rent it. This can happen in a situation where tenants are in a hurry and have no time to visit the entire property.
6. Prune and Shape Overgrown Trees and Flowers
Tenants are attracted to properties whose compound has neatly pruned and groomed trees and flowers. Having bushy and overgrown trees in the compound is detrimental to the curb appeal of your property. You need to make sure that the flowers and trees are well groomed and attractive to the eyes of potential tenants.
7. Improve the Lighting in Property
Light is very important in every house and you can make your properties more appealing to potential tenants by improving the indoor lighting, security lighting and along the driveways and walk paths. Make sure that all the bulbs are working and windows are big enough to allow adequate natural light into the house.
8. Improve and Edge the Driveway and Walk Path
The appearance of the driveway and walk path from the gate to the house can make potential tenants like or dislike your property. Landlords can improve the curb appearance of their properties by repairing the driveways and walk paths. You can have a concrete driveway from the gate with sides edged painted with warm, bright colors and top it with some lovely flowers. You can also add some lighting along the drive path and walk paths to your property to make them look colorful and safe at the night.
9. Wash the Property Thoroughly
This may sound like an obvious thing, but washing your property thoroughly before allowing potential tenants to view it can make them like it. Landlords should clean their properties when a tenant vacates the property when taking in a new tenant and after doing repairs and renovations. You can even hire a professional cleaning company to clean your property after doing repairs and renovation if you have no time to clean it well. This is the simplest and easiest way of appealing the curb appeal of your rental property. It is also important to clean and collect the trash from the front yard and backyard of the property.
10. Improve the Landscaping of the Compound
As much as you want to have beautiful flowers and trees in the compound of your rental property, you need to make sure that everything is neatly arranged in the compound. This is more practical if the property is a single-family house with a spacious compound. You can make the surroundings of your rental properties more appealing to the eyes of potential tenants by hiring a professional to improve the landscaping. This not only attracts more tenants to your property but also makes it more valuable and earn you more money if decide to sell it.
All the tips above will help you improve the overall attractiveness of your property. If you are looking for other ways to increase your returns on your real estate portfolio, you can look into the advantages of working with a property management company.