Keeping Your Rental Ready

 

10 Non-Essential Updates That Keep Your Rentals Ready

Between tenants, every rental property owner knows that updates are essential. Most focus on essential updates and repairs. However, too much focus on things like appliances and floor quality can leave the home looking dated and underperforming on the market. What you might not realize is that "non-essential" updates are an affordable and highly effective way to modernize a home, improve its profitability, and make it more appealing to long-term tenants.

These 10 non-essential rental updates can keep your properties ready to attract new renters each year.

 

1) Fresh Coat of Paint

A fresh coat of paint makes any home or apartment feel newer and more modern. You can update the interior color palette and easily cover scuffs left by previous tenants. Securing a good painting team who knows how to do edges and baseboards with quick precision is a valuable investment when your goal is to impress new tenants and improve the quality of each rental property.

 

2) Faucets, Handles, and Showerheads

Don't wait until the chrome starts flaking to upgrade the plumbing features. All it takes is a few twists of the pipe wrench to keep your faucets, handles, and showerheads up to date. Dated old bathrooms get a new vibe when new hardware is installed, while showerheads and the kitchen sink can updated to compete with the latest rentals on the market at a very affordable price for each update.

 

3) Door Knobs and Drawer Pulls

A dated kitchen can also be easily updated with three simple changes. Repainting (or revarnishing) the cabnets can update the kitchen color scheme. Replacing the cabinet doors can immediately modernize the kitchen style. You can also modernize by replacing the cabinet handles and drawer pulls, which often reveal a home's true age.

The same can be done for the doorknobs throughout the house, which will ensure each door opens easily and closes with a satisfying click in addition to choosing modern styles.

 

4) New Light Fixture Covers

Light fixture covers can reveal a home's age, but you don't need all-new light fixtures to update the look. Simply replace the light covers. Most rental homes have ceiling fans and flush ceiling lighting. You can swap out the glass enclosures over each fixture to update the interior design significantly and get rid of dusty old glass covers at the same time.

 

5) Outlet and Lightswitch Cover Swaps

Speaking of dated lighting. The quality of the plastic on outlet covers and light switch covers can reveal a home's age. But they don't have to. A box of new covers and some quick screwdriver work are all you need to ensure that each rental's hardware looks new and in good quality. You can choose stylish covers or just keep that plastic looking new and clean.

 

6) Weather Stripping

Good insulation is always worth a little extra effort. Remember to update each rental's weather stripping around doors and re-caulk your windows every 2-5 years. This simple update is very affordable and can make a big difference for your tenant's comfort and power bills. The work also ensures doors close with a satisfying airlock feel and windows never rattle.

 

7) Periodic Re-Tiling

Tile can clearly indicate the era that a home was last remodeled. While more intensive than swapping a few doorknobs and light covers, retiling is a non-essential update that is worth the investment. Choosing modern, attractive tile once a decade is enough to keep a home looking stylish and appealing to the current generation of renters.

 

8) Update the Baseboards and Crown Molding

Just like lightswitch covers, crown molding and baseboards can start to look shabby after a few years. These are also easy and low-cost updates that you can make to any rental home. Simply pull off the old molding and use a nail gun to attach new molding in it's place. A little clever cutting and precision painting will have your new molding looking crisp and attractive.

 

9) Clean/Replace Exhaust Fans

One often-overlooked maintenance step is to clean or replace the exuaust fans in the stove hood and bathrooms. These fans get dusty, clogged, and less effective over time. But their purpose is essential. Have your exhaust fans cleaned with every tenant turnover and replace them after 10-15 years.

 

10) Install Pantry Organizers

Lastly, you can easily update a rental with the latest little widgets. This year, it's pantry organization. Wire shelves, hooks, and built-in storage features make a kitchen feel cutting-edge without making major or structural changes. Keep an eye on the trends and take the opportunity when a little update will have a big impact on rental desirability.

 

Attracting New Tenants with Leaf Management

Keeping your rentals attractive and modernized is key to a profitable rental home strategy. Tenants will be drawn to well-maintained and up-to-date living spaces that have clearly been kept in top condition in recent years. Leaf Management can help you keep up with these small but important updates and keep your tenants happy. Contact us to learn more.