A critical skill landlords need when marketing their properties is knowing how to add curb appeal to a rental. One of the greater challenges for landlords is learning how to adapt to changes in the rental market, and keeping their property squared up for success. By staying up to date with the various ways to add value and increase profitability, your long-term property will continue to produce income, no matter the market.
Boosting the Curb Appeal For Rental Properties
While there are many ways to go about adapting to these market changes, one of the easiest ways to increase profitability is by boosting the curb appeal for a rental property. By improving your outdoor space, whether it’s a yard, porch, curb, or the property itself, you can create lasting first impressions for potential tenants, and add value to your ROI in the process.
Curb Appeal Tips
Here are some improvement and curb appeal tips to consider for your property:
- Roof and Exterior Repairs – Making necessary repairs can be costly, but the increased profitability they provide always makes it a good investment. Roof repairs should usually only be needed every 15 to 30 years, but if your property is missing shingles or has stains, these improvements can increase appeal, making it easier to sell.
- Clean – This should be a no-brainer, but a bit more goes into cleaning than simply sweeping and yard work. The exterior of a property often is more dirty than we believe, and things like doors, windows, screens, and outdoor furniture look significantly more appealing when they’re shiny. A good powerwash goes a long way.
- Paint the Property – Whether it’s a touch-up or a full paint job, a fresh coat of paint has a huge impact on the value of a property. It’s of course important to properly analyze what does and doesn’t need new paint, but if your property has faded siding or chips along the trims, a touch up job can quickly make things look better.
- Landscaping – The attractiveness of a yard can be a dealbreaker when selling a property. Overgrown lawns riddled with weeds and dirt will never look appealing, and even a simple landscaping routine can keep things in check. It never hurts to go further though, and bring in some new plants, trees, flowers, or add new/renovate old walkways and patios. Be sure to fertilize properly, keep the bushes trimmed, mow when needed, and consider benches, planters, or edges to further increase appeal.
- Lighting – Investing in some new lighting can dramatically add curb appeal for a rental property. Illuminating walkways at night can add flare, and installing some new lanterns or sconces can provide a tasteful touch when approaching the home. It’s important to properly balance exterior lighting, being sure to not add too much or too little.
- Update Garage Door – If you feel like that old and slow garage door could use an upgrade, it’s in your best interest to fix or replace it. Garages already add value to a property, and ensuring that the exterior door looks suitable and safe can draw in tenants.
- Renovate Driveway – A cracked and broken driveway is certainly off-putting, especially because of its significant use on a daily basis. Consider repairing any cracks or fractures, or repave the entire thing to draw appeal and make your exterior look better overall.
Benefits of Curb Appeal For Rental Properties
Setting a good standard for the appearance of your property is a sure way to attract like-minded tenants who will care about maintaining the property as much as you. In doing so, your resident retention improves, your rent improves, and your ability to find new tenants if needed is significantly easier. While your rental agreement will have stipulations on what tenants are responsible for, both renters and owners can take satisfaction in knowing their curb appeal is one that draws people, and this in turn improves profitability long-term.
SLT Properties
Among the leading rental property companies in the Greensboro NC area is SLT Properties, where our mission is to help maximize our client’s investment potential while allowing them to focus on their core business. We excel in asset management of multi-unit sites and smaller commercial properties, and work with individual owners, partnerships, and trustees to provide quality housing for tenants and worry-free property management services for property owners.
We understand the ins and outs of what makes a rental property successful, with various guides for landlords and tenants alike. We also have numerous rental properties available in the Triad area, backed by a team of experts to match qualified tenants with their ideal home rentals, ensuring that both the renter and the owner are more than satisfied with the end results.
For more information regarding our services or properties, contact us today.