You’ve chosen to place your hard-earned money into a rental property to spend a few weeks or months of the year at. Perhaps you invested as a means to make an extra income. To you it looks amazing, and if you didn’t own it, you would rent it in a heartbeat.
But for some reason, you are unable to find the right tenants — whether it’s for long or short term. These ten suggestions and tips can help you make your rental property more appealing to future renters.
Put Some Function into the Outside of Your Rental Property
If you have a condo, there is very little you can really do. But if you are trying to rent out a stand-alone family home, there are many things to consider.
Make sure that you have a well cut lawn, some flowers, and that the façade is clean and painted. The exterior is the first impression, and it needs to be kept clean and tidy to attract potential customers.
Provide Lots of Windows for Natural Sunlight
Everybody wants natural sunlight, especially in a warm and sunny place like Panama City Beach, Hilton Head and Dustin. If your place doesn’t have enough windows, make sure you hang light-fabric curtains that allow light in and paint your walls white.
This will help reflect the sunlight and make the place brighter, even if windows are a problem. When you invest try searching for a place that will give plenty of natural light with plenty of windows.
Hang a New Shower Curtain and Regular Curtains
If your shower or window curtains look worn out, it will come across as if you don’t care about the place. When you’re about to start showing your home around, upgrade these things. It is easy and cheap to replace curtains and will give your home a new and fresh feel. A bright shower curtain in small places can also accent the bathroom and make it more attractive.
Replace Old Appliances
Nobody wants to rent a fully-equipped kitchen with old appliances. It’s best to invest in new items that will make your home more contemporary and appealing. It also increases the value of your rental property. Whatever you have that does work, make sure that you always keep it clean and tidy to give a homey vibe throughout the kitchen.
If you’ve got appliances that are starting to turn yellow, clean them or coat them in something new so the house doesn’t look torn down from time.
Use Natural Colors
Vibrant colors are great in certain strategic places, but many people will get thrown off by overpowering colors. Keeping a neutral color palette with certain highlights during will appeal to almost anyone.
It also gives the ability to the long-term tenant to decorate without having to match their furniture or decorations to the bright colors of your home.
Stage Your Place for More Appeal
If you are doing short-term or vacation rentals, bring in a couple of fine pillows for the sofa and fresh flowers. Provide water, drinks or snacks for your guests. This also works for when you’re showing your place around, so that people are excited about something additional to looking at properties.
Adding a few extras can take you a long way. It shows that you care as a landlord and that is worth a lot from the rental game.
Clean Up Before Showing Your House
The worst thing you could do is show a messy and dirty house. After seeing the outside, the second chance you get to impress your potential clients is the moment they walk inside. Make sure everything is clean, shiny and tidy.
Clean out the garbage bins before any showing, as well. Don’t forget the windows! They tend to get dirty due to the dust, so make sure they’re cleaned both on the inside and out.
Offer Extra Perks and Benefits
If you are in desperate need of renters (whether it’s for vacation or long-term) and you have done everything listed here, you can start offering extra perks and benefits. For vacation rentals you can offer a night for free after renting for 3 nights.
For long-term you can do a discount in the first month of rent. You can also offer benefits such as offering bicycles, park passes, maps, and other items that will attract guests.
Remove the Clutter
Any clutter from the house that is unnecessary should be removed. Guests need a clean space to look through. Anything that you think they won’t need (and you won’t need when staying at your property), you can get rid of. The less stuff you have in your house, the less you need to put into inventory and take care of if broken or damaged.
Work with a Property Manager for Advertising
Some owners just don’t have the necessary resources to find the right renters. With the right property manager, you will have much better luck finding qualified vacation renters and long-term tenants. They will also take care of everything that renting out a property requires, while all you need to do is cash your checks back home.
If you are ready to start looking into investment properties, we have plenty on offer during the Riviera Maya and Mexico. Get in contact with one of our Buyer’s Representatives and they will find the perfect rental property for you.