Let’s imagine you are on your way to visit a rental home you’re interested in. The home is in a great location and seems perfect. You’re driving down the street and all you see are beautiful homes lining the streets, the neighborhood is dreamlike, neighbors seem friendly, and you think to yourself, “My gosh, I’ve hit the jackpot.” Everything is great. You’re ready to sign the contract now if they put it in front of you. Then you pull up to the home, and it’s not necessarily what you expected. The grass is dead, there’s trash everywhere, the paint on the home is chipped and cracking, and there are oil stains all over the driveway.
What do you do next? Do you ignore the exterior of the home, and wish for the best on the inside? Or would you, like most potential renters, kick the car into reverse and hightail it out of there?
No matter how beautiful the home is on the inside, potential renters will quickly be turned off if the exterior of the home is not. These 4 simple and inexpensive tips from a local Tampa property management company will help you make your property more appealing to potential renters by sprucing up your home and boosting your property’s curb appeal.
1. Clean up the landscaping. A home’s yard can make the difference in its exterior appearance. Pick up any loose trash and debris from the yard, and remove any unsightly items lying around. You can bring new life to your home by mowing the lawn, trimming trees, and planting new flowers.
2. Update outside hardware. By replacing outdated hardware like house numbers and lighting fixtures, your property will have a fresh and stylish appearance. Replace any blown or flickering lights with bright and warm lighting. To make the front door look like new, consider re-painting the door and replacing the door knob with one to match your new fixtures.
3. Brighten up the walkways and driveway. Make your property even more inviting by hiring a professional power washing company to come out and remove any stains from the walkways and the driveway. A cheaper alternative to hiring a professional would be to rent or borrow a pressure washer and do the task yourself.
4. Add a fresh coat of paint. Okay, so this isn’t quite as simple and inexpensive as the other tips, but well worth it. A fresh coat of paint can transform the look and feel of your property. Many property management companies in Tampa, recommend hiring a professional company to paint the exterior of your property, and we agree. Though this is a job that could be done by you, hiring a professional will help ensure the job gets done well and in a timely manner.