Key Takeaways
- Curb appeal significantly influences tenant interest – The property's exterior appearance often forms the first impression for prospective tenants, making it a critical factor in minimizing vacancies.
- Small exterior upgrades can have a big impact – Improvements like fresh paint, landscaping, and an updated front door are cost-effective ways to enhance a property's visual appeal.
Well-maintained exteriors increase property value and ROI – A clean, appealing, and functional exterior not only attracts tenants faster but can also justify higher rent and improve tenant retention.
One common mistake that landlords often make when upgrading their property’s visual appeal is only emphasizing the interior aspects. They upgrade interior amenities like flooring, appliances, and in-unit washer and dryer, and forget the exterior areas.
But while upgrading your property’s interior is great, neglecting your property’s curb appeal can be a costly mistake. This is especially true when trying to fill a vacancy.
CONTACT US TODAY FOR A FREE RENTAL ANALYSIS
How your property looks from the exterior can either encourage or discourage a tenant from entering. If it looks well taken care of, prospective tenants will automatically think the same of the interior.
However, if it looks like it has seen better days, you may have a hard time convincing a tenant to enter the property. The adage “First impressions matter” hasn’t been truer!
In today’s blog, we here at Sand Dollar Property Management will go over what curb appeal is and how you can boost it.
What is Curb Appeal?
Curb appeal refers to the general attractiveness of a property. It’s the first impression your property gives to anyone viewing it from the curb or street.
As a landlord, it can either make or break your efforts of trying to fill a vacancy. If the property has good curb appeal, it’ll be more likely to grab prospective tenants’ attention. A messy and chaotic exterior, on the other hand, can do just the opposite.
Curb appeal includes features like the landscaping, exterior paint, driveways, walkways, and vegetation like trees, shrubs, and flowers.
High occupancy rates are key to getting the optimal return on your investment.
Does Curb Appeal Have an Impact on a Home’s Value?
As a landlord, renting out a property with an appealing exterior can provide you with even more value. You may be able to attract tenants quickly, retain them for longer, and even ask for more rent.
With that in mind, the following are expert tips on how to boost your rental property’s curb appeal.
5 Tips For Boosting Your Rental Property’s Curb Appeal
Fortunately, boosting the exterior attractiveness of a rental property is relatively easy and inexpensive, unlike some interior upgrades. You can even do some of them if you have some spare time and functional DIY skills.
1. Apply a Fresh Coat of Paint
This is arguably one of the easiest ways to spruce up the look and feel of your property. However, this isn’t an upgrade that requires a ton of drama. You’ll want to avoid painting the walls bold colors, such as red, yellow, or deep blue.
A rental property should appeal to a wide pool of prospective tenants. As such, go for neutral paint colors, like beige, white, and grey.
And because paint is subject to normal wear and tear, it fades after a while. Make sure to repaint every few years to maintain the attractiveness of your property’s curb appeal.
LEARN HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR ROI
2. Manicure the Yard
Does your yard look like it has seen better days? Can you spot weeds, discoloration, unruly hedges and shrubs, overgrown landscape beds, or pest issues? If you do, then those are telltale signs that you need to manicure your yard.
Ideally, you’ll want to mow your lawn at least once every week. You should ensure that you trim overgrown hedges along pathways and driveways.
When your property’s lawn is neat, it indicates that you care for your property and the well-being of your residents.
3. Grow Diverse Plants
A landscape that has diverse plants is key to creating a more visually appealing and dynamic environment. In turn, this can make your property stand out and appear more inviting to prospective tenants.
The vegetation to grow in your yard should include trees, shrubs, and flowers. Ideally, go for native plants that are adapted to the local climate, soil, and rainfall pattern. Also, go for options that are easy to maintain.
4. Refresh the Look of the Front Door
A home’s entrance is the first thing that a prospective tenant will see when they visit your rental property. As such, make it look fresh and inviting, especially if it looks like it is in bad condition.
Giving it a new layer of paint and a thorough clean, along with upgrading the hardware, such as the handle, lockset, or knocker are just a few things you can do to freshen up the door to your rental property.
You could also enhance the lighting around the entry. This can be great for both safety and aesthetics, especially in the evenings.
5. Take Care of the Roof
When your roof starts to look dated, you may consider replacing it even if that can be a pricier investment. Regardless, it can be the best decision you can make in the long run.
However, if it still looks great, then you should regularly inspect it for damage. Look for things like missing, cracked, curled, or damaged shingles. Look for signs of leaks and inspect the flashing around chimneys. Also, remove debris from the gutters and downspouts.
Conclusion
As a savvy landlord, you should always ensure your property looks its best at all times to ensure that it remains attractive to both prospective tenants and current residents. Fortunately, with these tips, you have everything to get you started in this regard.
For expert help in rental management, look no further than Sand Dollar Property Management. We can put our experience to work for you to ensure you get the desired ROI from your Central Florida rental property. Contact us to learn more!
FIND OUT WHETHER RENTING OR SELLING IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU
