Wednesday, January 20, 2010

What Makes a Great Rental Property?

As a Real Estate professional concentrating on property management, I have the opportunity to see properties in all sorts of condition. Most owners understand that first impressions are everything, but many, for various reasons, fail to assign the proper value to putting a property's best foot forward.

In order for an owner's property to receive a prospective tenant's attention, it is extremely important that it appear "move in" ready. While a fresh coat of paint is great, many properties only need a touch up. "Move in" ready also means clean carpets and other flooring surfaces, making a great impact for very little money.

At the risk of stating the obvious, clean cupboards, counter tops, appliances, and light fixtures in the kitchen make a huge difference to prospective tenants. This creates a clean slate, so to speak, allowing the prospective tenant to envision themselves preparing a meal or entertaining friends there.

In the bathrooms, cleanliness is of paramount importance. Think "yuck", and you get the idea. Get rid of hard water stains in the toilet bowl and tub inexpensively by using a pumice stone especially designed for that use. Available in the cleaning aisle of your grocery store for under $5, this is a great way to make the bathrooms sparkle.

Don't overlook light fixtures, corners of rooms, baseboards, window ledges, and other mouldings when preparing your house for lease. A quick dusting of these areas is a great idea to help pump up your property's "WOW" factor.

If you are interested in our property management services, visit our website at http://cmrpropertymanagement.com for more information.

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