Preparing a rental property for market requires more than cleaning the interior. The inside of your property certainly matters yet the first impression and lasting impression is largely determined by the tidiness, cleanliness and beauty of the exterior. Spend some time beautifying the exterior of your rental property with the appropriate outdoor property maintenance and it will stand out all the more.
Our Austin property management team is here to help you maximize the value and potential of your rental property. Here’s a quick look at what to focus on to ramp up interest from prospective tenants.
5 Outdoor Maintenance Tips
1. Take Care of Overgrown Trees
Tall trees with overgrowth and those positioned near the house are problematic for several reasons. For one, these trees may have branches that extend to the roof, siding and windows. Trees also drop wet leaves onto the roof that can create mold and allow water to pool more easily. A compromised roof is problematic for tenants as well as yourself.
Trees with long branches can serve as bridges that extend to the roof of the property. Chipmunks, squirrels and other animals/insects will move from the trees to your roof and can eventually make their way inside your property. Furthermore, trees with branches that extend toward the house can sway in the wind, creating noise pollution and possibly even damaging the exterior of the house.
Though maintaining trees requires a bit of effort, it is in your interest to tackle this outdoor property maintenance project at least once or twice per year. Not sure you’d want to do this project on your own? Work with an experienced and licensed vendor to help trim back tree limbs, clear out leaves from the gutters and remove trees that have the potential to fall onto the house during a hurricane or other storm.
2. Keep your Shrubs Short and Neat
Shrubs beautify the property yet they also have the potential to prove problematic. Fail to clip overgrown shrubs and they might grow to the point that they provide insects with a makeshift home of their own next to (or on) your rental property. These pesky little buggers can eventually make their way indoors and create problems for your tenants.
It is also worth noting overgrown shrubs make it that much easier for burglars to remain hidden when attempting to break into a home. So ramp up your security features simply by maintaining the overgrowth.
3. Prevent Insects
Even if you don’t spot an abundance of insects along the exterior of your rental property, it is in your best interest, as well as, that of your tenants to have the outside area around the building treated for insects. Have a pest removal and prevention service spray the perimeter of your home and you’ll rest easy knowing you have done your part to prevent ants, silverfish, spiders, pillbugs, millipedes, earwigs and other bugs from turning the area around your rental property into their own living space.
4. Maintain the Lawn
The tidiness and beauty of your lawn goes a long way in attracting and retaining tenants. Mow and weed whack the lawn with regularity and the curb appeal of the rental property will significantly improve.
5. Mind the Landscaping
A rental owner can also improve the property’s aesthetic appeal with the addition of flowering bulbs and perennials. Opt for perennials as opposed to annuals and your yard will look amazing throughout the year. Perennials continuously flower throughout each of the seasons whereas annuals merely flower once. Add in the fact that perennials require less care than annuals and you have even more reason to plant these colorful additions at your rental property.
If you don’t want to manage the maintenance of adding flowers and doing landscaping yourself, outsource the work to an experienced property management professional. They can do the work on your behalf and will find a qualified landscaper to bring out the best in your property.
Partner with 1836 Property Management
As always, 1836 Property Management is here to help take the hassles of being a landlord off your shoulders, and makes the most of your real estate investing experience. If you’re investing or looking to invest in the greater Austin, Tx area, contact us today! We’re your go-to Austin property management provider.
Contact Us:
bdm@1836pm.com
512-994-4323
By: Kayla Gonzales, 1836PM Marketing Manager
