As summer approaches and the weather heats up, people are getting outside more to enjoy some fun in the sun. As a rental property owner, though, the impending arrival of summer means it’s time for some annual property maintenance.
Late spring is the perfect time to conduct assessments on your main systems and perform routine summer property maintenance to ensure your tenants will be able to enjoy their homes throughout the hot season. It is always key in real estate investing to make sure that you are paying attention to season-specific property maintenance so that you’re prepared for what’s ahead.
Below are some of the top summer maintenance tips that every rental property owner should follow.
Inspect Air Conditioning Systems
Summer means hot weather, and hot weather means extensive use of air conditioning. It’s important that you work with a trusted property management partner to make sure that the AC system at your rental property is ready for the added stress it’s soon to take on for the season.
The first step in doing this is to conduct a full inspection of the system. When you work with a trusted Austin property management team, you can rest assured knowing that they will hire the best HVAC companies to inspect your AC system and get it ready for the season ahead.
Before the season is well underway, it’s important to perform annual summer property maintenance on your AC system. The HVAC company you hire will do a full inspection of the system to make sure everything is working properly and will perform any routine maintenance and cleaning so that it’s performing the best it can.
An essential part of this maintenance is to change and replace all air filters. Replacing your air filter will not only make sure that clean air is circulating throughout your rental property, but it will lower your energy bills and protect against system failure.
Typical AC systems can last between 10 and 20 years, but will only make it to the further end of that range if they’re properly maintained on an ongoing basis.
Check Your Irrigation Systems
During the summer months, your rental property’s landscape will require extra maintenance, specifically when it comes to watering. When the heat turns up, your lawn and plants will require more water than is typical.
If your rental property has an irrigation system, you want to make sure that you are inspecting it before the season. This will allow you to identify any major issues with the system so that you can repair them before you really need to start using it.
In conjunction with your Austin property management partner, servicing your irrigation systems will make sure that they are running as efficiently as possible. It’ll also help you avoid major damage that can happen due to a malfunctioning system, such as standing water and damage to an expensive landscape.
The curb appeal of your home is one of the biggest factors in its value. So, you want to do everything you can to ensure it’s functioning properly.
In addition to conducting summer property maintenance on your irrigation systems, you also should constantly check your city’s mandated watering schedules, if applicable. At times during dry summers, cities may put limitations in place on watering lawns and landscapes. It’s important that you follow these watering schedules to avoid facing stiff fines from your local municipality.
Stamp Down Pests by Mowing the Lawn
As your lawn gets extra sunshine and all that water from your irrigation system, it’s bound to start growing fast. When lawns get long and out of control, pests will start to make a home and cause issues for your tenants and your home as a whole.
One of the best summer maintenance tips for any rental property owner — and perhaps one of the least expensive ways to improve your returns in real estate investing — is to stay on top of keeping your lawn mowed properly.
How often you will need to mow the lawn depends on how fast the grass is growing, of course. Simply check on the lawn often, and plan to mow at least once per week. If you can’t be on site yourself, or if you don’t live near your rental property, then it’s valuable to have a trusted Austin property management company on your side to handle this for you.
Remember, keeping your lawn mowed will not only keep pests down, but it’ll also ensure that your rental property’s curb appeal is as great as it can be year-round.
Work with an Austin Property Management Team You Can Trust
These are just a few summer maintenance tips that any rental property owner should follow to ensure their home is “up to snuff” as the summer season begins. While most of these summer property maintenance tasks are simple, they can be challenging to handle if you can’t be on site often, or if you live far away from your rental property.
That’s why hiring a trusted Austin property management partner such as 1836 Property Management, is so important in real estate investing. When you have a solid team on your side, you can rest assured knowing that your rental property will be prepared properly well in advance of summer, so that your tenants will be living comfortably and your property’s major systems will last longer.
To learn more about the difference 1836 Property Management can make for you in real estate investing, contact us today.
By: Kayla Gonzales, 1836PM Marketing Manager
