If you’ve ever done renovations on any scale to your property, whether residential or commercial, then you know how expensive and time-consuming they can be. If you’re trying to keep up with other buildings that may be working to modernize in order to attract more renters than ever, you may want to consider some property upgrades rather than complete renos.
Some DIY Property Upgrades That Are Sure to Impress
You may not have realized before how many projects are within you and your team’s abilities. In other words, it isn’t necessary to give your units a face lift every few years! For example, if you have a residential property (or even some commercial ones), you may want to consider breathing new life into the kitchens. This is “often the space where tenants spend time with friends and family” and can be one of the most popular areas of the unit. Whether they live or work there, updating the cabinets can make the whole room feel new again. A coat of paint and some new handles can make all the difference in the world for a small price.
Still within the kitchen: take a look around at the current backsplash. Is it woefully out of style? If so, then you can take care of this job yourself without much effort at all. If you’re able to obtain tiles for less than their full price and can do the work in house, then you’ll have more updated features in this common space that really pop.
If there are any fireplaces on the property, then that is another area that you can upgrade without a lot of trouble. This is seen as a “luxury” feature in many places, and it can be a beautiful addition to any space, but that also means that if it’s in bad shape, people will notice right away, and it will bring down the value of the place as a whole. As a result, take the time to “replace the doors with tinted glass” in order to hide the typically-unappealing interior from view. Also, as with the kitchen cabinets, opting for a fresh paint job can really breathe new life into a fireplace.
In every room, you should consider the lights. Lighting can really make or break a space, and particularly in an office setting, you want the best lighting for maximum productivity. You can make simple changes in bulbs or fixtures that will drastically impact the overall feel of the room. “Updating lighting fixtures can be as inexpensive as your budget needs, with a wide variety of options at varying price points.” If you do a little research about current lighting trends, then you’ll be able to make some property upgrades that cost you next to nothing and provide a big boost to your overall design, style, and positive feedback from renters.
Does your building have a garage? When was the last time anything was done to its door? Replacing it (or them) is an often-forgotten change that can be made to great effect. Since this is something that usually gets left off the to-do list, the properties that do have nice-looking garage doors seem to have it all together. More than that, if you have a garage with doors that are dirty, old, or broken, then your property seems more run-down. If a renter is comparing two properties and one has this simple difference, then they’ll probably choose the building that seems ‘somehow’ newer and more put together, don’t you think?
Last but not least, consider a general, sweeping cleaning of the entire property. This is pretty vague and seems like a tall order, but take things one step at a time. Just going around to the units (or, at least to those you’re trying to sell) and tidying up can make an enormous difference. You want people to envision themselves working or living in a clean and beautiful place, not somewhere dirty, old, and dilapidated. At the very least, you want them to have a good experience in viewing the property, so try and hit all of those nooks and crannies as you make the place sparkle.
This can be a lot for one property manager and/or team to do, especially when you already have so much on your plate. Fortunately, there’s Budgetrac Property Management Software, which can take care of some of your other work tasks while you focused on property upgrades. Budgetrac has easy-to-use technology without sacrificing its functionality. The reason that this system is chosen so often by property managers is because it can take charge of all aspects of your operations, from arranging leases to expense recovery to mobile options and more. It’s flexible and adjustable to your business needs, so give it a try today and see how it can help you to be more productive than ever!