Property Management Northern Virginia: Outside the Home
Curb appeal is important. People look at your house online, and you can make those pictures look great. But, when they pull up and see trash on the front porch or rottedwood and things not painted, it really sets the tone for what they’re going to think about the property. It will also lead them to believe that you are not interested in maintaining your house, and they’ll wonder if you’ll be a good landlord. Make sure the front door is fresh and clean. Trim the bushes and freshen up the outside. Those are things you need to do to maintain your home anyway, so get it looking good when people first pull up to the house.
Property Management Northern Virginia: Inside the Home
Whether this is the first time you’re renting or you’ve been renting for a while, think about getting a mini home inspection. It gives you an idea about the state of your house. It will identify some things that may be problems right now, and it will provide a roadmap for things you may need to budget for later. Your HVAC system may be functioning just fine, but if it’s getting old, you’ll want to know that in five years you’ll have to plan to replace it. This eliminates surprises when things break.
Budget to do certain upgrades every time you have tenant turnover. So, when a tenant leaves you’ll have to do some painting and clean the carpet. Maybe make bigger improvements, too. One year you might replace and upgrade the appliances. The next year, maybe you’ll improve your bathroom. These are things that allow you toconstantly update the home while spreading out the cost. It makes your house more attractive for your tenant and when you’re ready to sell one day, you won’t have to do much because you’ve been working on this along the way.
Northern Virginia Rental Property Service Contracts
Service contracts need to be in place for your systems. That includes HVAC, termite treatments, and other things so you know everything will be checked regularly. That will help keep your property maintained and ready for new tenants.
We have a checklist that has a lot more detail, and we’d be happy to share it with you. Please contact us at Richey Property Management if you have any questions for a northern Virginia property manager.
