A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Our Business is Property Management in Orange County California
What do renters really care about?
If you are in the business of renting properties, like I am,
you are always thinking about the best way to promote your properties. Many
things are not in your control though. For example, Renters with children will
be more concerned about schools then renters with no children and you as a
Landlord or Property Manager have no control over the school districts that
your properties are in.
There are things though, that you can control as a Landlord or
property manager and those are the things that will make a difference when you
are promoting your homes.
The first thing you need to understand when you are trying
to lure good Tenants to your properties, is that people who rent, are not that
much different than people who are looking to buy. They are both looking for a
home that will fit their needs. The biggest difference is that a buyer is
looking very long term and a renter is looking for right now, but both want a
place to live that they will be comfortable in.
The time a Landlord does have control over the property that
they are going to rent is before they buy the property, and a Landlord should
look for properties that have things that renters will be drawn to. The
potential Landlord needs to do their homework on the school district that they
are buying into. If you are renting a single family home, there is a good
chance that families will be renting the home and those families are drawn to
schools. The problem is, that a property in those desirable school districts
may be more expensive and that is something that a potential Landlord needs to
weigh.
Getting back to the home itself and something that many
Landlords overlook is the yard and patio area of a home or Condo. Renters like
to have a nice place to relax and in Southern California spending time outside
is a yearlong event. When a potential Landlord is thinking about purchasing a
home to lease, don’t overlook the patio. That being said, for the Landlord or
Property manager who is preparing a home for Lease, you may want to pay
attention to the patio and outdoor areas. Clean them up and make them an
appealing place for potential renters. Plant a few plants and fruit trees are
always popular with both buyers and renters. Everyone likes to go in the yard
and pick some fruit.
A very important thing for a Landlord to look for in a home
is the number of bathrooms. In the 50’s and 60’s, one bathroom in a 4 bedroom
home was not uncommon, but today, everyone wants their own bathroom and a nice
master bath is also a big plus. The more bathrooms the better, and if you like
a home, but it has one and one half baths, think about how much it would cost
to put a shower in that bath. Half baths are not useful if there is only one
other bathroom with a bathtub or shower. You should not only think about the
bathrooms as a renting issue, but down the line you may want to sell that home
and bathrooms will be a bigger issue when you try to sell.
The kitchen is also a big issue, because whether the home is
large or small, People like to hang out in the kitchen. There are ways to make
a kitchen more useful even if space is limited. Using a counter instead of a
table is often a great way to use space. A counter can be built in a way that
it not only is used for eating but it can be put in a way that it separates
rooms. I just sold a home that had a limited space for the kitchen, and if you
put a traditional table, you would have very little space to do anything else.
So we installed a counter that bordered the living room, you could use it for eating and also it fit in
very nicely in the living room. That counter made a small space very useful.
As a Property Manager in Orange County California and also a
California Licensed General contractor, my mind is always clicking at how home
can be made more useful without spending a fortune. I always am cognoscente
that rental properties are part of a business for the Landlord and profits can
be hard to come by. I never want my clients to spend money unless it will help
their bottom line.
A.D. Cantelmo Property Management Specializes in Property Management in Orange County
Ca.