Let us say you are in the market to lease out a property to rent for a little extra cash flow. The bad news is that you are not alone in wanting to start a small revenue stream by doing this, so your competition will be doubtlessly stiff. The good news is that there are a million and one ways to distinguish what you have on your hands to make your property more appealing than what your competitors have got. Another way to look at it is that the same property on your hands, with a little bit of creative brushing up, can net you more on a monthly or yearly basis.
It might be a good idea to have a before and after comparison to see how much a third party values your home once you have completed upgrading an aspect of your property, so consider getting a property valuation a couple times. That being said, let’s take a look at some easy ways to raise the value of your property.
If you are one of those people that are looking for a buy to let property, there are few substantive improvements you can make to raise you the value of your apartment or home than by introducing smart technology. For a relatively low cost (compared to the price of, say, expanding or renovating), heating, security, home media integration, energy management can all be improved by existing smart technology. You will be able to boast of your property as truly ready for the next wave of technological innovation like the ‘internet of things,’ with all the connected smart devices to save on energy bills, serve as a world-class, connected entertainment hub, and provide secure peace of mind with some intelligent smart device implementation.
Not unlike the skin which covers our bodies, carpets and floors occupy the vast majority of the space in the home. Do not overlook how much of an impact these surfaces have on mood, or take for granted that they are just there, an unchangeable part of the house. Consider that a well-placed, tastefully-decorated carpet can bring together two disparate spaces, tying a home together in an entirely new way that was not formerly thought possible. A good carpet or floor can also add an elusive sheen.
If some of your furniture is not really coming together cohesively, think about what kind of surface it is on. Sometimes simply throwing down the appropriate rug does the trick. Or, if the colours in a room are looking drab, an easier solution to painting the whole room again might be adding a colourful carpet.
The patio is one of the most significant parts of the house by virtue of the fact that is a portal to the outside world, so do not neglect it just because it is not strictly part of the interior. Have you thought about installing a new deck to replace old, wood platforms? Alternatively, a less comprehensive approach might simply be applying a new coat of varnish, which will still go a long way towards increasing the appeal and overall look.
This will be referenced in more detail later, but trees or plants go a long way to making the ambiance come alive, as does appropriate furniture – tables, chairs and odd long chaises – and lighting. Finding a way make the patio more exciting and inviting can really turn up interest from the types of people looking to entertain in the home, so be sure not to forget about the outdoor portion of your home or apartment.
Try not to go overboard, but generally speaking, brighter colours can go a long way toward enlivening a place. If you are not great with colour coordination, strongly consider getting the input of an expert - or at least a friend who has a good eye - before whipping out that paintbrush. Generally, colours that are neutral or tending towards pastel shades are easier to synchronise and also tend to be more calming for most folks.
Sometimes, vivifying a place is as simple as adding life to it. In the case of a home that you are looking to lease, one does not necessarily want to take all the time to care for a plant, so finding durable plants that can be put in enough sunlight is ideal. If there is any sort of auto-watering mechanism that can be triggered to take care of the plant while no one is present to physically water the plant themselves, all the better. If that auto-watering device happens to be something called rain, then you are really in luck! Of course, this will all depend on the climate, and more specifically the variance in the climate between seasons (for outdoor plants especially), so choose wisely. Evergreens are pretty, and depending on the species and climate, can be pretty easy to take care of.
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