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5 Easy Summer Landscaping Tips for Rentals

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One thing that keeps and attracts renters to rentals is nice, summer landscaping and outdoor areas. Here are some great easy landscaping tips to keep your rentals’ outdoor spaces looking great.  

Water Lawns in the Morning  5 Easy Summer Landscaping Tips for Rentals

Water evaporates faster the higher the temperature is. Though many of us know this, there are still a large number of people who turn their sprinklers on in the highest heat of the day. Lawn care professionals will tell you that it is best to get the water into the grass in the morning when it is cooler and the grass is not dormant. Grass goes dormant in the higher heat, meaning grassroots won’t absorb the moisture as well as they will on lower temperatures.  

Some lawn experts say the best grass watering strategy is to give a good long morning soak every three days. This is said to be better than short daily soaks.  

Mow Routinely 

Resist the urge to cut the lawn as short as your mower will possibly go. Though you can go longer between mowings, the grass will not be hearty enough to fight off weeds and pests and you will begin to see brown or even bald patches in the lawn. Warm climate lawns should be kept to 2 inches in length and can be cut to one inch but should go no shorter. A bonus of longer grass is it retains a deeper green hue and holds more water.  It is best to set a schedule for mowing lawns and stick to the routine. Just be careful not to let it get too high so it looks unkempt.  

More: 6 Tips to Save Money on Curb Appeal

Keep Other Plants Trimmed 

Not only do well-trimmed trees and bushes look nicer, but it is also better for the health of the plants and things around them. If you have trees and bushes on the property close to the building make sure all limbs are trimmed to at least a few inches from touching the home. This minimizes the occurrence of pests like termites getting into the home, reduces clogging of air conditioning units, and keeps moisture from growing mold on the siding. You also don’t want dead tree limbs damaging the home in a storm.  

5 Easy Summer Landscaping Tips for RentalsConsider Drought Friendly Plants 

Drought-tolerant shrubs and flowers are great for summer. These plants not only save on water consumption and as a result save money, but they also need less maintenance which saves you pruning time. Drought tolerant plants are a smart way to bring in more curb appeal without too much more work.  

Hire a Property Manager to Help Out 

If you don’t want to or don’t have time to do all the summer landscape maintenance at your rentals, hiring a property manager to oversee a landscape crew is a great idea. Your property manager can make sure everything runs on schedule to keep your properties looking their best and continue being places that renters want to live. This little investment can save you a lot of time and energy.  

For property management services in Savannah and surrounding areas contact me any time.  Helen Miltiades – 912-238-4915

 

 

Savannah’s best neighborhoods for foodies

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Savannah’s best neighborhoods for foodies

“Foodies” is a word that has become synonymous with today’s lifestyle. With all the cooking shows and Travel Channel food-exhibition programs that inundates our TV viewing today, people are no longer just looking for the best restaurant but the best food neighborhood per city. While there are dozens of fantastic foodie cities all across the US, Savannah is claimed number 8 by Travel and Leisure Magazine as one of the best cities for foodies.Savannah’s best neighborhoods for foodies

Savannah is home to small cafés, comfort food, relaxing pubs, and people-watching coffee houses. The Green Truck Neighborhood Pub has become one of the top spot for foodies in downtown Savannah. Located in the Thomas Square neighborhood of Midtown, the Green Truck serves up some of the best burgers and hot dogs in town as well as unique sandwiches such as the veggie Reuben and their pimento cheese. The Thomas Square neighborhood offers several condominiums and apartments for rent and for sale. The median rent is about $600 for this area, with several smaller residential homes selling for $130,000 to $250,000.

Read more: Homes and Real Estate Near Savannah Parks

Savannah’s Candy Kitchen is also a popular spot located along River Street on the banks of the Savannah River in North Savannah. This neighborhood candy shop offers free samples, delicious home-style breads and bakery items, homemade pralines, hand dipped chocolates and more. This downtown neighborhood features mainly apartments and townhomes starting at about $200,000. There are a few single-family homes and historical buildings between $600,000 and $1.3 million. These homes feature beautiful views of the river and a great walking neighborhood to shops, cafés, restaurants, local hotspots, and the Riverfront Plaza.

Savannah’s best neighborhoods for foodiesWe cannot forget to mention some of the fantastic southern favorites located in downtown Savannah. The Olde Pink House serves up traditional fried green tomatoes and fantastic BLTs, and Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room is serving up some of the best Fried Chicken in the area. This famed restaurant is located in the heart of downtown across the street from SCAD amid parks, shops, restaurants, and hotels. Enjoy family-style dinners with a ‘one price for all’, but do not forget to bring your cash because you cannot use a credit card at this hometown favorite.

This is just a small sampling of some of the best places in town to eat and if you are a foodie, you may want to find a home within walking distance of some of these great favorites. Call me today and let us get started looking at apartments, condominiums, townhomes, or any single-family home in some of the best foodie neighborhoods in Savannah Georgia.

Design Trends to Avoid When Renovating Rentals

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Design Trends to Avoid When Renovating Rentals – Periodically renovating and updating rental properties can be very beneficial. For instance, it can draw a larger pool of buyers and allow you to align your rent prices with the top of the market. Most renters prefer to live in buildings that are well kept and up to date so they will be willing to pay higher rent. If a landlord decides to renovate a property though, there are some home-style trends they will want to steer clear of.  Installing trends that are fleeting will make a building quickly feel outdated. They don’t want to get stuck with having to update again in just a few years’ time.  Design Trends to Avoid When Renovating Rentals

Here are some design trends to avoid when renovating rentals 

  • Granite Countertop

At one point a few years ago everyone had to have a granite countertop. Granite counters are still considered stylish, but with the rate at which they hit the market for demand in just a few more years, they are going to be a thing of the past. There are many other stylish alternatives that will work just as well for a rental if not better.  

For example, there are many high-quality laminates on the market today in colors that would have some people thinking it is natural stone. Laminate is low maintenance as well, there is no yearly cleaning and re-sealing required. A much better choice for a rental property 

Related: 4 Tips to Flip a House

  • White on White

White does make a room feel light and airy and a lot bigger, but it also shows dirt and grime. Unless all-white rooms are kept very clean they look very dirty. There are probably quite a few of us that would say we do not make sure every area of our home is spotless, especially the bathroom and kitchen which take more time. All-white kitchens and bathrooms are popular and modern but they are not practical to install, especially in a place where the people using the property do not own it. Instead, stay with light-colored neutrals that will stand the test of time and grime. 

More: 5 Upgrades to Make and 4 to Skip When Remodeling

  • Going Over Board with Environmentally Friendly

Yes, there are many renters out there who are more interested in renting from a building/company/landlord/organization that is environmentally conscious. There are ways to go overboard and end up not getting any return on your investment for a very long time. So instead of installing those solar panels, rainwater collection units, composting trash compactors, and recycled building materials, start with a few budget-wise smaller upgrades. Use paint without volatile organic compounds, light bulbs and fixtures with energy star labels, and maybe even a smart thermostat to start.  

Once you have done these things make sure to communicate that you did in rental listings. It will bring in more interest. 

More: How to Write an Offer for a Short-Term Rental

  • Wallpaper

Yes, wallpaper is making a resurgence, especially high-end fancy wallpaper. Unless you are running a high-end luxury rental it just might not fit. When wallpaper is once again discovered as a pain to change out it will no longer be a trend. So skip the fancy wallpaper and stick with paint. Most renters prefer walls to have a fresh coat of neutral paint on them anyway so that they have more freedom to bring their own style into the space.  

When it comes to updating rentals the best rule of thumb is to keep it very simple and very neutral in color.  

For more rental property management tips and information or property management services in Savannah please contact me anytime.  

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Should You Install a Smart Thermostat in Your Rentals?

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Should You Install a Smart Thermostat in Your Rentals?

Some landlords have begun to offer smart home technology to their tenants. One way they are doing this is by installing smart thermostats in their rental properties. How do you determine if installing a smart thermostat is a smart move for your rental properties? Should You Install a Smart Thermostat in Your Rentals?

Benefits of Installing Smart Thermostats in Rentals

Attract and Retain Renters with Higher End Amenities

Securing quality renters can be competitive, especially in a market saturated with rental options. One way to draw in renters is with amenities they want and find useful.

Recent surveys conducted found that 71% of renters in the millennial age range are more interested in rentals that offer smart technology and 55% of baby boomer age renters are interested in smart technology that is easy and intuitive. Overall on average 32% of renters said that a unit with a smart thermostat would make them more interested in one unit over another. Another survey conducted found that 12% of renters would consider staying in their current rental if smart technology were installed.

Bring in a Higher Rent Rate

About 23% of renters are willing to pay a higher rent rate to live in a place with smart technology. Compared to other more popular highly desirable attributes of a rental such as an in unit washer and dryer, central air conditioning, and private outdoor spaces, a smart thermostat is the most cost effective to install.

Before installing smart thermostats in the hopes of bringing in premium rent rates, make sure you do your homework for your area and determine just how much you will be able to raise the rent and if that number is what you were looking/hoping for.

Save Money on Landlord Paid Utilities

If you have included the cost of utilities in with the rent, this could be a very beneficial way to go. If you have a multi-family residence with no way to fairly divide up the utility costs among each tenant a smart thermostat will help to make all units in the building as energy-efficient as possible. It is not uncommon for tenants in properties where the utilities are included to pay less attention to how much heating and cooling consumption is used. This way it can be monitored and even remotely controlled if need be.

Related: What happens if your house has code violations?

Setbacks to Installing Smart ThermostatsShould You Install a Smart Thermostat in Your Rentals?

Start-Up Cost

Smart thermostats cost much more than regular traditional thermostats. Depending upon the model and the featured functions of the thermostat it can be anywhere from $95 to $220 per thermostat. This can add up to a hefty bill if you have several units to install thermostats into. Some states offer sizeable rebates and savings to anyone who installs smart or energy-saving devices in their properties, so make sure to check out if the state you are in does this.

Renter Paid Utilities Means Renters See the Savings

If the cost of the heating and cooling bill is the responsibility of the renter, they are the ones saving the money. The upside to this though, is it is more attractive to renters and you will have an easier time retaining them with less vacant time.

Other Improvements May Make Better Sense

If you have been considering updating major appliances or doing a major facelift renovation and those things are in the budget, you may want to wait on the smart technology to better appeal to a wider range of renters.

So the answer to whether it is worth the effort and investment to install smart thermostats in your rentals comes down to a few deciding factors. If you are having trouble making this decision asking the advice of an experienced local property manager would be hugely beneficial. It is their job to know the current rental market including trends and amenities that renters really want in the area that your property is located.

For helpful rental tips and advice and the best property management services in Savannah please feel free to contact me anytime.

Tips for Cleaning Rentals Between Tenants

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Tips for Cleaning Rentals Between Tenants

Transitioning from one tenant moving out and making your rental property presentable and ready to welcome another tenant moving in, can be a large and stressful ordeal for any landlord. Whether you had an amazing previous tenant that leaves the property in great condition or a less than responsible and thoughtful one that leaves the place a mess, there will be some work to do to prepare the property for a new renter.  

It may seem a time-consuming pain, but cleaning and making a property seem brand new again will prove highly beneficial. Pristine rentals bring in higher rent prices and it keeps the property in better shape over the long run. Follow these cleaning tips to help you have a more successful rental.  

 

  • Include Tenant Cleaning Requirements in the Rental Agreement 

Before another tenant moves in, when the property is in pristine condition, have them sign and agree to take care of the property and know what condition the property will be expected to be left in upon move out. Give them a checklist of move-out cleaning tasks with the rental agreement and give them the same checklist again when they give notice that they will be moving out. Make sure to state that this checklist will hang heavily on their deposit being returned. This should make the final walkthrough a much easier process.  

More: How to Stage and List a House Fast

  • Take Excellent Care of Appliances and Change them out when Necessary 

If the appliances look like they are in good shape and the former tenant has left them clean to the eye, don’t just assume they are ready to go. Run the appliances like the dishwasher and the washing machine and dryer to make sure they are still in great working condition. After they have been tested give them a thorough deep clean.  If they are getting old and dingy it is time to upgrade to new ones. This will also help to justify charging a prime rent.  

 

  • Do a White Glove Inspection of Hidden Areas 

Even with the best of cleaning efforts by your previous tenant, there could be areas that were forgotten that grime has built up in/on overtime. Check places like the corners of the closet, under the lip of the kitchen and bathroom countertops, and the outlet and light covers.  

 

  • Invest in Commercial Cleaning Products 

Stock up on commercial strength cleaning products to cut through the grime that cleaners not available to the public can. Use these cleaners to get the stuff the tenant’s lesser strength everyday cleaners left behind.  

 

  • Don’t Forget Outside and Maintenance Issues 

The exterior of a rental is just as important as the inside. Sometimes the outside is more important as tenants won’t even consider a property that looks tired on the outside. Also make sure to check on general maintenance needs like changing out air filters, gutter cleaning, and the overall condition of the home.  

More: Helpful Move-in and Move-out cleaning checklist 

  • Bring in the Pros 

If you can afford the extra cost, it is highly worth your time to hire a few professionals to come in and clean the carpets, scrub the tiles and the bath/shower, and slap up a fresh coat of paint.  

 

  • Hire a Property Manager 

A property manager can take care of all of these things for you, from the rental cleaning agreements to the hiring of all the cleaning help to the finding of a new tenant. You can be completely hands-off and stress-free with a trustworthy property manager. The cost is well worth the amount of time and stress you will save.   

For property management services in Savannah, Georgia contact me anytime.  

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