How Should I Go About Staging Rental Properties to Maximize Interest?
The staging of rental properties is a key factor in the success of any property.
Staging helps to make sure that your rental property will appeal to as many people as possible, which translates into more income for you.
Unfortunately, staging rental properties is a forgotten topic among property owners.
Most landlords simply list their properties without a care in the world about how they look to prospective renters.
In this article, we’ll discuss some staging tips and tricks to help you maximize your rental income.
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Start By Doing Market Research
The first step in staging your rental property is to do some market research.
You need to find out what the competition looks like and what potential renters are looking for. Once you have a good idea of what needs to be done, you can start staging your property.
Be sure to keep things neutral and appealing to as many people as possible. Don’t include any personal touches that will limit who could potentially rent from you.
Focus On The Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is the first thing that people notice when they approach your rental property.
It’s important to make sure that you’re giving off a good impression of how your rental looks from the outside.
You want to include some basic landscaping, lighting near entrances and windows, as well as staging furniture on porches or patios if possible.
Maximize The Exterior Spaces
When staging properties it can be tempting to focus all of your efforts inside of the home where prospective renters will spend most of their time once moving in.
However, this isn’t necessarily true because potential renters are going to walk around outside before coming into contact with any rooms inside of the house at all.
Try to plan for outdoor areas by adding seating arrangements, small gardens, or interesting landscaping.
Make The Interior Spaces Inviting
Once people walk inside of your rental property, you want them to feel comfortable and at home.
This means adding some furniture and staging the rooms in a way that makes them look lived in.
Avoid clutter and be sure to keep things clean and organized. Neutral colors are always best when staging interior spaces.
Add Special Touches To Appeal To Certain Groups Of People
Depending on what type of renter you’re targeting, it might be a good idea to add special touches that will appeal to them specifically.
If you know that your renters are families with children, then you might want to add child-friendly features like toys, books, or children’s furniture.
If you know that your renters are all young professionals who like to party, then staging the house with upscale barware and unique drink accessories can be a great way to appeal to them.
Don’t Forget About The Kitchen And Bathroom Spaces
Even though prospective renters aren’t necessarily going to spend much time in these spaces on their initial tour of the property, it still pays off to stage them well because they’re often used most frequently after moving into a rental home.
Include some nice towels and shower curtains that match the color scheme of other staging elements throughout the rest of the space for an overall cohesive feeling.
Set the Right Rental Price
One of the most important staging tips for rental properties is to price them correctly.
You don’t want to charge too much and scare people away, but you also don’t want to charge too little and make less money than you could be making.
Do your research and find out what similar properties are renting for in your area. Use this information as a guide when setting your own rental prices.
Hire a Qualified Property Manager
Staging your rental property isn’t the only way to maximize your income.
You’ll also need to hire a qualified property manager who can make sure that the home is up-to-date and properly maintained over time.
This includes:
- Taking care of any maintenance issues as soon as possible
- Arranging for regular inspections by professionals
- Screening potential renters before leasing agreements are signed
- Working hard to maintain good relationships with tenants while minimizing conflict where necessary
Consider Allowing Pets for Your Tenants
If you want to make your rental property as appealing as possible, then consider allowing pets inside of the home.
Having a pet available for tenants can be great. This is because it means that they’ll immediately have something in common with each other and will feel more comfortable living together than if there were no pets at all.
This strategy is especially useful when staging income properties that are targeted towards families or younger couples where children or partner animals might be involved.
Include A Welcome Package With The Rental Agreement
When you first sign your rental agreement, be sure to include a welcome package that contains important information about the property.
This should include:
- The name and contact information of the property manager
- Information about who to call if there are any maintenance issues
- Rules and regulations for living in the rental property
- Instructions for how to use appliances, keyless locks, etc.
By providing this type of information upfront, you can help reduce the chances of conflict or confusion later on.
Try Allowing Short-Term Rentals
If you’re looking for a way to make even more money from your rental property, then consider allowing short-term rentals.
This is because short-term renters are often willing to pay a higher price than long-term renters in order to have access to a place that they can call their own for just a few days or weeks at a time.
Of course, this comes with its own set of challenges and it’s important to make sure that you have the right insurance and legal coverage in place before making this type of arrangement.
Add Laundry Amenities
Another way to make your rental property more appealing is to add laundry amenities.
This can be a great selling point for families or for people who are relocating and don’t want to have to worry about finding a laundromat in their new area.
Learn More About Staging Rental Properties
As you can see, it’s not difficult to start staging rental properties. Doing so can help you make as much money as possible from your income properties.
Do you want to receive more tips about rental properties? If so, check out our blog for more helpful articles.