Conquer Curb Appeal, Reap Rental Rewards

It’s hardly a secret that first impressions can make or break deals in a nanosecond. So when you have a property to rent (or sell, though we’re specifically addressing the benefits for rentals here) you’re going to have to address any curb appeal issues quickly for a speedy turnaround.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that buildings that look better tend to fill better. By addressing curb appeal, you increase your odds of getting the prospect through the front door still feeling excited and hopeful that your property is the perfect candidate for their new home.

As a qualified lead, they want to be done looking for a place to call home, but they want to make the right decision and they want to be convinced they’re making the right decision. Mastering the art of curb appeal can help clinch the decision in your favor.

Curb appeal is both a concrete thing and an abstract one. What you can do about it is solid, based on common sense and logic, but the way it sways is on a subconscious and emotional level.

Ideally, you want your property to wow and welcome them.

Details, details, details…

Attention to detail is crucial to create just the right impression. Like an unexpected shadow in a photograph, or a slightly imbalanced scale in a painting – anything that jars the visual flow can be jarring and off-putting. Because your opportunity to maximize the power of a first impression is fleeting, you’ll want to accentuate the best features and minimize (or eliminate) the less than ideal.

Maintenance, cleanliness, balance and symmetry all come in to play as factors in determining the appeal of a property. It takes a discerning eye to make sure the stage is properly set for the prospects to respond.

Picky Prospects Pay Off

It certainly takes a little more time and effort to ensure your properties exude the ideal appeal. Most real estate investors find the efforts are worth the reward of the high quality tenants and buyers who tend to be attracted to the high curb appeal approach. People who are picky about the condition and feel of a home are much more likely to maintain high standards in their own care of the property.

Whether they are picky at the outset or not, it’s been observed that properties that are well maintained at the outset of rental tend to remain in good condition throughout the tenancy. When the standard of care on the part of the landlord is high, the standard of care on the part of the tenants tends to follow.

That means when you invest in increasing the curb appeal of your property it not only increases the perceived value of the property, it can reduce your repair and maintenance costs too.

And as an added bonus, the higher the curb appeal for your property, the less time it is likely to remain empty.

Fortunately, unless the property is in need of major repair or has been poorly maintained, the steps to achieve high curb appeal are largely cosmetic and relatively inexpensive to implement. We’ll cover some of the details in an upcoming post.