For your Tampa rental property, it is cost-effective to design interiors that will last for a long time. Trends are attractive in the short term but keeping your rental house on trend will require costly renovations. In contrast, the most profitable rental properties have an appeal that lasts well into the future. Here are tips to keep your rental looking not only relevant but ready for what comes next to future-proof your rental home.
Choose Classic Over Trendy
You might decide to attract today’s renters by studying how to incorporate the latest fads into your rental home’s interiors. But to create a timeless look that will last, it’s a much better idea to stick to a simple, classic design. The classic design has a signature simple, sophisticated style that is functional and highly adaptable. Neutral colors and natural materials like wood, stone, and brick make a very classic look. Compared to loud, trendy designs, classic design is timeless and will complement a variety of aesthetics. This design outlasts short-lived design fads. This is one of the primary steps in creating a future-proof rental property.
Keep Walls & Floors Neutral
Trendy colors come and go almost as quickly as most other fads. Before you add that accent wall or start repainting your property the color of the year, you might want to think about how often you will need to repaint to keep your rental property from looking dated. To give your rental home that timeless appeal, choose neutral shades for your paint and flooring instead. Neutrals are ideal in a rental house because it makes it easier for the renter to customize the area with their own furnishings. Soft beiges, grays, and crisp white trim become accents in a room that the resident can design to feel like home.
Invest in Good Lighting
Another way to future-proof your rental property is to invest in quality lighting fixtures and bulbs. For many landlords, lighting in their rental homes is an afterthought. They sometimes use the cheapest light fixtures and bulbs thinking it will save them a few dollars. Though it may seem like a good idea in the short term, investing in quality lighting lowers utility costs and can even increase interest in your rental house, making it easier to rent and encouraging renters to stay. This is because few renters want a home that has dark or inadequately lit rooms. If your rental has old, outdated light fixtures, it is time to replace them with fixtures that provide enough light. Try replacing tacky fluorescent lighting with modern recessed lighting which is functional and versatile. At the very least, change those cheap light bulbs for long-lasting LED bulbs. Not only will it increase energy efficiency, but it will also reduce the number of times you need to change light bulbs each year.
Add Smart Upgrades
However, unlike other trends that simply pass, smart technologies are very likely to stay. Adding smart upgrades will get your rental property ready for when such technologies will be increasingly in demand. Install a smart thermostat to help reduce utility costs while appealing to renters who, like most people, appreciate that they can control the features from a smartphone or tablet. And smart locks are budget-friendly upgrades that offer peace of mind for residents who have to be away from their homes for a certain amount of time.
You can choose among the many smart home technologies that you can add to your home according to your budget and preference. After considering where your rental property is located and what your target renters are looking for, it is a good idea to start on a few upgrades before you miss the opportunity to be ready for the future.
Would you like to learn more about strategies to make your rental home as profitable as it can be, year after year? Give Real Property Management Empire a call! Our Tampa rental market experts can offer valuable tips and suggestions to maximize your investment property’s potential, as well as our highly-rated property management services. You can reach us online or call us at 813-867-7300.
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