If you haven’t been visiting your summer home for a while, renting it might seem appealing. But, is your home truly ready for tenants? Keep in mind that providing minimum living conditions is necessary to be able to rent your home, and making any improvements will only increase the rent price. If you planned on renting your home, but haven’t been thinking of home repairs, now’s the time to get to it. There are a couple of small fixes you can perform, that could significantly raise the rental price. Here’s what you can do to gross more money from your estate:
1. Fix faucets and drains
No one likes a leaky faucet. It’s not only uncomfortable, but it’s also potentially dangerous. You hold a certain level of responsibility for any damage that tenants suffer as a consequence of poor home maintenance. Leaky faucet and clogged drains can cause so much trouble, from mold to soaked ceilings. Mold should be your biggest concern since it would make you legally responsible for any health damage the tenants suffer.
2. Seal doors and windows
Well-operating doors and windows make a lot of difference in rent price. They affect the electric bills, which is one of the major points when tenants are choosing a place to live. During the summer, doors and windows that pass through the air will require the house to cool for longer hours, increasing the electric bill due to air conditioning. During the winter, it will require a lot more heating. The utility costs are important in determining the rental price, and most good tenants will stay clear of a home that’s hard to heat and cool.
3. Handle the pool
The pool is a feature that can skyrocket the rental price of the real estate, but it can also cause major trouble. You shouldn’t neglect to maintain the pool regularly, having it serviced and cleaning the filters. If you’re hiring contractors to do this, make sure they’re doing a good job. A lot of the time, when dealing with homeowners who rent the estate, contractors will slack with work but charge extra. You’re simply not there to monitor the process, and it’s easy for them to do very little work and charge you for the work that never needed doing.
4. Clean the pipes and the furnace
If the home you’re renting has any type of old-fashioned installations, you’ll need to get them in great shape before renting a home. All parts that serve to support heating are a fire hazard, and it’s up to you to keep these systems in their best shape. The last thing you want is to have to pay for the damage that an accidental fireplace fire caused by a clogged chimney did to the tenant’s furniture.