Nothing attracts potential military tenants more than a home that is visually attractive, inside and out. Ensure your AHRN military housing listing gives a powerful first impression by stepping up the curb appeal of your property.
These ten military landlord tips will help you boost the number of views and inquiries your rental receives from reliable renters.
1. Powerwash Your House
Military renters often look for homes that are clean and well-maintained. By cleaning the outside spaces surrounding your home, you’ll give a great first impression that the property is spotless. Set aside some time to power wash:
- House siding
- Decks
- Porches
- Driveway
- Sidewalk
- Gutters
- Windows
A polished exterior will allow the best features of your property to shine! If you aren’t sure how to powerwash your house, you can always hire a local company to do it for you.
2. Landscaping for Curb Appeal
Just like a good cleaning allows a home to shine, landscaping completes the picture and helps military renters visualize their future in that property. The grass and any bushes should be neatly trimmed.
Likewise, trees should be appropriately trimmed based on their species, and with the intent to extend their life. Flowerbeds should also be weed-free and surrounded by mulch for a more pristine appearance.
More Like This: Learn more about backyard safety measures you can take as a landlord before you begin renting out your property.
3. Plant Trees
Planting trees is one of the easiest ways to increase your home’s curb appeal. As trees grow, they make a home appear more established and provide an at-home cozy atmosphere. Simplify the process by choosing a tree that is well-suited to your area’s weather zone.
Not sure what tree is a good option for your geographical location? Better Homes and Gardens has just the information you need to select the right type of tree for your front yard.
4. Add Container Gardens
Add a pop of color and a bit of drama to the front porch or walkway with simple garden containers filled with your favorite herbs or flowers. Many home improvement stores such as Lowe’s and Home Depot sell garden containers or starter kits complete with flower seeds.
With a bit of research about your local weatherzone seasons and the sunlight available in your yard, you can quickly grow front yard plants that will attract potential tenants!
5. Add Home Entryway Decor
Make shopping renters want to move right in with a warm and appealing entryway. Paint your front door with a pop of color, or give it a comfy, modern vibe by painting it black. Add metal house number decals near the front door to enhance its appearance and also help others find the property.
You do not have to spend a ton of money on home entryway decor. However, having some seasonal decorative items to warm up the entryway would be a great way to make your investment feel more homey to renters.
6. Refresh the Edges
Refresh the paint on your home’s trim and shutters to brighten the overall appearance of the property. For most homes, this is an easy and economical way to make a significant improvement in the outside appearance of your home. Fresh trim paint paired with a good power washing of the exterior is your key to successfully creating a tidy, clean and inviting curbside appeal.
7. Mailbox Upgrade
Eventually, every house needs to go through a mailbox upgrade! If you’ve never replaced your mailbox, it is likely that you are still sporting the standard one that came with the house. To maximize your home’s curbside appeal, consider upgrading your mailbox to a more modern unit.
Not only will a new mailbox add sophistication and charm to the property, but it will also make it feel newer. It’s one of the little details that just might make a potential military tenant decide to call and put in an application!
8. Include Modern Outdoor Lighting
In today’s day and age, every property should have adequate outdoor lighting for the backyard as well as the front yard. By doing this, you will show potential renters that you care about their safety and well-being.
In addition, new outdoor lighting is a surefire way to improve your home’s curbside appeal and make the property feel modern and updated. A dark house is not welcoming. So even at night, leave the porch light on so that prospects can drive by in the evening to check out the property from the driveway.
9. Address Needed Repairs
To ensure there are no apparent repairs that need to be addressed, do a walkthrough of the front and back yards of your property. If you find an opportunity to repair something or to even touch up paint, go ahead and make those improvements.
Not only will this prolong the quality of your home, but it will also attract more applicants. Some of the top fixes you can look for are cracks in the sidewalk, wobbly stair railing, broken house siding, uneven brickwork, etc.
10. Eliminate Yard Clutter
The prettiest of yards can be tarnished by clutter. Even if you follow steps 1-9 listed above, it can all be ruined if you skip eliminating all of the random items littering your yard. When cleaning up your yard, don’t just focus on trash. Remove any items that don’t significantly contribute to the curb appeal of the property, such as:
- Water hoses
- Garbage cans
- Watering cans
- Tools (rakes, shovels, etc.)
- Equipment (lawn mower, weed eater, etc.)
All of these items can be stored in the garage or an attractive outdoor storage chest. While you may need to use some of these items to improve the curb appeal of your home, they should be put away as soon as you’re done using them. This way, they don’t take away from the hard work you put in to improve the outer appearance of your investment.
Rent to Military Families
As you know, military members are often recognized for their high levels of discipline, attention to detail and for being orderly. On top of that, they are backed by guaranteed income from the military. Therefore, you can trust military families with your rental property.
To help PCSing service members discover your military housing rental, sign up on AHRN and list your rental. Here, you can join thousands of landlords across the world who benefit from renting to military families.
Tress and well maintained garden are best way to enhance curb appeal. Other than that try to be a bit creative with mail box and a gate as these are the first thing which is notice by the people.
That first impression is really powerful! Thank you for stopping by, Michael!
Daniel Camacho hooked me up! Best painter – best value, not a bad price either! I highly recommend him in the Travis AFB area. I live in Vacaville. He can be reached at 415-531-1627
CAL Lic 624017 43 Years in Business… a fine man! Great crew.
This is an awesome blog. I just bought my second home and want to make it look better. It needs a lot less work than this one but at the same time it makes me want to change as much as possible.