Several Inexpensive Ways to Spruce Up Your Rental or Rehab Property

Several Inexpensive Ways to Spruce Up Your Rental or Rehab Property by - 

Bill Bronchick

 I have been working with several investors purchasing investment properties over the last few yrs. and they are always looking for low cost ways to make their rentals or fix and flips rock.  I came across a few great ideas, and here is what I found.  Simple easy and make an impact on the home.

I still find it amazing when a renter walks through that door to look at the property, 1st impression make all the difference in the world. It's a emotional rent.  Renters are a different today, X  home owners, and they want there rental to be in Pristine Condition, they just dont rent anything. Home improvements  investors can make dont always require a big investment, and with a little ingenuity and elbow grease, you can find cheap ways to spruce up your home without costing a bundle. Carpet and Paint can be expensive, 5K-10K easy, but most of the investors I know want to put as little as possible into that property. Below are  several improvements you can make that wont break the bank, your RENTAL will ROCK, really make it stand out, a few basic improvements to improve your properties with very little cash.

#1) New Electrical Switch Plates Minor,  yet adds so much to the appearance. Most rental owners and rehabbers paint a unit and leave the old, ugly switch plates. New switch plates cost about 50 cents each.

#2) New or Improved Doors Nice white doors. The basic hollow-core door is about $30. It comes pre-primed and pre-hung for a little extra .
  #3) New Door Handles For about $10, you can replace the door handles . Replace the guest bathroom and bedroom door handles with the fancy “S” handles (about $20 each).
  #4) Paint/Replace Trim Use a semi-gloss bright white on all the trim in your houses.  How bout that outside trim, people like color , be brave and opt for some color on that trim, It'a a lot less then painting the whole house.  If the floor trim is worn, cracked or just plain ugly, replace it at a costs less than 50 cents per linear foot. Create a great first impression by adding crown molding in the entry way and living room.
  #5) New Front Door

It is TRUE, you only get one chance to make a first impression. A cheap front door makes a house look cheap. An old front door makes a house look old. If you have nice heavy door, paint it a bold color using a high-gloss paint. If your front door is old, consider replacing it with a new, stylish door.

  #6) Tile Foyer Entry  After the front door, your next first impression is the foyer area. Most rental property foyers are graced with linoleum floors. Consider a nice 12″ Mexican tile. An 8′ x 8′ area should cost about $100 in materials.
  #7) New Shower Curtains It amazes me that many landlords and sellers show properties with either no shower curtain or any ugly old shower curtain in the bathroom. Buy that new rod and fancy curtain.
  #8) Paint Kitchen Cabinets Replacing kitchen cabinets is expensive, but painting them is cheap. And dont forget to replace that faucet. Look for them on sale, Cabinet pulls can transform a kitchen cabinets into a designer showcase.  Try IKEA for cheap pulls.

#9) Add outside Exterior Vinyl Shutters on the front If you have ugly aluminum framed windows, consider adding wooden  or plastic shutters outside. They come pre-primed at most hardware retailers and are easy to install. Paint them an offset color from the outside of the house. 

 

#10) Add a Nice Mailbox 

Be bold, stand out , buy a nice colorful mailbox. People notice these things and they like them!

Distressed Property Report - March 2012

Gathering intelligence on Short Sales and Foreclosures is now easier with the Distressed Property Report. This report contains three interactive maps: short sales, foreclosures and a map of all distressed properties. Each map is a snapshot of the active distressed property aggregated by ZIP Code. The February 2012 Distressed Property Report can be found here.

There are no "from" and "to" dates on the Distressed Property Report because the data is Active properties in the system on the day the report is published. The "Percentage of Actives" shows what percentage of Active listings are distressed in each ZIP Code. Each map is displayed below:

Clicking a dot on any map will display more information (example). Just like a Google Map, the maps below can be zoomed, panned and moved.

http://www.armls.com/statistics/distressed-property-report/march-2012-distressed-property-report

Gay.net - Arizona Principal Says She Was Fired for Being a Lesbian

Gay.net - Arizona Principal Says She Was Fired for Being a Lesbian

For Rent: 3BR/2BA Single Family House in Avondale, AZ, $1,225/month

For Rent: 3BR/2BA Single Family House in Avondale, AZ, $1,225/month

Several New Photo's ---> https://plus.google.com/photos/116557586024247442273/albums/5724376449388100289

Available NOW!!

She bought a Garage, NOT a Home

Having REALTOR representation can help clarify any discrepancies and ensure you know exactly what you're purchasing.

PHOENIX - A Valley woman is pleading for help after finding out the home she purchased, isn't a home at all.

Clarinda Baylis moved into a Phoenix property in 2011. When she had the City of Phoenix come out to perform a weatherization service, she found out what she purchased wasn't a home.

Read more:  AZ woman thinks she bought house until city officials tell her she bought a garage

Where to find local foreclosure deals in Phoenix

Where to find local foreclosure deals?

Where do Local people investing in foreclosures GO!! AZPrideProperty.com #1 STOP Foreclosure Search. Where would you go to see local foreclosure homes for sale listed all in one place? We humbly suggest the link below.
AZPrideProperty.com provides you the most complete and up to date foreclosure search available. Search all available foreclosures, bank repo's, and REO's in all of Maricopa County. For your convenience we have created this quick search links below so you can find foreclosure deals in your area.

Valley wide Property Search

Buckeye Foreclosures

Foreclosures Goodyear

Carefree Foreclosures

Cave Creek Foreclosures

Chandler Foreclosures

Fountain Hills Foreclosures

Gilbert Foreclosure

Glendale Foreclosures

Laveen Foreclosures

Mesa Foreclosures

Peoria Foreclosures

Phoenix Foreclosures

Scottsdale Foreclosures

Surprise Foreclosures

Tolleson Foreclosures

Queen Creek Foreclosures

Foreclosures Valleywide

Foreclosures only 4 days on Market

HUD HOMES

Just Listed Scottsdale

Fixers West Valley

Under 50K Valley wide

Goodyear JUST LISTED

Fountain Hill JUST Listed

Gilbert Just Listed

                                Call or txt Linda 602-391-8246

F.Q. Story Downtown Historic Charmer FOR RENT

Step in History w/ this Rental. Call Linda Wieczorek 602-391-8246

Linda Wieczorek | AZPrideProperty.com | (602) 391-8246 1306 W Lynwood St, Phoenix, AZ Now this is the sweetest, FQ Story Historic District Glass doorknobs and original doors take you back in history. 2BR/2BA Single Family House $1,700/month Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Sq Footage 1,410 Parking None Pet Policy Cats, Dogs Deposit $1,700 DESCRIPTION For Rent in one of the most desirable prestigious neighborhoods, FQ Story Historic District. This charming 1925 central Phoenix home is completely renovated with all the the charm of yesterday and modern luxury of today, the best of both worlds. This charming 1925 historic home has a spacious living room with wood burning fireplace, barrel ceiling & french doors in the dining room. The glass doorknobs and original doors take you back in history. The formal dining room and the quaint kitchen has a cozy breakfast nook. The remolded kitchen offers maple cabinets, black granite counters, stainless appliances, over-the-sink window. The master bedroom is brightened by 3 windows and has pocket door to the remolded master bath & walk-in shower. The beautiful main bath features original lavender tile with black trim, original medicine cabinet, walk-in shower and separate tub. The home also has crown molding, 4 inch baseboards and dramatic arches. Exterior features include original garage, covered patio and brick patio, built-in gas BBQ and sparkling pool, Get ready for those pool parties. And if your wondering what the electric would be in this home, NOT to worry this home is truly a energy efficient home with double pain window, insulated floors & ceiling with solar hot water heater. Enjoy proximity to downtown with Chase Field ballpark close by, as well as Symphony Hall and other cultural venues, restaurants and art galleries, and the ability to hop on the light rail for those day trips to Tempe and Mesa. On Lynwood Street you'll find yourself wrapped in the charm of the FQ Story Historic district. This Rental is truly wonderful Home. see additional photos below RENTAL FEATURES - Air conditioning - Central heat - Fireplace - High/Vaulted ceiling - Walk-in closet - Hardwood floor - Living room - Dining room - Breakfast nook - Dishwasher - Refrigerator - Stove/Oven - Microwave - Granite countertop - Stainless steel appliances - Washer - Dryer - Yard - Swimming pool - Cable-ready - High-speed internet COMMUNITY FEATURES - Guest parking LEASE TERMS 1yr - $1,700 month $1,700 Security $200.00 Cleaning Deposit $200.00 Pet Deposit $45.00 Credit Check (Adult 18 & older) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4 Photo 5 Photo 6 Photo 7 Photo 9 Photo 9 Photo 10 Photo 11 Photo 12 Photo 13 Photo 14 Contact info: Linda Wieczorek AZPrideProperty.com (602) 391-8246 Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Feb 6, 2012, 2:40pm PST