Purchasing a residential or commercial property and improving it for resale is a common business practice that realtors follow to make money. But management of rental property until you find buyer for it or find tenants to rent it or lease it out for a specific period of time, is not an easy task. You have to find tenants, organize lease agreements, handle requests of renters to make improvements on the property and then make profits from the deal. The easiest way to control expenses on rental property before reselling is to have a trusted contractor that specializes in maintaining residential properties, but here are some smart ways to control these expenses.
Electrical and plumbing systems
If you have little knowledge about electric and plumbing systems, then take an expert with you when you want to buy a property for resale. Ensure that required repairs are at a minimum and you can resell the house at a good profit keeping in mind local real estate market conditions. Most houses need basic repairs especially plumbing, but some may be extensive so be careful.
Managing maintenance expenses
If the house has a large lawn around the property which has to be maintained, then get it mowed just before you take a prospective buyer to the place instead of wasting money on a regular basis. Try to dispose of this kind of high maintenance properties at the earliest by putting up a sign board on the lawn and also advertising heavily on real estate websites including your own.
Keep the repainting neutral
No one wants to walk into a drab looking house, so get the house repainted once the previous owner moves out. Paint everything from walls to ceiling including doors, windows and closets with neutral colors like beige or cream, which will make give the interiors a warm glow and increase its appeal. Having a single color all through the house saves money if you are dealing in low cost properties and will make the property look good as new.
Fixtures and flooring
Buy a property only if it has minimal flooring repairs as these are expensive. If the property has fancy tiling it may be expensive to replace. While replacing broken fixtures like taps, door stops, handles look for nickel ones as these are hard and do not require regular polishing or high grade maintenance.
Ensure that your house complies with local standards of safety and building codes with regard to security alarms and smoke detectors, which will protect your investment until you get a good buyer.
Once you do buy a property and are ready to renovate, contact us for a free construction estimate.