Curb appeal and first impressions still matter as much as they ever have when it comes to rental properties. When asked, “How important is the exterior when making a decision to rent a house?” More than 80% of the people polled stated if the property wasn’t maintained on the outside, they didn’t want to look on the inside. It’s a fallacy that people who rent, do not want a property they can be proud of.
There seems to be a direct correlation between the average numbers of vacancies per year and the rental condition so it is beneficial to have well maintained, attractive properties.
After you have made the typical cosmetic improvements to your rental properties, invest in some low maintenance, low investment landscaping. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to make your rental properties stand out.
With the Texas climate, one thing you should consider is replacing old, sickly shrubs and bushes with drought resistant, attractive plants. Here is a list of drought resistant plants from AustinNativeLandscaping.com:
Full Sun:
Locations that receive a high amount of direct sunlight are perfect areas for these types of plants. A local nursery will be helpful in giving you ideas on which ones to select for your region. Make sure to emphasize color and how the plants will enhance your property when someone is walking or driving by your rental properties.
If a full yard landscaping project isn’t in the budget, consider placing pots of high color plants around the front porch or entrance to the home as well as corners and places away from walkways and parking areas. Make sure each pot that you plant has that wow factor so your potential renter will sneak an admiring glance as they’re going by.
Don’t have a green thumb? No problem, your local garden center will be more than happy to provide you with ideas and valuable opinions on what you can do to improve the attractiveness of your rental properties.
