Spring Cleaning to Boost Rental Property Appeal

After enduring months of teeth-chattering cold, spring is always a warm relief. Nothing energizes you like the sun in the sky, flowers in full bloom, and fresh air. There’s no better time to start spring cleaning to boost rental property appeal with all that energy.

It’s the perfect time to clean out rooms, air out the unit, and give it a refreshing look. Professional Property Management of Northern Virginia suggests using a checklist to plan your spring cleaning to keep your tenants satisfied. If you’re looking for tips on keeping your rental in top condition this season, stick around until the end.

Inspect the Roof

If you’re going for a top-to-bottom approach, there’s no better way to start your spring cleaning than with a roofing inspection. It’s essential to include this step in your checklist because your roof is susceptible to damage during the winter months. For starters, animals might try to burrow through your shingles to escape from the cold. Frozen water could loosen boards and create an access point for more rodents. Such problems can affect the habitability of your rental unit and compromise your external appeal. Thus, you must grab a ladder or hire a contractor to inspect the integrity of your roof.

Clear Your Gutters

Another way to keep your property looking fresh this spring is to clean out the gutters. Often, during fall and winter, leaves and other debris tend to pile up and block water flow through these channels. It increases your risk of suffering water damage and compromising the building’s structural integrity when that happens. So it’s vital you use a hose to wash out the dirt and debris in your gutters. If your property is large, completing this task on your own might be tedious. Thus, it would help if you outsourced it for maximum efficiency. Before moving on to interior maintenance tips, download this spring cleaning checklist for more external tips.

Wipe Down Screens and Windows

Very few things make a house look as unappealing as a dirty window. It’s spring; allow your tenants to enjoy the sights by wiping down screens and windows. A bucket of warm soapy water and a microfiber towel should do the trick. However, if you’re looking to go the extra mile, you could hire a window cleaning company to get that extra sheen. During this process, be sure to inspect the screens and windows for any signs of damage and repair as needed.

Wash Carpets and Rugs

If you use rugs or other forms of carpeting in your rental, you have to subject them to intense cleaning periodically. Over time, they tend to trap dirt, pollen, and other debris regular vacuuming can’t remove. Thus, what better time to roll up your sleeves and dust out your carpet than spring? Depending on the size, you can roll it up and take it outside for a good dusting. Otherwise, you could get an industrial carpet cleaner to get neck-deep into the fibres and leave them looking good as new. Flooring is an essential component of your rental property, so you must care for it thoroughly.

Check the HVAC System

No one likes to live in a home with lingering smells, excessive dust, or an uncomfortable temperature, especially tenants. Since your HVAC system plays a significant role in determining air quality in a unit, it’s essential to clean it out periodically. During winter, residents use the A/C less, so there’s likely to be a build-up of dirt and debris. The best approach is to open up the HVAC system and clean out the individual parts. If necessary, you may change the furnace and filter. It would be in your best interest to let a professional handle the inspection, though. That way, the system is less likely to sustain damage, and they can resolve any issues they spot.

Check Your Detectors

Spring cleaning wouldn’t be complete if you didn’t check your alarms and detectors. As a landlord, your tenants’ lives and property safety is your foremost concern. Thus, you have to ensure your sensors are working at all times. Double-check the systems to ensure they’re up to code and that the batteries are still working. The last thing you want is a fire breaking out when no one is home. Don’t forget to check other alarms like your carbon monoxide and moisture detectors. You might also consider installing smart versions of these detectors, which can quickly alert you when there’s a problem.

Conclusion

A clean and well-maintained home is a huge attraction for most tenants, so savvy landlords use spring cleaning to boost rental property appeal. Although it might seem overwhelming to inspect, repair, change, and clean so many parts of the house, it saves you a lot of headaches in the long run. Do you need help maintaining your home? Reach out to an expert property management company that can help with your spring cleaning. 

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