As a rental property owner, you understand the importance of making a great first impression. Attracting new tenants to look at your property is only half the battle. Chaperoning a walk-through will either seal the deal or turn away potential revenue. And staging should be part of your pre-tour to-do list. The good, and maybe even relieving news is you don’t have to be an interior designer to make a space look great. In fact, here are six tips for staging the perfect walk-through that anyone can do.
Always Start with Clean
No matter how welcoming you make a room or a space, if it’s not clean, you’re not making a good impression. The first step to any walk-through incorporates some elbow grease and cleaning. Dust bunnies, cobwebs, and carpet stains will be an immediate turn-off.
Lead with Your Best Staging Foot Forward
When it comes to rental property staging, you don’t have to make every room look incredible. Instead, pick one or two common areas and focus on making those amazing. A kitchen or a den area could be made welcoming with great natural light, clean and neutral window treatments, or even a floral arrangement centerpiece.
Neutral Is Best
Individual design and decors tastes will vary. But almost everyone will tell you that a neutral color is the least offensive. If your rental property features a bright yellow accent wall or L.A. Lakers shower curtains, consider changing things up. Stick with light-colored beiges, whites, or grays for the best staging.
Be Mindful of Odors
If it’s been a while since you’ve taken a walk through your vacant rental property, you’ll want to do so before you bring new potential renters in for a tour. Odors can creep in from a variety of places, including a slow leaking pipe or a backed-up toilet. Try to avoid covering up any foul aromas with equally strong air sprays, though. Consider using clean smells from air fresheners or sprays with neutralizing power. Open up the windows throughout and turn on the ceiling fans to naturally move any stale air out of a room. Baking soda on the carpets and quick vacuum can be helpful with unpleasant smells, too.
A Houseplant or Picture Never Hurt
If you walk through your property first, you can imagine yourself experiencing the place for the first time. And as you go through, you might feel like a particular room needs a little something extra. You can’t go wrong with a common houseplant to access a hallway, bring life to a window sill, or call attention to a table centerpiece. A giant empty wall space might benefit from a generic, floral, or inspirational message wall-hanging. And you can gift your new renters the plant or picture as a housewarming gift.
Not a Loose Knob or Burnt-Out Bulb in the Place
The walk-through you do prior to introducing new potential tenants will also present an opportunity for you to inspect all the little things. A loose doorknob can alone signify that you don’t care enough to replace or fix something so simple. Look for bulbs that are burnt out, including in closet spaces or basement areas. If a door creaks, add a little lubricant to the joints. If a cabinet knob is loose, tighten it. Those small details may not win over a new renter, but it will certainly prevent and reduce the risk of you losing one.
Your staging efforts don’t have to be inspired by top-rated designers, and you don’t have to know about accent pillows or drapes to make a great impression. Instead, start with these six tips and have a great walk-through. For more tips for staging or other rental property management suggestions, contact us!
