The 8 Design Upgrades Ajai Made To Make Her Home Renter-Ready (HINT She Did Her Own Market Research)

I can’t imagine it’s already been a yr since we discovered and bought our Las Vegas condominium. Now that we’re feeling just like the condominium is in a great state for a tenant, we’re lastly saying goodbye to Las Vegas and starting our journey again dwelling.

To refresh your reminiscence a bit, a little bit over a yr in the past, my husband and I had been on the hunt for our dream dwelling in Los Angeles. There have been slim pickings, with a lot of the properties being in poor situation and overpriced. We searched excessive and low for an affordable place to purchase, however by no means fairly discovered it, so we moved on to the following plan, and bought a condominium at an amazing worth, using the good rate of interest being provided (on the time). We determined we’d purchase it, repair it up, dwell in it, and finally hire it out, then head again dwelling to Los Angeles as soon as the condominium was in good situation. We’ve made a number of enhancements to date, and most of them had been made contemplating what could be most sturdy and greatest for a tenant. That mentioned, listed below are a number of the largest and most stunning updates we made with a tenant in thoughts. However we did have a little bit assistance on what was price it or not…

Market Analysis (Instagram and Tiktok)

We took our time engaged on this place as a result of we needed to verify the tenants who reside right here really feel at dwelling. We wish them to like the place they dwell. Although we understand the love and care we’ve given to the condominium is not going to probably be demonstrated by tenants, we simply couldn’t discover it in ourselves to half-ass the job. That mentioned, we took to social media to create polls the place my viewers might give their enter about what updates had been price it and which of them weren’t. This led to 1000’s of replies with renters sharing their sentiments in direction of their residences and voicing what sort of place they felt was price caring for. To my shock, I discovered that numerous these renters had been very like me – taking satisfaction in the place they dwell and thrilled to maintain up their areas. Even with this suggestions, we plan to do our very best relating to vetting the tenants that might be transferring into this condominium.

LVP (Luxurious Vinyl Planks) All through – Sturdiness, Waterproof, And Scratch-Resistant

LVP (bought by ground & decor and is not accessible)

We didn’t have a lot selection on whether or not or not we might be changing the unique laminate flooring all through the home, as they had been effervescent in a number of spots within the kitchen and had burn marks on them in a few the rooms. We accurately assumed that the flooring had been effervescent from prior water harm, which additionally performed a consider our resolution to get LVP (luxurious vinyl planks) all through the condominium. We needed to make sure that the flooring had been waterproof (simply in case) lord forbid there are any plumbing points sooner or later *knocks on wooden*. Together with being waterproof, LVP can also be scratch-resistant, extraordinarily sturdy, and received’t harbor any smells the identical method carpet might. The kind of LVP we select is gentle sufficient to brighten up the house as properly to make sure the place doesn’t really feel too darkish. Our condominium is 1,100 sq. ft and we had been in a position to lay flooring all through your complete home (excluding the kitchen) with the LVP materials costing $800.

When receiving social media suggestions concerning the flooring, I used to be very shocked to seek out how many individuals liked the LVP. I obtained a number of thousand responses complimenting the way it seems to be so much like wooden. That is as a result of sample/print added to the highest of the LVP. In actual fact, persons are typically shocked that it isn’t a distinct materials. Receiving these responses makes me so joyful as a result of this helps to validate the selection we made, aesthetically. It’s a good looking factor when sturdiness can meet magnificence. This results in why we selected our kitchen flooring.

Brick In The Kitchen (Extra Sturdiness, Extra Waterproof, Extra Scratch-Resistance

As was the case with the remainder of the house, the flooring within the kitchen had water harm and wanted to go. The situation of the outdated kitchen flooring additionally steered us in direction of a water-resistant and sturdy materials and we selected brick. We thought-about a number of the recollections of touring and distinctly the time we spent in Italy and our fondness for his or her use of brick in high-traffic areas. We needed one thing that may final a very long time and we felt the brick would match the aesthetic we had in thoughts for the kitchen whereas matching as much as put on and tear.

We used a sealer that had good opinions – we discovered it at our nearest dwelling provide retailer and can seal it each 5 years from right here on. The brick ground value us just a few hundred {dollars}, however brick would sometimes be a bit on the costly facet. We saved tons, as we had fairly a little bit of this ground leftover from a earlier design mission. This ground has been probably the most asked-about factor on all my social media platforms. To be trustworthy, the choice to get brick flooring has been probably the most praised tenant-friendly design replace I’ve obtained. When folks discover out we intend to hire this place out, they’re placing themselves ahead as future-potential-renters (and I haven’t even uploaded an utility but). It’s fairly candy and offers my husband and me numerous hope because it pertains to discovering a renter. If I could be candid, I’ll additionally share that this flooring is my most clicked and bought affiliate hyperlink/product. In a latest weblog publish, I shared how we put in and maintained the flooring, and I’m joyful to present a quick replace and share that we’re nonetheless loving and having fun with our brick flooring.

Upgraded Lighting

Black Sconce | Couch Pillows | Knit Throw (unavailable)

Pendant Gentle | Eating Desk | Eating Chairs | Design Anthology Books

The unique lighting was dated and in determined want of changing. The objective was to replace the lighting with timeless choices that had been cheap – retaining in thoughts that these could have to get replaced once more in some unspecified time in the future (if a tenant will get a bit tough with them). We love the lighting we selected and imagine it provides character to every house, with out us having to interrupt the financial institution to take action. As a result of the lighting was cheap, we’re additionally snug changing it if and when that point ought to come. I additionally turned to social media for his or her opinions on lighting and located that the majority renters gravitate in direction of brass fixtures greater than some other end. Black was runner-up to the brass. That mentioned, I selected to do brass within the toilet and kitchen areas, and went for a black matte possibility within the higher-traffic areas. I imagine black is timeless and other people received’t get sick of it, however I nonetheless needed to stick to the bulk, including brass to a few areas. The overall value of supplies to exchange lighting all through was round $300. This was made doable as I participated in just a few partnerships the place I’ve been blessed sufficient to obtain most of our lighting as a present when engaged on these campaigns. Nonetheless, I’ll say these lights are nonetheless very inexpensive choices. One other characterizing characteristic we selected so as to add to a few areas was beadboard.

Added Beadboard In The Dwelling Room And Eating Room

I needed to carry character to the dwelling and eating room with out forcing my method of design on any future tenant. This implies I’d must discover a easy strategy to make every house aesthetically distinctive and never too overwhelming. We determined so as to add beadboard to the dwelling and eating room. This turned out to be a enjoyable weekend mission. We reduce and put in the beadboard Friday, caulked Saturday, and painted Sunday. We additionally made a customized image ledge within the eating room house. The image ledge is a customized and delicate method for our tenant to show keepsakes, footage, and film galleries, with out having to make too many holes within the partitions. We imagine the image ledge will encourage our tenants to be inventive and beautify to their liking.

We selected to color the beadboard in these areas black, as they’re the high-traffic areas of the house. The kitchen opens as much as the eating space properly, and we needed these two areas to transition properly, so we opted for the black color-blocked beadboard to run all through. There aren’t any home windows within the kitchen or eating room areas, so leaving the eating room white simply wasn’t working for us. The white merely jogged my memory how open and darkish the realm was (it was fairly unhappy) so I made a decision to play on that darkness and paint the decrease a part of the wall black. The black makes it really feel moody, cozy, and intentional. This design replace additionally made a optimistic affect through social media. I’d say this was extra of an aesthetic replace however can assist with defending the decrease ranges of the wall, performing as one other protecting barrier. The beadboard provides the home a extra fashionable and stylish look and I’ve realized (from promoting our final dwelling) that updates like this will add fairly just a few {dollars} when an appraiser walks via the home. The overall value so as to add beadboard to our front room, eating room, visitor toilet room, and fundamental bed room value $450.

Black Paint In The Kitchen And The Dwelling Room

Along with the dwelling and eating areas, we determined to color half of the kitchen cupboards black for just a few completely different causes, one being to assist within the prevention of any undesirable stains on the cabinetry. A few of the aesthetic causes come from a need to play off of the very fact the kitchen additionally has no home windows. Attempting to brighten up your complete house utilizing white, cream, or taupe all through would have left us wanting extra from the house. So, we embraced the windowless kitchen and went for a sultry and complex vibe akin to a Parisian cabaret. The brackets, lighting, marble counter tops, and tap all tie along with the black cupboards and brick flooring within the kitchen to offer the aesthetic we had been searching for.

Now, each time we do the dishes or cook dinner, we’re reminded of a few of our favourite lounges and taverns from our travels. Whereas I really like the black cupboards, in an effort to offer a steadiness and never make the kitchen really feel too heavy, we determined to color the peninsula and the breakfast bar cupboards cream. We imagine the kitchen will present a pleasant steadiness for our tenant to cook dinner, host, and calm down – that may also stand the take a look at of time. We opted for a lighter shade in the primary bed room as properly. I used to be fairly shocked by the suggestions I obtained from selecting to color the one facet of the kitchen and the beadboard black. I’ve realized that renters favor white areas. They’ve acknowledged that white makes them really feel like they’ve a contemporary palette/canvas to work with, however after I requested if I ought to go black, so many renters had been on board. After portray the decrease cupboards black and the eating room beadboard black, my movies really went viral (in a great way) – folks liked it! The black paint was round $30 per gallon and I wanted two gallons to get the job executed.

Beadboard And Spanish Sand Paint In The Bed room

The principle bed room is one other space we selected so as to add beadboard (one other weekend mission). This was really the primary room we labored on, which gave us the choice to cowl extra wall (length-wise) with beadboard (we used the leftover beadboard from this mission within the dwelling and eating rooms). In the primary bed room, we swapped out all the outlet plates, the ceiling fan, and added a customized image ledge. The image ledge on this room is the explanation we determined to cowl extra space of the wall with the beadboard. We needed any mattress to clear the peak of the image ledge, giving tenants the choice of placing their mattress on this wall as properly. Our headboard is a bit on the tall facet, so I’m optimistic some other mattress would match underneath the image ledge simply positive. As a result of the bed room just isn’t a high traffic space, we thought a lighter shade would complement this room properly. I’m large on the bed room being a tranquil house, so choosing lighter palettes here’s what I sometimes gravitate towards. There have been so many optimistic responses concerning our selection to color the bed room Spanish Sand, however I’m not shocked, as I’ve realized that many renters favor impartial colours, because it provides them the choice so as to add their very own colours/private touches to an area. We used one gallon of paint for this house and this value round $40. Lastly, we determined to exchange the present ceiling fan with a brand new one, preventing the temptation so as to add a chandelier. It may possibly get highly regarded in Las Vegas, so having a ceiling fan in every room is extra best. This subject received fairly heated through social media, however the normal consensus round having a ceiling fan over a chandelier was that operate beats out aesthetics.

Reglazed Bathtubs And Swapped Out {Hardware} As a substitute Of Shopping for New Tubs

Matte Black Rest room Equipment | Bathe Curtain | Wooden Stool

I realized early that reglazing bathtubs could be an efficient and cheap possibility for a landlord. Once I moved into my very first house, it had probably the most disgusting bathtub I’ve ever encountered. I wasn’t even snug standing in it to take a bathe, so I reached out to the administration firm asking for them to exchange the bathtub. You’ll be able to think about how that went over, so I sought out an affordable decision that each the owner and I’d discover accommodating. I interviewed just a few tub reglazing corporations close to me, requested concerning the course of, and selected the perfect one. They got here in, stripped the bathtub of its grossness, and utilized the brand new layers of glaze. I stayed with my mother and father for just a few days, permitting the toilet to air out, after which returned to a model new tub (figuratively talking). I lived in that condominium for a few years and the bathtub by no means gave me any points. Again then the reglaze solely value round $100, so after all the owner was on board for this.

Quick ahead to our condominium and its bathtubs – they had been in poor situation, and we needed to keep away from changing each tubs completely. We remembered our first house and determined to go the reglazing route. We had each bathtubs reglazed and swapped out the {hardware}. We researched and contacted a close-by bathtub reglazing skilled and a plumber. The reglazing skilled was in a position to reglaze each bathtubs inside a few days and as soon as he was executed, the tubs appeared model new. The value of reglazing is a fraction of the price you may count on for changing a tub, however will go away you feeling like you’ve gotten a brand new tub to soak in. As soon as the bathtubs had been reglazed we had the {hardware} in each baths swapped out by our plumber and put up new curtain rods. This reworked the 2 loos into areas we wouldn’t thoughts spending time in. Conserving a tenant in thoughts, we perceive the worth of getting a clear place to wash and our tenant to dwell in a spot with loos they really feel snug utilizing and enjoyable in. This was yet one more viral design replace/video. I had no thought folks would react this strategy to such a easy replace. Folks liked the concept and shared with me that they’d be reaching out to their landlords requesting a tub reglaze. That mentioned, we had been in a position to get each bathtubs reglazed with simply $300.

Upgraded/Changed All Home equipment

New Fridge

Hood | Vary

There have been a number of the explanation why we didn’t merely substitute the home equipment however upgraded them as properly. We’ve lived in a number of residences through the years and have at all times had the fortune of getting both brand-new or reasonably new/fashionable home equipment. Having dependable home equipment is one thing we’ve grown accustomed to and we would like our tenants to expertise having the identical peace of thoughts. We determined to get a black and cyber grey Samsung bundle that may match the aesthetic of our kitchen and that was acquainted to us. Apart from the reliability that we’ve skilled with these home equipment, we’ve discovered all of the residences we’ve lived in used the identical ones. For that reason, we figured our tenant would very probably be used to them. Final, however not least, we needed to buy new home equipment so we hopefully received’t must get any upkeep or repairs on them for some time. My husband and I realized to search for home equipment with bundle offers again once we bought our first dwelling, and these offers have turn out to be useful for this dwelling as properly. We saved tons on bundling these things. We haven’t had any points with the home equipment (thank the great lord) so I’d completely advocate these selections. The very last thing any landlord would need is to consistently have to exchange or have upkeep executed on home equipment.

After spending a little bit over a yr in Nevada engaged on this place, we’re starting to make our return again to Southern California. I wish to assume that engaged on this dwelling, throughout this time in our lives will make it a happier place to dwell. The recollections we’ve with our son right here; studying to stroll, run, and speak, have really been a number of the sweetest. I’ve at all times been a believer {that a} dwelling maintains the vitality and happiness that happen in its partitions, and I do know that this place will really feel that rather more particular due to the care that went into it.

With this chapter of our lives coming to a detailed, the following story I plan to share might be our reemergence into the SoCal dwelling market panorama throughout our hunt for our subsequent dwelling. Keep tuned buddies, and please want us luck!

*Design and Images by Ajai Guyot

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