The first impression tenants have of the property when they visit can make or break their decision to sign the lease contract. A nice-looking exterior not only enhances the curb appeal and preserves the value of your property but also gives potential tenants the impression that they’re visiting a well-managed living space. From tidy landscaping and outdoor amenities to modern security features, the right exterior features can set your property apart from the competition and even justify charging higher rents.
This time, we’re going to discuss the best exterior features that attract tenants, helping you maximize your rental property’s appeal and create an inviting space that tenants will love to rent out.
Our Recommendations to Make Your Property’s Exterior More Attractive
The best exterior features to attract tenants focus on curb appeal, safety, functionality, and convenience for the type of tenants you want to attract. Following those criteria, these are the top universally liked features that can make your rental property stand out:
1 – Landscaping
One of the most basic and effective ways to make a home’s exterior more attractive and inviting is to keep a landscaping care schedule. Here’s how:
- Trimmed lawn instantly enhances a property’s appeal, making it look nice and clean. In contrast, overgrown grass and weeds can make a place look abandoned and dirty.
- Hiring a professional landscaper to take care of the planning, selection and planting of shrubs and hedges that can be used to define walkways, create privacy, and add greenery that can give the property’s exterior an edge of elegance without requiring extensive maintenance.
- Planting flowers can add a touch of colour and make a property look warm, vibrant and welcoming. Good low-maintenance and resistant to cooler temperatures options for flowers include coneflowers, blanket flowers, peonies, daylilies, and bee balms are all beautiful flowers that can help you embellish your rental property.
- If you want to keep things even easier to maintain, sturdy plants like succulents, lavender, and ornamental grasses can thrive with minimal care, making them a great choice that will still improve your property’s appearance.
2 – Fresh Paint & Siding
Whenever you’re transitioning tenants, giving your property’s exterior a fresh coat of paint is an impactful way to give your property a makeover that will make it more attractive at first glance. We recommend neutral tones like beige, white, off-white and earthy shades such as soft taupe, olive and light brown to create a timeless look that blends well with the landscaping and is universally attractive.
On the other hand, siding it’s not only a feature that can enhance a property’s appeal; it also contributes to energy efficiency by improving insulation. Upgrading the siding using materials like fibre cement or wood composite can make the property look better, protect it from several weather conditions and help lower the utility bills.
3 – Well-lit & Safe Entryways
Good lighting is a low-effort upgrade that can make a difference in the property’s attractiveness. Installing motion-sensor lights in the entryways is a safety feature that tenants appreciate. Another well-liked safety trait is a sturdy, stylish front door with smart locks that add a sense of security and convenience. If you’re looking for more ways to make your rental property safer that go beyond the exterior aesthetics, you can check out our dedicated blog.
4 – Roof & Gutter Maintenance
A well-maintained exterior isn’t complete without taking care of the roof and gutters. Cleaning the gutters regularly is another way to give an impression of a well-cared property, and it also contributes to the overall home’s integrity by preventing roof water damage, premature wear and tear, ice dams, and even foundation damage, as clean gutters keep water away from it and avoid issues like soil erosion and cracking.
As for the roof, hiring a professional inspection at least once a year to look for missing, cracked, or curled shingles, water damage signs or cracks that can compromise the roof’s integrity and making the necessary repairs and replacements is essential to avoid bigger and expensive issues in the future and to cause a good first impression to tenants.
5 – Outdoor Perks
If your budget and the property’s outdoor space allow it, you can add a few items to make it more attractive. Adding a few benches, a picnic table, or outdoor chairs creates a welcoming space that tenants who enjoy spending time outdoors will appreciate. Other small but impactful add-ons are installing a bike rack or an outdoor storage shed, both are convenient options that can impress potential tenants.
Smart Exterior Upgrades to Attract Tenants
Investing in the right exterior features can make your rental property more appealing, functional, and valuable. The options we presented to you fit a wide range of budgets and needs that, from our experience, can increase your chances of attracting high-quality tenants and having a high tenant retention rate. If you also want to focus on interior upgrades to make your property more attractive inside and out, check out this blog next.
