Читать книгу Property Management Kit For Dummies - Robert S. Griswold - Страница 98

Cleanliness sells, and the only people you want as renters are the ones who accept dirt in their homes only as a temporary condition. For many rental property owners, the thought of cleaning up after someone else is too much to bear. Luckily, many local cleaning services do a great job for a very reasonable price. Remember: You don’t have to do everything yourself.

If you decide to clean the unit yourself, however, keep the following pointers in mind:

 Pay particular attention to the kitchens and baths. A dirty or grimy kitchen or bathroom can be a real turnoff to potential tenants. Be sure to clean and regrout the tile; completely caulk around all countertops and bathroom fixtures; and clean the single dirtiest spot in most rental properties: the shower-door track. For a final touch, install a new toilet seat, and place a paper sanitary ring around the toilet to indicate that it’s been sanitized. This last step in particularly important in a post-pandemic world!

 Focus on smell. If a rental unit doesn’t smell clean, it won’t matter how diligently you’ve cleaned it. Rental property owners often overlook the importance of the sense of smell. Consequently, you can have a real advantage over the competition for an amazingly small investment by recognizing the value of this underappreciated sense. Here are a few ideas:Use pine-oil or lemon disinfectant and cleanser to neutralize any bad odors left by previous tenants.Place baking soda in the refrigerator and drains, and grind a lemon in the garbage disposal to suppress any odors.Put a cinnamon stick in a shallow pan of water, and place it in the oven on low heat.Go to your favorite big-box discount store to find affordable liquid potpourri, available in a variety of scents. Avoid using certain fragrances that may be offensive to your prospective tenants. Too much use of scents may be distracting; your prospect may think that you’re attempting to cover up a bad smell that will return. Remember that two of the most difficult scents to eradicate are cat urine and tobacco smoke, and because they permeate the carpet and wall and ceiling finishes, air fresheners will work only temporarily. Consult a professional for a better solution.In a short time, your rental unit will be filled with pleasant scents that remind your prospective tenants of Mom and apple pie. Why? Because this is a time when you want to go with something with mass appeal rather than your personal favorite scent: essence of yak.