The “Before”

I am always amazed at the number of landlords or sellers who market their property while it remains in an either unappealing or deplorable condition. Yes, there are some buyers and tenants who have the vision to see past the poor physical condition of property, but the vast majority cannot.

There are probably two reasons for landlord and seller apathy: They don’t want to spend the money, and they also are not aware of the impact on their prospect. Many property owners have seen the “before and after” so many times they can literally walk through the property and envision it in pristine condition. “I’ll do the repairs when I have the tenant” is the logic. What they don’t realize is that when a tenant walks through property and sees stained ceiling tiles, he thinks the roof needs to be replaced. An overgrown landscaping bed always means that a landlord does not take care of his property.

The “After”

“Getting-ready-for-market” work is often a lot more economical than you may suspect, and will usually bring back multiples of the cost in an increased rental or sale price. And here is a convincing argument: before a tenant takes occupancy the landlord or seller will probably have to do this work anyway! Much better to do it beforehand and reap the marketing benefits!

These two photos illustrate a building clean-up by Hunt Construction Services last year. Which one would you rather lease?

For the techniques of making property sparkle on a budget, click on my article on the subject: