When any resident needs to search for a new place to live, a checklist begins forming in their mind about what they want to find and what is important to their living standards. They’ll come up with standards of an environment, a price, even a feeling they want to get. They’ll come up with questions to ask and points to go over and while they know some of their points are just big dreams and not worth holding onto, some things will make or break their choice to sign. A property can’t be a dream for every investigator, but it can fill out that checklist.
Understanding that price is a major consideration when searching for an apartment if the first thing to note but often, that’s an unchangeable factor for a property. The good news is, that most residents will know ahead of time if your property is within their price range and will only keep interest if it is. Which means, if you have someone looking at your property, the price is probably alright, and you can focus on the rest if their checklist. After price, five of the most common questions about an apartment are: location, parking, storage, amenities and pets.
Location
When it comes to a good location, there are several things that should be considered. Often, a locations relation to shopping, dining, and entertainment is the most important. Knowing your target market is helpful in this instance, because a younger tenant will want to be closer, while an older tenant (possibly with family) will want a respectful distance while still having those things within reach. With relative distance in mind, many also try to consider public transportation to easily get around and explore a denser area.
Another contribution to location is safety and noise. Everyone wants to feel secure in their neighbourhood and no one wants to be up at night wondering when they will be able to have a peaceful night of sleep. Living in a safe area greatly enhances the overall quality of life and allows a resident to feel secure with their life in the apartment. Being able to walk around your community without feeling threatened or uneasy makes the decision on an apartment an easier decision. Paired with noise reduction, there is nothing keeping a resident from seeing an apartment as a peaceful and welcoming environment.
Overall, a good apartment location is one that strikes a balance between convenience, safety, and lifestyle, giving you the best of both worlds.
Parking
When it comes to apartments, everyone needs parking. A potential resident will usually have at least one vehicle of their own, but they’ll also want to know if there will be good parking available to their guests. The denser areas will especially need quality parking for residents with vehicles. If possible, having a parking garage will be the best option and he closer to their apartment the better. At the very least, a place that they know they won’t have to worry about being towed or about opportunity for damage. Having good areas for guest parking will also be a great sign to a potential resident. Even if they aren’t planning on having a lot of people over, every resident wants to feel confident about inviting someone over without worrying about their car in the process.
Storage
When moving into a new place, potential residents often go over what stuff they have (or want to have) and where it will all go. Not everything will be able to sit out or sit on display so it will be extremely important for them to know that they’ll be options for them to store. There are many forms of storage that could work. Storage within the apartment, like cabinets and closets are the ideal so it is close to them as well as safe. However, when a unit is lacking in space, some apartments have hallway closets or storage cages in their parking garages that can be rented by residents for added storage which can be a helpful alternative for the residents.
Amenities
Amenities aren’t always pools, gyms, and unique apartment features – they are everyday pieces of an apartment that can make the residents life easier. Washers and dryers, dishwashers, air-conditioning, smart locks, balconies, etc are all in-unit amenities that are highly desired by those investigating a place to live. For some residents, these things are bonuses to an apartment – enjoyable and can make life easier but aren’t necessary to signing a lease. For others, some of these amenities become requirements for their new home. Consider what amenities are possible for your property both for ease of life and enjoyment of residents. The more you can add without drastically changing the monthly cost for your residents is the ideal to getting amenities marked off on their checklist.
Pets
The last thing potential residents look for is pet friendly properties. This criterion can be complicated, because a resident may not be looking for a property that allows pets but may instead be looking for a property that is not overrun by pet care.
Properties that smell too much like dogs/cats could be off-putting for many potential tenants. Properties with pet feces laying around the location are largely undesired. Properties that have loud pets, or that have animals freely roaming around the property can scare potential tenants away. Of course, a large degree of these issues would be owed to the owners, however as a property, many of these issues can be assisted by the property. For instance, rules and policies regarding pets on leashes can assist with freely roaming animals. Policies around picking up after your pet and disposing properly of excrement, as well as adding dog/pet bag stations with waste bins around the property can largely help the smell and unclean issue. All of these can help make a tenant feel more comfortable living in a pet friendly environment. Additionally, these policies and assistance from the property will appeal to those with pets as well. Pet owners usually prefer to have other owners at least as clean as they are themselves. Creating a clean environment will entice pet owners to use safe and clean practices on their own pets as well.
Residents with pets will also look for environments that can help their pets be as happy and healthy as they would be. Mini dog parks are often an appealing amenity for pet owners, but areas for their pets to walk/run/play within the property are a great reason to choose one property over another. Balconies and/or private outdoor space, even small spaces, are helpful to pet owners who enjoy letting their pets have fresh air on their own. Whatever can make their pet smile, is something worth seeking in a location, which means it may be something worth getting at your property.
Conclude
Every resident is different and will more than likely have their own needs and wants for a rental property. Of course, a property won’t match everyone’s list perfectly and can’t make everyone sign a lease. However, starting with these five factors, your property motivates and hold greater value to more potential residents.
