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Smoke, what is your target market? Are you in an area where people can and will pay more for the above? I would assume that a garage comes with a garage door opener, but maybe that's been a regional thing.
A dishwasher is a huge deal for a lot of tenants, as are laundry hookups. Most don't mind the closet setup for laundry, although if it is a family then the laundry room might be more appreciated. Decks are nice, but a concrete slab patio is probably plenty sufficient for most. Unless its really top end, I doubt most would notice the difference in a rental between quartz and granite. While I would appreciate a workbench in the garage, a lot of tenants are tenants so they don't HAVE to keep tools or a workbench.
Aren't most wine coolers portable like dorm fridges?
Clean, working appliances. Do not have to be the latest and greatest.
No carpet.
No holes/spaces around fixtures under the sink, around the bathtub, baseboards, etc (yes, i'm that one that gets on the floor and looks behind the toilet. Ex military, sorry)
Assigned parking space.
W/D
Having a garage is not a deal breaker for me, but if you're going to provide a garage, then yes, provide a door opener.
Dishwasher not a deal breaker for me, I'm the only one living here. I actually don't like them much, unless they're high end - too noisy, and don't get the dishes reliably clean anyway. In the small units where I live, I'd rather have the cabinet space. But with kids, I think they're close to a necessity, since kids are flu vectors.
To me, a pantry is part of having sufficient storage. My current unit doesn't have a separate pantry, but it has room for some free standing storage units, so that's what I use. I'm a little bit of a "prepper", so I want room to store at least a 6-month supply of my staples.
Work bench somewhere would be reason for me to choose one unit over another. I make do without one, but having one would sure be great.
Outdoor sitting space, at least somewhat private, is a must, even if it's just a balcony deck. I can't overstate how important this is to me, I won't consider a place that doesn't have it - ideally with french doors.
Laundry machines in a closet are fine.
No carpet anywhere, I can put down area rugs if I want them. I've pulled up wall-to-wall carpeting a couple times. There's a pile of dirt in carpeting, unless it's brand new, no matter how often you vacuum or steam clean. Yuck.
Don't care about granite counters. Neutral formica works just fine. So does metal, tile or wood. As long as it's in decent shape and doesn't require endless fussing to keep clean and presentable, I don't care what it is.
Don't care one way or the other about a wine cooler or an ice machine.
Deer-proof fence would be great! (I don't have a dog, but I do have resident deer, and they eat my pet plants.)
Reading this I'm thinking all the things I'm missing out by owning.
I have Formica Counters, Linoleum floors, no dishwasher, no cable, no self cleaning oven, no ice maker, etc... basically a 1958 home in the SF Bay Area.
I know there are lots of renters that read this forum. Would you please give a bit of help to my future tenants and let me know what upgrades are important to tenants. When you are searching for a new place to live, what features make your eyes sparkle?
Work Bench is like a crazy thing to provide a tenant. I mean why would I encourage noisy power tools being used, dust and fumes as well as risk of tenant losing a finger or two and neighbors complaining.
I rent a unit and my buddy owns two rentals. He advised me never give a tenant something that can kill them.
I rent my place furnished. No blenders, hot tubs, power tools, bikes etc.
Garage door opener, yes...if you have a garage. They're not hard to put in, I installed my own. Dishwasher, YES. My last rental had a utility "closet" so that would be fine by me. Outdoor space is nice in an apartment/condo but wasn't a must-have until I got a dog.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultrarunner
Reading this I'm thinking all the things I'm missing out by owning.
I have Formica Counters, Linoleum floors, no dishwasher, no cable, no self cleaning oven, no ice maker, etc... basically a 1958 home in the SF Bay Area.
I have a 1957 ranch in suburban Dallas...vinyl floors and Formica in the kitchen (still has the original cabinets), no self-cleaning oven (the oven is over 40 years old), crappy dishwasher, inefficient HVAC, original pink bathroom, original hardwoods & cork flooring...very little has been done to this house since it was built aside from paint and new windows.
The finishes in this house are certainly not as nice as the condo I rented, but hey...this is MINE.
Reading this I'm thinking all the things I'm missing out by owning.
I have Formica Counters, Linoleum floors, no dishwasher, no cable, no self cleaning oven, no ice maker, etc... basically a 1958 home in the SF Bay Area.
It's a standard landlord joke: the tenants all have cars better than the landlord's.
Yes, my own house has Formica counter tops, vinyl flooring, and my oven does not clean itself. However, some really pretty solid maple flooring is going in later this spring. Not for me, but because the house will be going on the market this year.
No carpet, it makes bit difficult to push myself around.
Dishwasher is a must as is at minimum washer and dryer hook ups.
Well insulated with energy efficient windows, and appliances.
Also, kitchen and bathroom faucets that have one handle instead of knobs are a must for those of us with limited use of our hands.
Ideally a ground floor unit that is wheelchair accessible and livable (2 separate things in some places) would be wonderful as there is a serious lack of these types of places for those of us that are disabled and not eligible for Housing assistance.
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