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The only thing that would have turned me off was a huge yard with no fence. For kids and dogs, I'd want a fence.
Otherwise, it's beautiful.
I learned not to go too low on price. The weird thing is, if you price too low, good tenants will think something must be wrong with it, and they'll be looking for it. Looking for negatives, instead of positives, or they just won't even come look at it.
The only time we got into trouble where I was managing apartments, was when the market crashed and the owner panicked and told me to lower my criteria. We paid the price.
We planned on it taking 30 days to get a good tenant in, and that was in the SF Bay Area in Silicon Valley, in good times. You can get slammed with applications, but most will not be worth keeping.
The house looks very clean and lets in good light. Floors are very attractive. A big plus for having HVAC vents near the baseboard since heat rises and it will help to keep the floors warm during the winter. Not having vaulted ceilings is efficient since they won't be paying to heat/cool empty air space. Ceiling fans are very useful. Good cupboard space in the kitchen and the window over the sink is also a plus.
The rent amount is high considering that the tenant pays all utilities. KCPL electric and Kansas Gas are costly, especially with the extreme winter and summer seasons. They also must pay for water/sewer and trash. Albeit I realize that's the norm for renting a single family home - most require the tenant to be responsible for all utilities.
Three bedrooms is good, but many want 2 bathrooms. Is it 915 sf of living space or does that include the garage space? Could be that the bedrooms are smaller than desired. Wasn't able to tell, but is there a dining area or an eat-in kitchen?
Does the home have a basement? Since KS can end up with tornadoes, a basement is a must.
Thermal windows are great, but what about insulation in the walls and attic, has it been updated since the home was built in the 50s?
69th feeds onto Quivira which is a very busy road and there is no traffic signal or stop sign, meaning if one needs to turn left onto Quivira they'll be sitting there a long time. And Quivira is the main roadway for that area of Shawnee.
The location itself is good, it's close to a grocery store and pharmacy and not far to I35.
Katie... you know the area well! No basement is a definite drawback in Ks. There is a crawl space and could be used as emergency shelter (not ideal). Home has extra insulation and is very well insulated. Some updating but kitchen and bath do need major overhauls. Very small bedrooms have hurt us. Just rented to a single man with a dog.
It really is the perfect home for 1 adult. You can't appeal to everyone though.
Katie... you know the area well! No basement is a definite drawback in Ks. There is a crawl space and could be used as emergency shelter (not ideal). Home has extra insulation and is very well insulated. Some updating but kitchen and bath do need major overhauls. Very small bedrooms have hurt us. Just rented to a single man with a dog.
It really is the perfect home for 1 adult. You can't appeal to everyone though.
Am happy for you! And you're correct, it is perfect for one person.
Update: I accepted an offer from a single man who just took a job with the city. He has good credit/background check, good references. In fact, his boss (whom he used to work for) recruited him for the job he is at now. I think this will be a great fit.
Amazing that lowering my lease amount by just $50 got things moving again. He had originally inquired about the house two weeks ago when I first listed.
Originally I held an open house when we first listed vs scheduling individual showings. Bad idea. I have made some mistakes but I don't think my tenant selection is one of them.
Thanks for all of your advice and comments! I hope to pay it forward some day as well.
The house looks very clean and lets in good light. Floors are very attractive. A big plus for having HVAC vents near the baseboard since heat rises and it will help to keep the floors warm during the winter. Not having vaulted ceilings is efficient since they won't be paying to heat/cool empty air space. Ceiling fans are very useful. Good cupboard space in the kitchen and the window over the sink is also a plus.
The rent amount is high considering that the tenant pays all utilities. KCPL electric and Kansas Gas are costly, especially with the extreme winter and summer seasons. They also must pay for water/sewer and trash. Albeit I realize that's the norm for renting a single family home - most require the tenant to be responsible for all utilities.
Three bedrooms is good, but many want 2 bathrooms. Is it 915 sf of living space or does that include the garage space? Could be that the bedrooms are smaller than desired. Wasn't able to tell, but is there a dining area or an eat-in kitchen?
Does the home have a basement? Since KS can end up with tornadoes, a basement is a must.
Thermal windows are great, but what about insulation in the walls and attic, has it been updated since the home was built in the 50s?
69th feeds onto Quivira which is a very busy road and there is no traffic signal or stop sign, meaning if one needs to turn left onto Quivira they'll be sitting there a long time. And Quivira is the main roadway for that area of Shawnee.
The location itself is good, it's close to a grocery store and pharmacy and not far to I35.
Well said!
OP, happy tp hear you rented it out. Hope all goes well for you!
Agree that open houses aren't the way to go, at least I didn't like them. I liked making appointments for many reasons. First, to see if they show up on time, and who they show up with. Then, to see if they ask normal questions, like where is the laundry, and about parking, etc. If they never look at how big the closets are or ask normal questions, I'm suspicious about them just being desperate for any available apartment, or not intending to stay longer than a month or two. Plus, if it's a couple and they're loudly arguing, or their kids are screaming and running around with no discipline, you can see what kinds of problems you're going to have with other tenants, etc.
Glad you found a good renter and all worked out, and you learned more about how to market your rental. Well done!
Update: I accepted an offer from a single man who just took a job with the city. He has good credit/background check, good references. In fact, his boss (whom he used to work for) recruited him for the job he is at now. I think this will be a great fit.
Amazing that lowering my lease amount by just $50 got things moving again. He had originally inquired about the house two weeks ago when I first listed.
Originally I held an open house when we first listed vs scheduling individual showings. Bad idea. I have made some mistakes but I don't think my tenant selection is one of them.
Thanks for all of your advice and comments! I hope to pay it forward some day as well.
Update: I accepted an offer from a single man who just took a job with the city. He has good credit/background check, good references. In fact, his boss (whom he used to work for) recruited him for the job he is at now. I think this will be a great fit.
Amazing that lowering my lease amount by just $50 got things moving again. He had originally inquired about the house two weeks ago when I first listed.
Originally I held an open house when we first listed vs scheduling individual showings. Bad idea. I have made some mistakes but I don't think my tenant selection is one of them.
Thanks for all of your advice and comments! I hope to pay it forward some day as well.
That's to your benefit, less wear and tear on the home. Less using of plumbing since it's only one person, etc.
Looks like you just bought the house in March. I think it's fine for a couple with 2 kids, no great for you as a rental but if you ever were to sell it.
I don't understand the crawlspace thing, is it finished so you can enter it and be safe, like a very short basement?
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