It’s that time of the year! The colors of the leaves are changing, you get to bring out those poppin fall clothes, and you get to make fun of all the weirdos that want to put pumpkin in everything. (Seriously?!) But it’s also a great time of year to inspect your property for the upcoming winter.
After the hectic weeks of summer are over, the slower tempo of the autumn months offers the perfect opportunity to assess the condition of your rental homes, ensuring that they are in optimal condition. At Real Property Management Pittsburgh, we also see autumn as a great time to conduct a market comparison on your properties to ensure that they stay competitive and attractive to quality residents.
Autumn Maintenance Checklist
As the weather starts to cool down, it’s important to complete a number of winterization and maintenance tasks that will see your rental homes safely and snugly through the winter. These tasks include:
- Drain and shut off sprinkler systems
- Clean and trim yards, trees, and landscaping
- Repair gutters and screens
- Assess the curb appeal of your rental home and consider updating exterior features and paint
Our expert property managers can complete a comprehensive evaluation of each of your properties to ensure that improvements, repairs, and maintenance are performed when needed. This, in turn, protects the value of your rental homes and keeps quality residents happy for years.
Beyond basic repairs and maintenance, Real Property Management Pittsburgh offers additional autumn maintenance options. These include:
- Inspect and replace seals and locks on windows and doors
- Service HVAC systems and hot water heaters
- Evaluate the exterior siding, paint, stucco, and other finishes
- Test carbon monoxide and smoke detectors
- Check appliances for efficiency and proper function
By adding these vital maintenance items to your property management plan, you can not only save time but also avoid more costly repairs down the road.
Assessing Your Rental Property
When assessing your rental homes, your property manager will gather information about the size, age, and condition of the home itself, as well as examine a range of different features and amenities. The age and condition of kitchen appliances and flooring, for example, are necessary to know before you can make an accurate comparison between your rental homes and others like them. Another important part of a market assessment is looking at the rate of recent rentals in your neighborhood. This is how you can gauge the amount of rent the market will bear and decide whether or not your next vacancy would be a good time to increase it.
At Real Property Management Pittsburgh, we are ready to help you keep your investment properties maintained, modernized, and profitable. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule an assessment.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
