rental Archives - CENTURY 21 MarketLink Realty

Tips for Getting Your Home Summer Rental Ready

June 19, 2015 By Casey Danton

Rental season is just around the corner! It’s time for a good spruce-up. Get your home summer-ready with these tips.

Give the place a deep cleaning: Whether you hire professionals or do it yourself, you’ll need to thoroughly clean your home. This includes:
● Wiping down kitchen appliances, cabinets, and furniture
● Cleaning out the inside and outside of the refrigerator
● Scrubbing the kitchen floor
● Emptying the dishwasher
● Dusting and vacuuming the living room and bedrooms
● Emptying all trashcans
● Scrubbing the floors, showers, toilets, and sinks in the bathrooms
● Giving walls a fresh coat of paint.

Organize room by room: Reduce clutter throughout your home to make it as livable and presentable as possible. Take out any furniture or items that won’t add to the vacation experience. Remove all valuables, including anything that has sentimental value, is irreplaceable, or contains your personal information.

Stock up on the essentials: You’ll need to provide your renters with bed linens, towels, hand soap, dishes, and cookware (at the very least). Make sure to have at least two sets of everything for each person. Make sure all of your electronics are in working order and light bulbs have been replaced. If necessary, upgrade your flat pillows, low-thread-count sheets, and anything that has a tear or crack.

Add a few personal touches: Make this feel like a home away from home with some simple additions. Here are a few ideas:
● Board games and cards (especially for rainy days)
● Books, magazines, and movies
● Tour guides and coffee table books
● Decorative throw pillows
● Artwork or photography on the walls

These tips may make your guests feel right at home!

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Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Rental

March 2, 2015 By CENTURY 21

When you make the decision to move into a new home, there are a lot of questions that you need to have answered. You need to know what you can afford, whether you should stay in the same neighborhood, how many rooms you need, and more. Another big question that you may need to consider is whether it makes sense to rent a home instead of buying one. (You can use our Renting vs. Buying Calculator to help you decide.)

If you choose to rent a home, ask these questions before you say yes.

What changes can you make? Ask your landlord how much you can alter the home. Can you paint the walls a bright color? What about making holes in the wall to hang pictures? Not being able to decorate your home the way you want may alter your decision; however, there are ways to make changes without upsetting your landlord.

How is maintenance handled? Should you be making the repairs yourself or will the landlord handle them? What about emergency repairs? Ask this question before you sign on the dotted line so you’re aware of your financial responsibilities.

What’s the penalty for breaking the lease early? Most leases have a time limit and a repercussion for breaking the lease. Find out the fee in advance so you can add it into your budget should you need to move.

How are utilities factored in? Ask if you will be responsible for paying the utilities or if you’ll owe the landlord a lump sum that is included in your monthly rent. Find out the details about your monthly utility bills before the lease is signed so you can budget properly.

Ask these questions so you choose a “Home Sweet Rental” that’s right for you!

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How to Make a Rental Feel Like Home

June 14, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Living in a rental can be a bit of a challenge because you want to make the space your own – even if it technically isn’t. Luckily, we have come up with a few creative (and inexpensive) ways to makeover your rental without upsetting your landlord or incurring hefty fees!

Paint Your Walls: Most landlords allow you to paint your space as long as you paint it back to the original color when you move out. Painting your walls a different color or even a crisper shade of white makes a huge difference. If you paint your apartment a shade of white, your landlord is less likely to make you repaint it. You can also paint just one wall (an “accent wall”).

Change Hardware: Changing hardware makes a big difference. Buy cabinet pulls, door knobs, and drawer pulls that match your style. Keep all the old hardware so that you can put them back when your lease is up. Take photos before you make any changes so that you remember where everything goes when it’s time to move.

Cover the Walls: If you can’t paint, there are other ways to decorate. We recommend making a gallery wall. A gallery wall is a wall of art and/or personal photos arranged to look like a wall in an art gallery or museum. Removable wallpaper and decals are also a great way to cover the walls, without upsetting your landlord.

Let There be Light: Rentals often have fluorescent lighting or unsightly light fixtures. Take down the light fixtures and put in new ones. Also consider buying floor lamps, desk lamps, or table lamps and using them instead of the main lights for a room. You can also buy new light switch covers as long as you put the old ones back before you move. There are a lot of different types of decorative light switch covers like mirrored ones, or ones in almost every color imaginable.

Area Rugs: Area rugs can help to divide a small space like a studio apartment into sections like a breakfast nook, living room, and bedroom. They also cover up floors with scuff mark or tiling that you don’t like.

DIY Backsplash: If you are feeling creative, make a DIY backsplash in the kitchen! We especially like the removable tile and removable mirror ideas from Apartment Therapy.

Curtains: Buy curtains that match the color scheme or aesthetic of your home. They make a space feel fancier and also hide broken or ugly blinds.

Furniture: If you are moving or renting a home that is furnished, you can still make it feel like your own. Style the pieces differently and add little things that fit your personality. For example, add some of your favorite books and photos to the bookshelf, coffee table, or nightstand and bring your favorite bedding!

Everyone deserves to come home to a home that feels like home. We hope these tips help you make your rental into a home you love.

Recommended Reading:

-Your Guide to Summer Rentals

-How to Style a Bookshelf

-How to Style a Centerpiece

-How to Style a Coffee Table

-How to Style a Nightstand

-Sweet Dreams are Made of These: How to Style a Bed

-Five Simple Chalkboard Paint Projects for the Home

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Your Guide to Summer Rentals

June 5, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Are you thinking about renting a home for the summer? Similar to buying or renting a permanent home, it is necessary to do thorough research.

Follow our guide to help you choose the best summer rental:

Why Rent: Renting a vacation house or apartment is a fun way to get away and spend the summer somewhere new. Staying at hotels with your family can be pricey, but renting a space allows you and your family to make your own meals, explore the surrounding area, and have a space that feels like home.

Location: Choosing the right location for your family is the most important component of picking a summer rental. Do you and your family enjoy water sports? Choose a location near the ocean or lake. Are you looking for outdoor adventures? Find a cabin in the woods.

Property Type: There are many types of rental properties to choose from. Single family homes are a popular option for families with young children or larger families who need extra space. Condominiums or time shares require less maintenance and come with amenities.

Pricing: The cost of summer rentals vary depending on property type and location. Some things to take into consideration are maintenance fees, amenities, and size.

List out the features you’d like your rental to have and plan accordingly then call a CENTURY 21® Agent who can help you find your dream summer rental!