Durable Renovation Projects to Reduce Maintenance

Rental properties have been in high demand for the last couple of years, and many landlords are looking for ways to ensure their properties last longer and look better. These steps can allow you to save money and work updating and renovating the rental between tenants. Of course, every property is different: but longevity should be built into all of them.

Why Durability Matters in Rentals
Some newer landlords may not see all of the use you can get out of durable materials, but any landlord that’s updated and cleaned or painted a property between several tenants can attest that it’s vital.

If the parts of your property are built to last, like better insulation or newer house siding options, and are attractive and easy to maintain: more people will want to rent here. Ensuring the property can hold up against any daily wear and tear and that it can still look great while going through it will save you a lot of work and money in the long run.

Garage Door Replacement
A broken or older garage door is a maintenance call waiting to happen. Not only does an older garage door affect how secure someone feels in the property, but it can also allow water into the garage, causing damage to both the tenant's possessions and to your property itself.

Balancing a new garage door’s cost against the expense of having to replace or update the inside of the garage after a particularly nasty storm will show you which is the winner. The average garage door can last between fifteen to thirty years, so consider when yours was last updated.

Semi-Gloss or Satin Paint
Although most tenants are careful with the walls in their rental, even just moving out can cause scuffs and scrapes to walls. Also, if you use less expensive paint, small bumps can tear up the paint or go right through it, creating the job of having to repaint the entire room so that it's all one color.

Semi-gloss and satin paint last longer and are easier to clean and get rid of scuffs without it being obvious. They're also far less absorbent to materials like oil, which makes them ideal for kitchens and laundry rooms.

Updated Engineered Hardwood Flooring
The floors in your rental should be built to last above all other items. These are walked on every day, and a poor decision could lead to dented or dirty floors. Carpet is fine for bedrooms, but it's a better choice for faux wood flooring throughout most of the home. Not only will engineered hardwood hold up better against scraping or scratching, but it also allows you to make the entire interior look more modern. Of course, you should still go with a color that matches the interior, but this type of flooring should be your top choice.

Storm Proof Windows and Doors
Windows are incredibly expensive to replace, and a broken one can lead to injuries. Older windows can also be problematic if renters realize their heating and cooling bills are so high because the windows aren't insulated. A better choice is to go for stormproof windows and doors. These will protect the interior from the constantly changing weather patterns and will ensure that no accidental footballs hitting the window, or harsh storms, will lead to a maintenance request. You can also sell these as a perk to tenants to let them know it's better for energy efficiency.

Fantastic Updated Roof
How updated is your tenants' roof? If you're between tenants and the roof is coming to an end, now's the time to update it. A new roof is a great aesthetic selling point, but it also allows tenants to know that you're taking care of the property, and they won't have to worry about an interruption in their life like having you replace the roof a year or two into their moving in. Good slate roof shingles will ensure the roof lasts for many decades and looks good doing it.

Gutter Guards for Your Roof
A large part of maintenance on many properties is cleaning the gutters one to five times in the fall. If leaves and debris build up within the gutters, it can quickly lead to roof issues, the gutters not functioning at all, and possibly flooding depending on how the water falls from your roof.

Gutter guards ensure that nothing gets caught in your gutters and that the water goes away from the house, where you want it to. This great renovation decreases how much maintenance you have to do and saves your home from other risks.
Building a Property to Last is an Investment

The better you build and update your rental property: the more it will pay off in the long run. It can be expensive to put these updates in: it’s worth it for how much good it can do for your property.

Ryan Shure is an editor for the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.