Staff Writer, Stacker

Journalist, Stacker

No one wants to spend an arm and a leg upgrading their rental property, but these simple upgrades can give your rental a refresh for less than $100.

Refreshing A Rental On A Budget: 6 Ideas That Cost Under $100

No one wants to spend an arm and a leg upgrading their rental property unless you can be assured of a good return, but these six simple upgrades can give your rental a refresh for less than $100.

Just Google “best price on'' anything – salad spinners, Rolexes, rubber bands, 21st-century whatever – and you’ll be overwhelmed. There’s something inherent in human nature that makes us bargain hunters.  

This is generally applicable to every person on the planet – even, if not especially, the wealthiest – but it’s especially true of landlords and people who are self-managing their own property. That’s because there’s a huge financial incentive to finding the right balance between quality and affordability. The more you spend on home improvements, the less money you have in your pocket; but also, the worse those improvements are, the sooner you have to renovate once more, which again cuts into your bottom line.

What’s more, smartly investing in home improvements can actually provide a short-term revenue upside, because you can charge more rent for a place when the extra expense is visible and alluring.

That’s why, in the best of times (which aren’t the times we currently live in), you take bids on big home improvement projects, and generally choose the cheapest option with the best reputation. And why you buy new appliances for your rental properties on Black Friday. Because the only thing you want to sacrifice less than quality is the quantity of dollars in your bank account.

The good news is that there’s a lot you can do – short of expensive remodeling – that can make a big difference in its marketability. 

In fact, for under a hundred dollars, there are a ton of savvy improvements you can make to your home — improvements that will make both your residents, and your checkbook, incredibly happy. Here are 6 of our favorites. 

We’ve seen the reaction to the sleek, new look that cool-looking faucets bring to bathrooms and kitchens in rental properties.  It’s truly a situation where a little goes a long way: this kitchen faucet from Aimadi looks like a million bucks, but will only run you $89.  And if you’re thinking that we’re leaving out the amount of money you’d spend getting a plumber to install the thing, you’ll be happy — and surprised — to know that changing out a faucet is a pretty simple task. Though of course, if you work with Belong PRO, we have an extensive network of vendors who are ready, willing, and more than able to deal with this kind of task.  And it spares you having to find the best YouTube video tutorial.

Another relatively inexpensive, quick, and easy-to-install home upgrade is adding some outdoor lighting to illuminate the driveway and/or any stone pathways at night. Trees also looking majestic with a glow from uplights.

Solar-powered LED options aren’t only a breeze to set up, they’re environmentally friendly, too, and require little to no maintenance. This set of 12 retails for $31.99, but we urge you to check the reviews because there is a big range of quality and many users are not satisfied.

Let’s face it: even in the most meticulously cleaned household, it’s only a matter of time before the grout starts gets grotty. No matter how hard you scrub it — no matter how much elbow grease you expend — it will never look entirely clean again. Even those fancy grout cleaners don’t always do the trick, and they will have no effect on the grout that gradually disappears over time, leaving a messy if not volcanic look.

There’s nothing more frustrating than that, in our opinion — when something is clean, but doesn’t look clean. That leaves two options – regrouting, which is not as complicated as it sounds.

Or if you’re not interested in going that far, we recommend recoloring and resealing your grout with a product like this. Of course you can opt for the traditional white, but consider going with a darker color; not only will the inevitable discoloration that builds up be less noticeable, but that pop of contrast looks more stylish, too. Dark grout with white subway tiles are very popular these days.

These beautiful ceiling medallions will spruce up the ceiling of any room with a little pre-war elegance. Easily installed with glue or screws they work with almost any pendant-style lighting fixture. Which is another thing you can update in style without breaking the bank, and give renters a lovely surprise when they look up.

Not only do they feel hip and urban – and industrial but they’re also highly useful; there’s little that bothers us more than having to dig around in our cabinets looking for a pot or pan, especially when we’re in the middle of cooking.  Easy to install and surprisingly affordable to purchase, they give any kitchen a shiny bright visual interest that feels clean and new.  What’s more, it makes the kitchen feel incredibly warm and useful; you can imagine yourself cooking and serving wonderful meals there.

It’s not something we generally fixate on, but a beautiful doorknob can have a powerful psychological effect; when the knob itself feels special, so too do the possibilities that lie behind that door.  On the other hand, when a doorknob is old, tarnished, and beat up, subconsciously we wonder how much the property owner cares about the property. Don’t be that property owner. For as little as 9 bucks you can buy a beautiful stylish doorknob that shows your residents how much you care about the house — and the people inside of it. This is especially the front door. Try one of these gracious door knockers to add even more style to a first impression.

Finding help with renovating or repairing a rental property

Though these small upgrades will have a profound impact, you can likely perform these tasks yourself. But for bigger renovations, which are too much for you to take on by yourself, we know who can help. With a vendor network of over 10,000 contractors, 24/7 concierge support and an innovative approach to property management, Belong stops at nothing to satisfy our homeowners.  

See why thousands of US homeowners are ditching outdated Property Management in San Francisco,San Diego, Los Angeles, Tampa, Jacksonville, Concord, Berkeley, Orlando and more.

You don't need to advertise your rental property as a white box with these 4 simple touches that add liveable personality and attract more renters to your home.

4 Easy Ways to Make Any Rental Property Feel Like Home

While it can be tempting to advertise a rental property as a blank canvas for new residents to personalise, there are simple touches you can add to make a space feel like a home, helping renters picture themselves in the space. 

Our homes are often a reflection of who we are as we put our own furnishings and touches on a space. But what about a rental home on the market for new tenants? You want to give them the freedom to make a space their own, but also make it feel inviting – making it easy for potential residents to imagine themselves living there. You want to give them a sense that your home can be their home, to signal that beyond the four white walls there is a soul, a personality. It’s not that hard to accomplish, and here are 4 simple tips from the experts at Belong based on experience with hundreds of homes.

Floating shelves are highly affordable and so easy to install you’d feel embarrassed hiring a Task Rabbit, floating shelves give any room a subtle lived-in quality, while also serving a function. For example, in a kitchen, they can act as a spice rack; in a living room, you can use them as a striking mantle or bookshelf. 

What’s more, their very presence tells any potential residents that this is a place ready to welcome their memories: there’s room for their wedding photos, their favorite books, and even the tchotchkes they inherited from their grandparents.

The meeting place between the wall and ceiling is a place for detail and charm. The data shows that Millennials want older homes with character and authenticity. 

Belong has talked before about how a picture rail can lend any space a little character and old-world charm; it’s a claim we stand by.  What’s more, when your residents hang their pictures on a rail, they don’t have to bang nails into your walls and damage them.  Here’s an example of how cool picture rails can look.

Simple, but tasteful, renovations can also make a home easy to fall in love with.  Is it time to put in a new sink?  Contemplate a pedestal sink: they’re competitively priced, and add a touch of elegance to the space.  Is the carpet getting a little ragged?  Before you replace it, see what’s been hiding beneath all those years.  Sometimes you’ll find the kind of beautifully preserved hardwood that makes interior designers drool, and also appeals to Millennial tastes.

Nothing says home like piles of comforting blankets. Layer soft throws in your living room for quick access and a cozy aesthetic, or keep a pair of moccasins on hand for colder nights. Adding rugs to otherwise sparse rooms can add a bit of warmth, both underfoot and visually. When you are comfortable, and your house doesn’t feel like a museum where nothing can be touched, you feel at home.

There’s something strange about moving into a new house and noticing its unfamiliar smell. If you’re moving into a house that had one previous owner, or has been around for 100 years, you’ll notice that it has a distinctive scent - good or bad. To make your house feel “homey,” start using room sprays or lighting candles with scents that make you feel calm and comfortable. The flickering light of the flame will add another cozy element to your home as well. If you really want to clear out the old and welcome in the new, think about lighting a bundle of sage and walking through your home, letting the fragrant smoke drift up into corners as you chant a clearing mantra. 

Most of these modest but high-impact upgrades require no contractor assistance. For those that do, remember that when you work with Belong, you have access to their a vetted fleet of 10,000+ professional contractors and craftspeople who are ready to help with any installation or upgrade you can imagine!

Belong is simplifying the rental experience and helping more homeowners reach their financial goals through real estate. Visit our homeowner's page to find out more about how our services are helping people to ditch property management in Seattle, Redmond, Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami and many more.

Cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Portland are making it easier than ever to obtain the permits necessary to create an ADU.  But even if you can, should you build one?

Accessory Dwelling Units: Should You Add an ADU To Rent?

Cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Portland are making it easier than ever to obtain the permits necessary to create an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). But even if you can, should you build one? 

Insufficient housing supply has been a long-running issue in this country, but with the pandemic creating further pressure on the rental market and housing affordability, local and state governments have been forced to look at loosening zoning laws. As legislation changes, it's becoming far easier for homeowners to create Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and create an investment in real estate to enter the rental market. Some states like California -  where undersupply has been a chronic issue, pushing rental prices to the stratosphere - went even further, creating grant programs to incentivize the construction of ADUs. If you have the space on your property, an ADU can make a great investment to enter the rental market. 

Despite an increasing prevalence, there remains a lot of confusion in the public’s imagination when it comes to ADUs. This is largely due to a wide variety of real estate structures falling under the ADU umbrella. 

For example, a former garage that has been transformed into a living space — that’s an ADU; an attic space above a garage that has a plumbing system and heating units — that’s also an ADU; a small lane house or cottage completely detached from a property’s main house — that too is an ADU. Basically any room in a house — or secondary building on a piece of property — that can be used as an independent living quarters is classified as an ADU. 

California — ever the innovator — has even created a new category of ADU: Junior Accessory Dwelling Units. A Junior ADU can be no more than 500 square feet in size, and is permitted to share plumbing and heating systems with the main house.

The pros and cons of adding Accessory Dwelling Units to your home

Most people are attracted to adding an ADU to their property to generate passive income through renting. While renting out a studio or lane house won't attract as much as a larger home, over time the profits add up and can bring down the cost of your mortgage. As house prices continue to climb and the cost of living increases, there is a real emotional and practical benefit to making extra income, allowing you to stay in your home longer. 

They also provide flexibility. Of course, you can rent out your ADU, but if need be, you can use it to house family members. This use-case became particularly prevalent during the pandemic, when extended families were looking for creative (and safe) ways to continue seeing each other during the lockdowns.

If you're living in a State or City incentivizing the construction of ADUs, the upfront costs aren’t nearly as onerous you might think they’d be. To convert a basement or garage to an ADU can cost as little as $18,000.

But even without any help from the government, creating an ADU doesn't have to be expensive — even if you’re building a free-standing structure from the ground up. The laws are a little more lax than they are when it comes to building a primary dwelling.  In California for instance ADUs can be wood-frame constructions, as opposed to infill buildings, which are far more expensive to erect. 

Of course, there are some downsides, too, especially if you’re converting a room or area of your primary residence into an ADU.  Privacy becomes an issue, especially with JADUs. The build-out process might also prove to be disruptive.

And then there are the problems that come with being a landlord — finding and keeping residents, attending to all their problems, and having to chase down rent checks on a monthly basis. That inconvenience, if not awkwardness, is amplified when your tenant is living in such close proximity to you.

Creating or managing an ADU property with Belong

A lot of the concerns you would face as a landlord can be mitigated with the right property manager. Belong takes a unique approach to traditional property management, digitizing what used to be a cumbersome and painful process. From finding the right tenants that will leave peacefully alongside your home, to ensuring you never go without income. 

With Belong, you’ll also avoid the hassle of negotiating with contractors with access to a 24/7 Concierge service and instant access to a vendor network of over 10,000 professionals. Belong can connect you to the right people, whether you’re converting a pre-existing space into an ADU or JADU, or building a whole new structure. They conduct the feasibility report to determine if it’s even possible to build an ADU, collaborate with your architect (or recommend one, if need be), and construct the entire building on site. Belong has also partnered with Modal to install prefab ADUs, if a homeowner prefers to go in that direction. 

So for homeowners who work with Belong, creating an ADU becomes less of a question of why, but of why not? Visit our homeowner's page to find out more about how our services are helping people to ditch property management in Seattle, Redmond, Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami and many more.

Accessory Dwelling Units: Uncover the pros and cons of adding an ADU to your property as a real estate investment and entry into the rental market.

Whether staging for sale or marketing a new rental, you need the 2022 list of tricks and hacks to make your house feel like a palace.

7 of The Best Decor Ideas & Tips To Stage a Room

First impressions are everything, especially when it comes to homes. From your online images to the feeling someone gets when they walk through the door, here are seven ways to stage any room to give a sense of space and comfort. 

Before anyone has even set foot in your home, it's going to be judged on how it looks. Great photos attract people to open homes, but this is where you want to really grab them with a sense of space and comfort so they can picture themselves living there. Just as curb appeal is important, so is the way you stage the rooms within your home. So whether you're looking to make a sale or want to stage your rental for knock-out marketing material that will reduce vacancy time between tenants, check out this guide for staging a room that will attract plenty of eyes.  

How to stage a room for real estate listings

1. Use a divider to give one room, two vibes 

It’s easy to see why open floor plans are so in these days; they make a room feel light and spacious and big. But it’s important to make sure that you don’t lose a sense of coziness and intimacy by going too big. Consider using room dividers that can turn one room into two, each with its own aesthetic and purpose. A large staged living room can also act as a dining room when you use furniture to divide up the space. If the room has a unique architectural feature (for example, slanted ceiling or exposed brick walls), you can use them to help subdivide the space in an elegant and organic way. Another good way to reimagine a room: color-blocking with an accent wall or color-coordinated furniture.

2. Use mirrors to make your staged room feel larger

Reflective surfaces are a tried-and-true way to make a room seem more spacious. But there’s more to it than slapping a piece of glass on the wall; mirrors of different styles, shapes, and sizes will impart their own unique aesthetic impact on your staged room. For instance, a gallery-style mirror wall will give your space an artsy flair, while placing one across from a window will emphasize a room's natural light and highlight outside scenery. Mirrored furniture – another trendy item – will disappear into the background of a room, expanding its visual footprint with a chic, modern flair.

3. Serene color schemes will make your room pop

White paint will help create the perfect blank canvas for your walls, but white’s never just white. In fact there are many different tones and tints favored among architects and designers alike, from eggshell to oyster. With a strong, simple foundation, you have the freedom to use furniture that adds a contrasting hue or texture: Think a soft-green velvet couch or statement lighting fixture. Truly, the sky's the limit when it comes to staged living room color schemes. Consider your area and trendy color schemes when picking the right colors for your real estate. 

4. Use light to brighten your room and make it feel larger

The key to making a room feel spacious is light coming in from all angles. But beware, overhead lighting can be harsh and clinical – hospital-like, in the worst-case scenario. That’s definitely not ideal for a staged room meant to sell your real estate!

Instead, use floor lamps and position them so they fill the room from all corners – it’s a guaranteed way to give your space cozier. One statement overhead lighting fixture, combined with table and floor lamps, will give you options to tweak the lighting scheme depending on the time of day and what the weather’s like outside when you’re hosting an open house. 

Pro Tip: The darker the room you're staging, the flashier the lamps should be – a darker room benefits from bright, metallic materials, while a light one has a bit more wiggle room.

5. Use the height of the ceilings to your advantage

As soon as furniture starts to bump up against its boundaries, like walls and ceilings, the room starts to feel overcrowded. Keep tables, chairs, and centered and away from corners. Then, emphasize the height of your ceilings using tall statement pieces like a vintage lamp or vertical storage space, like this ladder storage shelf.

6. Choose reflective materials for staging furniture

When it comes to vertical surfaces, less is more. A chic glass coffee table or Lucite bar cart can serve as both storage and statement design pieces, but because of the transparency and lightness of the material, they’ll always blend aesthetically with the rest of the room. Your residents will keep their focus on the features that make your home unique, while still having a place to set down a cup of tea or store a bottle of wine.

In addition to staging your home to look stylish and spacious, no one is going to feel any desire for a place that feels or looks dirty. Replace used furnishings with clean staged furniture, deep clean the floors and windows, and add a few accessories that balance the cleanliness with a cozy, lived-in vibe. 

Staging is critical to maximizing the potential of your real estate listing. When listing your house or holding an open house, a clean, staged room with top-notch furniture and decor will go a long way in getting your property the best possible price, sale or rental. 

When you work with Belong, you’ll have access to experts that can help with the entire home staging process, from assembling furniture to home repairs. Belong will even show off your spotless, staged interiors with a virtual open home and 3D tour included. 

Lucas Hanft

Lucas attended Yale University before becoming a journalist and working with brands to tell their story.

Afton Brazzoni

Dom Difurio

Melanie Kershaw

Annalise Mantz

Lauren Slagter

Afton Brazzoni

Dom Difurio

Melanie Kershaw

Annalise Mantz

Lauren Slagter