In property descriptions, many landlords tend to focus on the size and location of the apartment only. While those features are important, they’re not the only ones that count, and paying less attention to how well-arranged and lit your rental is could be doing you a disservice.
That’s right, space and light are major highlights when tenants go house shopping, and it’s a no-brainer that brighter, window shades are one of the things to look for during an inspection to ensure the interior receives maximum daylight. Continue reading the article below as we provide more tips on how open space apartments can simply attract and retain more people, and with clever design and light manipulation.
Why Space and Natural Light Matter in Rental Apartments?
Improve Mental Well-Being
Beyond the obvious aesthetics of a brighter and bigger house, homes with more space and natural light are beneficial to the residents in other ways. For starters, exposure to sunlight can help you regulate your circadian rhythm, which means a boost in productivity during the day and better sleep at night. In the same vein, a bright and airy room feels more welcoming and energizing, making your tenants feel happy and healthy in your unit. As a result, these renters are more likely to renew their lease as opposed to those in a cramped and disorganized unit. In the long run, you can spend less on preventable vacancies.
Higher Tenant Demand
Create a great first impression during every house viewing by maximizing the space and natural light in your apartment. When your unit feels bright and clean, tenants are more likely to feel at peace and send in an application after their first viewing, compared to a dark and cluttered unit, which they might only resign to when they’re out of options. Before the physical viewing, bright and open layout apartments also photograph better, which means potential renters are more likely to take an interest and ask further questions. Thus, more leads expand your pool of potential applicants and your chances of getting a high-quality tenant.
Stronger Rental Pricing
Get more money for your investment when you prioritize adding more light and space to your apartment. After all, the rules of demand and supply are simple: the more tenants want an apartment, the more landlords can charge for it. As a result, any money you spend on making your unit brighter and more spacious is sure to yield results by increasing its rental value. It also reduces your vacancy rates, because tenants are more willing to pay for the comfort and convenience of more space and light.
Assessing the Apartment’s Current Layout
Common Space-Wasting Floor Plan
Now, let’s look at how to actually maximize the space and light in your apartment. It’s common for property owners to purchase a house, do some cosmetic renovation, and put it on the market for rent without paying any attention to the floor plan. However, that means there could be some gaps in the original home’s design that cap your rental value. For example, older homes tend to have a more traditional layout with a closed-in kitchen that separates it from the living area. Thus, what can be a large, bright space with multiple windows remains untapped while you settle for two small, dark rooms. Although some landlords have reservations about knocking down walls, because it could mean less space for furniture to rest against. San Antonio property management team suggests installing vertical storage solutions to keep the space clean.
Layout Efficiency During Inspections
Besides looking for space-wasting areas, another thing you should analyze during your walkthrough is the layout. Do a fresh inspection of each room and focus on the layout to see where there might be dead zones or blocked pathways. It’s common for landlords to overlook these things by trying to cram in essential furniture with no real thought to how the room flows. As a result, you may end up with cupboards that partially obstruct the path to the bathroom, or tables that force tenants to walk in a zigzag to get to the door. These layouts are inefficient and can be a major hindrance to your light source. If you take time to rearrange the space and enhance the flow, you can end up with a cleaner, more lit, and airy room.
Conclusion
Location and square footage aren’t the only metrics that count to tenants when they’re house hunting. Renters want to enjoy natural light and spacious rooms because it improves their mental health. As you’d expect, that means they’re also willing to pay more, which means more money and fewer vacancies for you in the long run.
That said, you need to be mindful of your current floor plan to ensure you’re not wasting valuable space. In some instances, that might mean knocking down non-loading bearing walls, and in others, a simple furniture rearrangement may suffice. Either way, both you and your tenants benefit from having an apartment with more space and light.
