No tubs, only showers. . . and other questionable design choices

[Deena Kalai]

Hello Bigger Pockets Community,

As both an investor in the multi-family space, and as a renter looking at potential apartments, it was surprising to visit a new "luxury" apartment complex in bustling Oakland and see that all of the units (studios, 1 bdrm, and 2 bdrms) had only showers, no bath tubs. The unit I was interested in was a 3-bath townhouse, yet had only showers. 

So while there's a lap pool, gym, concierge, bocce court, and numerous other amenities, there's nary a tub in the place. . . unless you count the tubs in the dog spa. No, really. 

This choice strikes me as an instant way to narrow your potential tenant base. I quickly left.  And my friends who have small children would similarly veto a place that didn't have a tub. Maybe that was intentionally done by the developer to prevent young families and bath devotees from renting there. But when you're offering generous concessions to stabilize the complex, it seems like a questionable decision. 

Perhaps the lesson here is the value of gathering a few different opinions when making your design choices for your rehabs and new construction.  It costs nothing and may yield greater interest in your properties.

Happy Wednesday!

Deena Kalai

Tiradora, LLC