All Forum Posts by: Jody Schnurrenberger

@David Thompson, thanks for the links to your blog posts!  My properties aren't big enough for a lot of those ideas, but I do hope that one day I'll be coming back to them.  :-)  I especially love the vending machine and the recycling center ideas.  :-)  

I did jot down a few other things to look at for now such as offering furnished options, offering shorter leases (especially when my leases end at a time I don't like, such as January as my new property will for the first year until the Right of Redemption expires and I fully renovate it which will take a few months and set me up for spring tenants.  (In AL, if a property is a foreclosure, the former owners have a year to get the money together to get it back.  Most folks don't put a lot of money in until the Right of Redemption expires.  It doesn't happen often, but my parents lost a foreclosure property about a week before the right expired.  They were heartbroken.  It's now worth well over $1M.  Anyway, I'll just be making it rentable for now, then really gussying it up next year.)

The idea of getting insurance requoted also made me think that I might want to do that after renovations, though it will presumably increase my insurance, it will also better reflect what is in the property and its actual value should something happen.

One thing you mentioned was washer/dryers in the units.  I agree with having the machines, but my agent, property manager, and the other lady (not sure of her job title, but she works at a tile store and helps with decorating and renovating) all said I shouldn't have the machines.  As they die, I shouldn't replace them (and have that in the lease) because a lot of folks have their own.  

What are your thoughts on this?  I could probably charge a little more for having them, but not a ton as I plan to update to the point that there will hopefully not be much room for higher rent while still staying occupied.  (Isn't that everyone's dream?  lol)  I just love the convenience of having them supplied for me, personally.  I probably wouldn't rent a place without them if I had a choice.  But my PM said quite a few of my tenants actually put their own machines in storage.  What are your thoughts?

Thanks again for the links.  :-)

@Jimmy Watts, I'm glad you're finding this list helpful.  :-D  Me too.  It opens our eyes to options we never thought about and, in some cases (at least for me) never even knew existed!

While I haven't priced one lately, I don't think a programmable thermostat is overkill except in perhaps in war zone type areas.  Speaking of overkill, my ex-boyfriend (who isn't on here, though he NEEDS to be) is very proud of one of the things he included in his flip--under cabinet lights in the kitchen that dance with music.  Seriously?  I can NOT see that being a return on investment...unless they were the same price as other lights.  lol  Then again, I'm probably not including under cabinet lights at all, but I will now (after seeing this list) look to see if I think they are needed.

That bathroom exhaust vent timer is a great idea!  I know you're supposed to run the vent for like 20-30 minutes after the shower, but I always forget to turn it off.  I'll come home to find it was on all day.  Thanks for including the link!!!

Good luck with your flips and thanks for your contributions!

@Dawn P., you even leave water or soda in the fridge when you move?!?  Aren't you just the sweetest person ever!

I hadn't thought of a pendant light over the sink.  I can definitely see how that would be nice to have.  And I agree with those Hollywood light fixtures in the bathrooms.  lol

You get a cute welcome mat and rug for in front of the sink?!?  You are the BEST landlord EVER!  You are super thoughtful!  That made me think of personalized door mats.  You can either personalize them to say what you want, put the address on it, or even put THEIR name on it so they can take it when they leave.  I found some cute ones here.  https://www.personalizationmall.com/Doormats-c90.lp?fitemid=53662&did=318528&wordid=53662&utm_source=GoogleBase&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKCAiA07PRBRBJEiwAS20SINe2ojaYaYkPDAsxvjYdeygEj3CKgV0JqqDfgUK2YnjHE9zKu2MPfhoCrQ8QAvD_BwE  I don't do my own PM (I'm too far away, not to mention, too nice), so it wouldn't work for me to personalize it for my tenants, but I could personalize it for my property.  I have some duplexes, so it might be nice to personalize it with the address of each unit to reassure the visitor that they are at the right one.  :-)  Thanks for sparking my imagination!

A door jamb light switch?  @Marian Smith, you're so creative!  I never would have thought of that!  In fact, at first I thought I'd never even heard of such a thing, but after looking it up on YouTube (they were also using it for a walk-in closet), I realized it's what we all have in the fridge.  lol  Never dawned on me...

I checked out Fusion grout.  It's now on my personal list!  ;-)

Your outlook on putting in higher end stuff for lower valued rentals and just normal stuff for normal valued rentals isn't something I had considered, but it makes perfect sense.  Thanks for making me think about that.

@Mike B., I love that you listed exactly the numbers you do.  I went back to see what you did and didn't do.  :-)  

You said that if the water heater has another 1-3 years left, you go ahead and replace it.  I understand that means even if it's not acting up yet?  Interesting philosophy that I'm sure your tenants love!  :-D

I hadn't thought about having exterior lights always being on at night.  Interesting idea that I shall have to ponder...

Why did you choose to replace the whole light fixture instead of just adding LED bulbs?  

Closet organizers...I can see how that would provide a wow factor.  Good thinking.  ;-)

I'm sure your tenants are thrilled that you included A/C when you upgraded your heating system!  I was in the Army (medically retired last year) and got sent to Alaska.  No one seemed to have A/C.  Well, I was in Fairbanks with the biggest temperature change in the world (or so we were told).  It could get over 90 degrees in the summer and I was on the 3rd floor.  Pair that with a sun that virtually never sets and there is just no escaping the heat.  It would be 2 am and I was sweating with the windows open.  (There is not a lot wind in Fairbanks, plus I was in the barracks, so I couldn't get a cross draft because I only had windows on 1 wall.)  I would have loved to have had you as a landlord at that time!!!

You said you changed all the door hardware.  I was planning to do cabinet doors and exterior doors, but do you also change the interior door knobs?  And you also change the hinges?  I had thought of it, but decided against it as I didn't think anyone would notice.  Do you think it makes a difference?

Thanks for participating in this discussion, sharing what you do!

For flippers and those who manage their own properties, though it won't get you any more money, a nice touch is leaving each bathroom with a roll of toilet paper on the holder...bonus points if it's good quality.  lol  Whenever I move, I ALWAYS leave the toilet paper.  There's nothing worse than getting to your new place, deciding you have to go to the bathroom, and discovering you have to hold it because you have no tp.  :-P  If nothing else, I believe this gives me brownie points in Heaven.  :-D

WOW @Dave Ramirez, you are QUITE the sneaky salesman!  I'm really impressed!  It's people like you with ideas like yours that make this site so wonderful...well, and the fact that you SHARE your ideas.  ;-)  Thank you!

@Sam Shueh, a difference of $500 in rent?!?  WOW!  I'm hoping to make about $200 more as my agent, my PM, and the other person (not sure of her title, but she sells flooring, but also helps with decorating and design ideas) said would be likely.  What I listed in the first forum post is just the special things I'm doing.  I'm also doing more normal rehab things like granite counters, refinishing the cabinets (they're solid wood and in good condition) and updating the hardware, installing floating vinyl faux wood planks, updating all light and water fixtures, replacing the appliances with black stainless steel ones (I don't like the look of regular stainless) and, of course, painting.  There's probably more, but anyway, I'm doing a LOT of work in them for only $200 more/month.  But if that's all the market can hold, I suppose it will have to do.  I'm updating primarily so raise rent and still keep virtually no vacancies.  

Do you put new door knobs on interior doors?  I hadn't thought of that, but they might well look ratty and I just hadn't paid attention.  Thanks for that suggestion, whether that's what you meant or not.  lol  And I love that you include nicer baseboards (I assume that's what you meant when you listed them) and crown molding.  I LOVE crown molding.  And I'd totally do nicer baseboards if I didn't have to hear crap from everyone helping me.  But they're right.  I wouldn't see a return on that investment and it's probably quite a large investment.  When I was looking at my duplexes and talking about wanting crown molding, even the guy who installs it said he wouldn't recommend it (but that he'd do it if I wanted lol).  My current apartment I live in has crown molding as well as fancy baseboards and I love it.  :-D

That's awesome that you put in new wood floors.  Somehow I was under the impression I can't do that on a slab, but that might be wrong.  Either way, everyone helping me with the renovation ideas (not the stuff listed in the first post, but the stuff listed in this one) recommended the same type of flooring and it's what I have in my apartment, so it's good with me.  I thought the floors were real wood for a while.  Hahaha!  I hope mine turn out this nice.  :-)

Thanks for contributing so much to the thread.  :-)

The work I listed in my initial post is for my rentals.  The property I'm planning to sell will get very minimal work and will be sold as-is.  Because of the current renter, its age, mother nature, etc. there is significantly more work that needs to be done than I'm willing to do considering I'm just going to sell it.  But thanks for your opinion, @Sam Shueh.  :-)  If you flip or have rentals, do you do anything to make your property stand out from the crowd?

@Dave Ramirez, a wine cooler?  What a neat idea!  I haven't bought anything with a large enough kitchen yet, but that's a cool idea.  I do buy and hold rentals and I think your idea is better for flipping.  So while I love it, I probably won't ever do it...until it's time to sell something with a large kitchen.  ;-)  But kudos to you for coming up with a unique way to make your flips stand out from the crowd!

You sell a 50-inch TV with your house???  I would have never thought of that!  Genius!  I'm sure you get a deal, but even if you paid full price, I'm sure it more than makes up for it in the way people get excited about it and your property.  Great idea!  I'm going to be selling something soon and will consider this as this property needs all the help it can get!  (Which is why I'm selling it.  lol)

Thanks for participating in the conversation!