Landscaping Ideas To Boost Your Apartment Tenancy Rate

If you’re a landlord of any sort, you know how difficult it can sometimes be to keep everyone happy. Realistically, that’s impossible but you try your best because that’s how you fill your property. One of the most important but often overlooked aspects of the rental market, particularly for semi-high-rise apartment buildings is the landscaping. 

The good thing about apartment buildings is that the landscaping work required, once installed, is generally low-maintenance. Sometimes all that is required is the odd weeding and regular lawn maintenance. But, if you want to make your property stand out, you may consider not having the traditional grassy look and instead go with something different. 

The goal for any landlord is to increase the occupancy rate of their building. Here are a few ideas that may help you accomplish that goal by taking care of the outside of the property and the inside. 

Create an outdoor space for residents 

One of the most important aspects of life that apartment-renters often find lacking is the outdoor life. Some people feel confined when they’re in their apartments like they’re stuck in a box. One of the best things you can do for your tenants is creating some sort of outdoor space, whether that’s a courtyard or an outdoor grassy area with a few picnic tables. 

The important thing is that your residents feel as though they have somewhere to go and enjoy the fresh air. Another option is to include a small balcony in the building of an apartment complex so that residents will be able to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. 

Plant some trees 

Another fantastic addition to the outdoor space is trees. They improve air quality and can look fantastic when you achieve the right blend. Contact a professional gardening service to give you some insight on what trees might work best for your location, and consider the colour of your building as well. 

You’ll want to choose trees that will blend in well rather than clash with the exterior colour. You might want to take a look at some natives, or simply find breeds that don’t require much maintenance - the less work your tenants have to do, the more interested they will be in the property.

Add a pool 

There’s nothing better than taking a dip after a day in the scorching heat. One of the most attractive elements of an apartment complex is the inclusion of a pool, especially if families with children live there. This will attract a lot of interest from people from across all age ranges and is especially popular with families. If you’re a family-friendly apartment complex, you’ll ultimately accrue far more business. 

Obviously, the addition of a sizable enough pool is a great expense, but it will pay dividends in a very short space of time. If you don’t have a lot of space to work with, smaller pools are also an option. 

Make a great first impression 

The same could be said for a lot of things in life — first impressions are everything. If you have some money to invest in your entryway, you should do so. Create something unique and appealing that will really set your complex apart from the rest. 

Maybe a large, unique piece of art, or a fountain installation? You might consider painting the doors red or blue. Go big and bold to make your units stand out. Build a brand identity that will make a lasting impression on those who drive past your buildings. In the construction business, it’s important to be known for being really good at something. 

Keep the property well-maintained 

Now that you have made some significant changes to your property to increase your occupancy rate, you need to keep it that way. This means hiring professional gardening services specializing in tree care and lawn care to keep your property beautified for years to come. Or, you could even consider starting a lawn care business yourself. Just be sure to bear this in mind when you’re investing; maintenance is half the battle. 

Whatever your property size, as a landlord, it is your responsibility to ensure that it is attractive to new customers all the time. Keep on top of your property maintenance, beautify the outdoor spaces as much as possible to attract new prospective tenants.

DIY & Apartments: How Does It Work?

Doing a spot of DIY in an apartment brings new challenges to the table, in comparison to completing DIY tasks in a house. For example, in high-rise apartment blocks, it can be difficult to bring materials up to the higher levels. As well as this, any DIY work is likely to cause more disruption to apartment neighbours, due to the close proximity between units.

Today, we're looking at the ins and outs of doing DIY in an apartment, covering everything you need to know before you take on any major tasks.

What can/can't you do?

First of all, it's vital to know what you can and can't do when it comes to your apartment.

If you rent your apartment:

Before you complete any DIY work in your rented apartment, it's vital to check with your landlord that you can do the task(s) that you want. Many landlords don't allow much in their rented apartments to be changed, however some will let you have more free reign, especially if they like the changes you would like to make.

Major cosmetic changes are usually not carried out by renters in apartments, as it's likely that this apartment will be lived in by other residents in the future, and therefore would be a waste of money in the long-run. If anything major (such as flooring, doors) does need changing, then it's up to your landlord to make and pay for these changes instead of you.

If you own your apartment/are a leaseholder

If you own the lease of your apartment, things are a little more different.

For example, you're free to make any cosmetic changes within your apartment, however, any repairs such as rotten window panes or faulty fire doors in communal areas, are up to the block management company/owners to pay for and fix.

To put it simply, the communal areas and general standard of your apartment block should be proactively maintained by your block management company, but you can make any cosmetic changes within your apartment as and when you please.

For full control of the management of your building and therefore apartment, there is the option to buy your freehold. There are many reasons for you to buy your freehold, but being able to do what you want, whenever you want in terms of DIY is one of the biggest benefits.

How to do renter-friendly DIY:

Renter-friendly DIY is DIY that you can do that doesn't remove any of your landlord's features, and that can be easily taken away without causing any damage.

There are several things that you can do:

Hang things without marks:  

Knowing how to hang things on walls without leaving marks is very important if your landlord doesn't allow for you to hang things on the walls with nails.

Replace your door handles:  

Again, this is a very simple DIY task that can be reverted easily. This can be achieved using a screwdriver and spanner in no time. Just keep hold of the original door handles so you can change them back when required.

Change your furniture: 

You can simply replace the existing pieces of furniture with new ones. Swap couches/chairs/tables to give your home a whole new look. This is especially suitable for those that rent unfurnished apartments.

Cover furnishings: 

If your apartment comes furnished, then using upholstery to cover furnishings such as tables and chairs is a great way to make semi-permanent changes to the look of your apartment. For example, cover a dull table with a patterned tablecloth, or a dark sofa with a bright blanket.

Install removable backsplash and tile covers: 

If the floor of your bathroom or kitchen is not of your choice, or your backsplash is dull and lifeless, you can install removable covers that help make the décor more 'you'. This usually comes in the form of peel and stick tiling, and is available in many different styles.

Problems with doing DIY in an apartment:

Whether you own or rent your apartment, there are several things that make doing DIY in an apartment tricky.

Getting to high floor apartments: 

One of the most common problems with carrying out DIY in an apartment, is that high floor apartments are difficult to reach, especially with a lot of heavy equipment. If you can't safely do so, a crane might be required.

Minimal amount of space:

Apartments are more likely to be smaller than houses, which does make DIY activity a bit more tricky. To overcome this, working with smaller pieces of equipment might deem essential, and working smarter and not harder is key.

Noise:

Another issue is noise pollution. Making lots of noise might annoy the neighbors,  and your landlord is likely to kick you out if you annoy them repeatedly. Because apartment units are so close together, it's hard to ensure that neighbors won't be able to hear any DIY tasks that you're doing.

However, most neighbors will be understanding if you tell them that you are completing DIY work, especially if you stick to hours during the day.

To conclude, doing DIY in an apartment is significantly different to doing it in a house. From the minimal amount of space to struggles getting to high-floor apartments, it might seem harder at first, but will be worth it when your apartment looks and feels the way you'd like it to.

4 Ways to Make a Small Apartment Look Spacious

Saving space in your home is one of the most important things if you're living in a small apartment. Too much stuff and some bad planning can make your home look closed off, and no one likes to live in a messy place. 

But living in a small space and successfully managing it isn't impossible either - you just need the right tricks, which we're going to tell you all about in this article. 

Floor Space is Precious 

Floor space is very important in real estate in small apartment complexes - the more that's visible, the more open the area looks. Keep the furniture to the bare minimum, and avoid getting tables and chairs that aren't absolutely necessary. 

You can even downsize on your furniture if the space is very tight - trade-in your three-seater couch for a loveseat. In this way, you can fill your apartment with all the necessary amenities without taking up as much space. 

The Power of Smart Decorating 

Some interior designers like to use certain optical illusions to make a space look wider or taller than it is. We're going to talk about all these tricks today. 

• Use vertical lines in your space to make it look taller. This doesn't necessarily have to be in the form of wallpaper with stripes - it can be in the form of vertical paneling, or even some subtle vertical patterns in your paint. 

• In the same way, horizontal lines make a space look wider. 

• In the same way, you can choose either wide and low furniture or tall and narrow ones. For example - a large single-seat armchair with a high back instead of a low couch. Swap a sofa for a low loveseat. 

• When draping windows, install the curtain rod high up in the ceiling instead of just on top of the window. 

• Full-length mirrors are known to make a space look bigger. Putting one up on the wall or getting a closet with mirrored doors can be a great way to make the space look more open. 

• When decorating, stick to a single statement piece of wall art or a small collage instead of smattering a bunch of decoration pieces all over the place - this can get crowded and make the area look closed off. 

Optimize Furniture 

Another thing about small apartments is that there's very limited storage space in them. There's only so much you can hide away in your cupboards and closets, and when your personal possessions get too much it can get messy no matter how you try to organize your space. 

In cases like that, you need to start looking for storage space where there wasn't any - like under the bed and behind the mirrors. 

Keep it Simple 

The goal with your home decor in a small apartment should be to make it feel as open and spacious as you can. Here's what you can do to achieve that: 

• Stick to a simple color pallet, and don't crowd the space with too many colors either. Lighter shades and hues can make the space look more open than darker ones, and you might want to stay away from overbearing patterns and designs. 

• To add depth as well as openness in the space, make use of different textures and layers instead of colors and loud patterns. 

• Adding layers of sheer fabric to the windows, using light and natural fabrics for drapes, and getting monochromatic embroidered cushions are all examples of how you can incorporate textures to your home to give it character, all the while making sure the space remains open. 

• If you want plants in the space, invest in wall planters and hanging pots instead of putting them on tabletops. The same goes for any framed photos, paintings, and decoration pieces.

The importance of maintaining the cleanliness of high-rise facades

It is commonplace for building managers to overlook the importance of cleaning façades of high-rise buildings. Oftentimes, the maintenance and cleanliness of a building’s interior is given precedence over its exterior. This can be for a multitude of reasons, from budget constraints to oversight of its importance. However, it’s important for building managers to gain a basic knowledge of facades and understand the benefits of maintaining their cleanliness.

‘Façade’ when translated from French means ‘front’. Generally, the façade will refer to a particular side of a building, most commonly its front. It’s important to understand that when it comes to high-rise buildings, each of the building’s four sides are considered to be facades. Whereas for most residential buildings, only the front of the building is visible to the public, high-rises are visible from all sides.

Types of facades

The materials used for high-rise facades can be separated into two key categories: glazing, which is any part of a wall that consists of glass, and cladding, in which one part of a building is covered with a separate material.

Within these two categories, there is a range of features that will be unique to the way each building has been planned and constructed. With this in mind, it’s important to seek the services of professionals who specialize in high-rise façade cleaning. In doing this, it guarantees the maintenance of these materials and helps avoid any damage or defects.

The importance of a clean facade

The appearance of a building’s exterior is just as important as the appearance of its interior. If a building’s windows are unclean, it will affect the amount of light coming into its interior. Dirty windows will also make the exterior of a building look neglected and lackluster. It’s also important to consider that maintenance of a building’s overall condition and cleanliness impacts the wellbeing of anyone who spends time in the building, whether it’s their workplace or their home.

Maintaining clean windows is an essential component of a high-rise building’s upkeep. As time goes on, glass facades are becoming more and more frequently implemented in high-rise architecture. With the design of high-rise buildings becoming more intricate and refined, the process of cleaning and maintaining their facades must be carefully considered. However, despite its clear benefits, the proper upkeep of high-rise building facades is often disregarded. Maintaining clean high-rise facades reduces deterioration of the building over time and allows regular inspection of any potential defects that may have developed in its structure. By identifying small defects and addressing them, it avoids the development of larger structural problems and the expenses associated with them.

It’s also obvious that a clean, aesthetically attractive façade is beneficial for the building. A façade that is visually appealing affects the judgment of potential tenants and the neighborhood’s appearance to potential investors. Put simply, a clean façade improves a building’s value.

Procedures for cleaning high-rise facades

Water-based cleaning methods are popular for high-rise facades, particularly because they are non-invasive. Pressure washing, one component of water-based cleaning, involves spraying the surface of the façade with water at a low to medium pressure then potentially brushing difficult areas of the building. Soaking, another water-based method, is done to remove persistent dirt and coatings. Soaking is often performed on parts of the building that require more careful treatment or aren’t exposed to rain. Steam cleaning utilizes hot water and high-pressure to eliminate the presence of mud or plant life. 

Chemical cleaning methods are also utilized, more so for specific surfaces. For example, acid-based cleaners are suitable for terracotta and granite, whereas alkaline cleaners are suitable for limestone and marble.

Maintaining a clean façade on high-rise buildings improves their overall appearance, prevents their deterioration, and ensures that they continue to operate effectively. Professionals who specialize in high-rise façade cleaning will be able to assess the most suitable methods for cleaning a high-rise building and complete the necessary procedures without disrupting the businesses or tenants within the building.