Preventing Do-It-Yourself “Improvements” Gone Wrong at Your Houston Rental Property

Do-it-yourself home improvements are the latest thing right now. Reality shows and social media has empowered all kinds of people in society to aspire to remodel or repair the interior of their homes single-handedly. Regretfully, this thing isn’t just beloved by homeowners, but among renters too. Even though landlords fancy a tenant who will maintain their rental home as if the property belongs to them, some renters are too extravagant. With a few tactics, Houston property owners can prevent unwanted tenant “improvements” and keep their rental homes in decent shape.

When it comes to performing home improvements, the kitchen and bathroom are the main targets. Thousands of popular videos show vigorous do-it-yourselfers how to paint cabinets, upgrade faucets and hardware, and switch light fixtures. Contemporary corrections in these rooms also include tile backsplashes and brightly painted walls. When executed properly, these minor remodels can create unique interior spaces.

The problem is that creative interiors are useless when it comes to enriching your property’s value. In reality, if your tenant carries out a mediocre job of their improvements, your property value could even drop. Like for instance, if your tenant aims to install wallpaper in the living room, they could not only ruin the painted surface underneath but also cause a wall-to-wall atrocity that will be expensive to repair later on.

Because personal tastes are as diverse as snowflakes, peculiar interiors may restrict your capability to rent the home to a different tenant. An accent wall in fuchsia may look attractive to your current renter, but a subsequent renter may find it hideous. Then again, if your tenant hurts themselves or wrecks the household’s plumbing or electrical systems during the home improvement, that produces a new set of problems. If they manage to crack a pipe or incorrectly connect the fittings while changing a bathroom faucet, you may be tidying up leaks and water damage that otherwise would not have materialized had you discouraged DIYs.

While small home maintenace tasks can and should be required of a renter, renovations or the remodeling of any of the home’s permanent fixtures should be discouraged in the lease. Another smart idea is to carry out regular property evaluations, this is what Real Property Management Preferred provides to all of our property owners in Houston and the surrounding areas. We will oversee your rental home, making certain the tenant is safeguarding the property in the proper condition and swiftly administering any tenant requests for improvements or repairs. Contact us online or call us at 281-894-9111 to see what we can do for you.