At Cornerstone, we’ve helped a lot of homeowners with a lot of problems… and we’re no spring chicken when it comes to keeping a house heated on a budget. They’re simple and affordable to implement. The most difficult will take an hour on a weekend, but many will take little time and don’t even involve the purchase of supplies, requiring only the modification of a few habits. Others can be completed for a few dollars. We’ll take a look first at the obvious stuff and then at more specialized — but still simple — energy-saving techniques like how to warm house for less money.
Four Tips to Warm House for Less Money
So we thought we’d come by and drop some tips for you to achieve a warm house 🙂
Use a Space Heater — Many of the newer space heaters are extremely energy efficient. So try turning down the thermostat by a few degrees and put the space heater in the rooms where people spend the most time. Most of them are also easily portable and can be taken wherever they’re needed.
With a space heater present, it would make your tenants more comfortable living in your house and it would be another reason why they should stay longer. No matter what kind of space heater you’re using, it’s important to keep safety top of mind. Ensure it won’t tip over, use it on a level floor, keep blankets and fabric away, and never go to sleep with the heater on.
Smart Thermostat — A smart thermostat is a little spendy up-front, but it’ll save money in the long run. It allows homeowners to set exactly when the house should be at exactly what temperature. Most people save about $180 per year by using a smart thermostat.
The smart thermostat is better than any alternatives out there, you can remotely change temperatures around the house and it will have a great impact on how your tenants see your property. Additionally, it will make them feel at home rather than renting!
Use Credit Cards — It might sound counterintuitive, but we recommend using credit cards to pay utility bills, so long as the credit card used offers good cashback and there isn’t a high transaction fee.
Install Solar Panels — Installing solar panels is a big upfront investment, but it’ll definitely save plenty of money in the long run on all of the home’s utility bills. Plus, there’s a big tax deduction included when solar panels are installed on a house.
Having solar panels not only saves money in the long run but also gives an alternative power source whenever there’s an interruption due to bad weather or whatever the reason may be. As a landlord, you should consider having one or two!
We’d also like to give you some additional tips to win over potential tenants!
Have confidence — Looking at a tenant’s point of view, gives them certainty when they know that the owner or landlord has confidence. It makes them comfortable that they should rent or buy this property. So if you’re an owner or a landlord of any property, be more confident and show your tenants that you can conduct for them.
Self-confidence is the key to success in this business. If you can get the job done and be confident, there is nothing to prevent you from becoming a successful landlord. Of course, that confidence comes from your knowledge and field experience.
Prepare a list of tenant requirements ahead of time — As we know, there are some tenants who are sensitive and very irritable. So it is important that we set a requirement for tenants ahead of time.
This allows you to concentrate your attention and focus on a specific market. You should also expect queries regarding smoking, pets, and minimum income or credit, to mention a few topics.
Professional photography is essential — There’s no doubt that having a great photo of your house can increase the chances of having more tenants. They create visual interest and allow your future tenants to see themselves living in that property.
Don’t leave things to chance if you have a large, bright, double bedroom with west-facing windows and art deco furniture. Bring it to life with professional photography!
Increase value with ads-on — To attract quality lessees, add-ons can be used to extend the appeal to more desirable and higher-income markets. These additions may include additional storage or lighting, a built-in closet, stainless steel appliances, air conditioning, heating, and a dishwasher.
These additions are investments, but they add value to the rental property and help increase rental revenue in the long run.
Streamline Communication — Quality tenants are looking for real estate managers with first-class communication skills. All communication lines should be open for easy access at all times and for answering questions. In the process, you can better understand where the lessors are in their lives and assess whether they are suitable for rental properties.
Streamline communication helps build trust with teams, owners, and tenants. Better communication also reduces the chances of missing costly mistakes and opportunities for more new customers.
Stay organized using property management software — Quality lessors are looking for an organized and efficient real estate manager. Proper asset management software not only helps you stay organized but also automates specific tasks to help you focus more on relationships and strategies.
Property management software lets landlords work more efficiently, dealing with their homes better and often growing the value of their investment. Modern software programs provide extensive sort of tools made to landlords of a similarly extensive sort of style.
Know all area amenities — It’s a good idea to be prepared for questions about local facilities such as public transport, parks, schools, supermarkets, and cafes. This helps potential lessors imagine what lifestyle they might lead, and they are useful real estate managers who have a solid understanding of the neighborhood. It is shown in.
In addition, quality renters are more relaxed because they know that they have all the facilities they are accustomed to in the area. If you want to go one step further, you can create a handout detailing desirable local amenities, such as parking options and costs, to really impress potential tenants at the exhibition.
Regular maintenance is key — Another way to attract quality tenants is to do regular maintenance. This reduces the work of repairing, cleaning, and presenting the house and gives potential lessors the peace of mind that the property is at hand.
In addition, preventive maintenance saves time and money by reducing the likelihood of long-term disability. However, if something breaks, you need to respond quickly. Nothing can damage a tenant faster than a slow repair.
Be flexible — Communication and flexibility are inextricably linked. If you have good communication skills but don’t have the flexibility to deal with potential renters, don’t be surprised if they get off the radar! Not surprisingly, most tenants can only see the property on weekends or after work. So make sure you have plenty of time on your schedule to meet them.
In this way, you can know them, ask the right questions, and recognize the danger signs. A good renter is definitely worth the time, but you don’t have to over-accommodate a renter who is significantly behind.
These additional tips will likely give your tenants certainty that their money is used well on your property. Additionally, it will ensure that their stay will be long-term and give them certainty that they’re safe with you.
Hope that helps! And let us know if you or anyone you know wants to sell a property fast for a fair cash price, give us a call at (413) 315-9551 — we can close in as little as two weeks and we’ll even pay all closing costs!