Compared with other states, Southern California homes are generally looked at as “small”. A typical home available for rent in Long Beach can be around 1,200 sq ft-1,500 sq ft. Long time residents of Long Beach are used to these sizes. As a family grows the size of a home and storage can be a challenge.
For some landlords the answer is “there are nearby storage facilities” and while that is true we invite you to consider a few options that just might keep your tenant happy and not have them looking for a larger home.
Closet Upgrades
With a large portion of the homes in Long Beach built in the 1920’s, 1940’s, and 1960’s the closets can be tiny and often feature just a single closet rod. To help tenants envision themselves in the property for the long haul consider updating the closet to allow for more efficient storage of clothing. Incorporating drawers and multiple levels of closet rods is one method to increase storage in small closets. Solutions from places such as California Closet, the Container Store and Home Depot you can change a small closet dramatically for $400-$800.
If you are nervous about committing to an upgrade consider changing the closet in the main bedroom first and see how a tenant responds. When showing prospective new tenants, ask them their thoughts about the closet or have your property management company get feedback. The feedback will provide you with information to see if it warrants expanding the organization efforts to other closets throughout the house.
Laundry Room
The laundry room is one of those areas that is traditionally a “catch all”. Besides the washer and dryer there can be an awkward set of hangers, vacuum, broom and of course laundry supplies. In Long Beach and Lakewood the laundry rooms can be near the kitchen or even in the garage. Optimized solutions in a laundry room can be as simple as a
storage rail
to hang common items (brooms, dust pans, etc.) or even wall mounted cabinets. A laundry room is a high value to a tenant as it saves time and money when compared to the laundry mat which means taking a bit of time to invest in this room can keep your tenant happy for years.
Storage Shed
While the majority of homes in Long Beach have garages there are those odds and ends that can often be easily accommodated in a shed, especially if your tenants are parking their car(s) in the garage. With plastic and wood shed options available there are affordable options for shed solutions that are even under $400. Taking the small investment to put a shed on the property can help a tenant see that you are providing options to allow them to truly enjoy the property.
When it comes to storage solutions often just a little bit goes a long way. To help you determine what could be best for your property to empower tenants to rent for longer periods we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247. Or if you prefer a complete evaluation of your property we invite you to fill out our
Free Rental Analysis.
