Would a shower curtain improve your impression of a potential rental?

[Tanaqui]

It's easy enough for me - or any of us! - to say "No, I'd take it down anyway" but... how many of us think we'd be less likely to purchase canned soup if it was shelved next to the bags of kitty litter? It seems so silly, but studies show that people really are affected by this! If people can be impelled to pay a little more for a house just because the homeowner happened to make it smell like they were baking cookies, then I think more people than want to admit it are affected by things like whether or not there's a shower curtain in the bathroom. And it's cheap enough, fast enough. Not like you're repainting the entire apartment top to bottom and adding in expensive rugs everywhere.

[regentrude]

6 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

It's easy enough for me - or any of us! - to say "No, I'd take it down anyway" but... how many of us think we'd be less likely to purchase canned soup if it was shelved next to the bags of kitty litter? It seems so silly, but studies show that people really are affected by this! If people can be impelled to pay a little more for a house just because the homeowner happened to make it smell like they were baking cookies, then I think more people than want to admit it are affected by things like whether or not there's a shower curtain in the bathroom. 

But I would not react neutrally, but actually *negatively* to a flowery shower curtain that interferes with the clean white appearance and suggests an imprinted taste very different from my own. I am not claiming I do not have subconscious bias;I am conscious of the fact that it would affect my opinion in a negative way

Edited August 12, 2018 by regentrude

[Catwoman]

2 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

I can’t believe all of the claw foot tub hate! I actually need one for ds because they’re great for using handicapped lift equipment, but they’re so expensive. I need to McGyver my way out of this or bite the bullet and get one. 

 

Claw foot tubs are fine if you like to take baths, but they are less convenient for showers because it’s not that easy to step in and out of claw foot tubs, and water from the shower splashes everywhere if the curtain doesn’t go all the way around them. And as Regentrude already mentioned, it’s a nuisance to clean under them, as well.

 

 

Edited August 12, 2018 by Catwoman

[moonflower]

Dh and I move around a lot; we've been renting since I moved out of my parents' house and I'd say we've rented at least a dozen different places.  We've never, in the 15 years we've rented, been late on the rent.  We are the tenants you're looking for (except we have 7 kids).

The shower curtain doesn't matter much one way or another.  If you already have one you can put up, fine, it's no extra cost anyway.  Here is what I would do, though: I would spend money on small actual upgrades that signal "upscale rental for this neighborhood".  The showerhead recommendation is a great one.  Put in a nice $30-40 shower head.  Change out any really dated faucets.  Put up window coverings that are not cheap plastic blinds, at least in some rooms.  Put up a nice hook rack by the door, or install something in the bathroom like a good quality shelf or something.  Put up a new light by the door, or upgrade the mailbox.  Plant a rosebush.  That kind of thing.  Staging is not a bad idea; I'd do it for sure.  But as far as spending money, spend money to upgrade the rental itself.  Even one good shower head or one extra built-in shelf or set of quality cellular window shades can make a huge difference.

 

Of course it also increases your liability, but you have a damage deposit so that shouldn't be a big deal.

 

For the record, our car is usually something of a mess.  It's not a disaster, but it's not pristine.  Our house is almost never pristine either; we have 7 kids.  But we leave houses in good condition - we just clean them really well after we move out.  If we were renting the car (and when we do rent a car), we clean that before we return it too.  I would go by landlord references and credit.  If you're really concerned about getting someone who can pay the rent regularly, you might think about charging first/last/deposit (but only if demand is high, otherwise people will just go for a place that charges first/deposit).  Or offer one of those "$50 off the rent if paid 3 days early" deals.

[Tanaqui]

Did I say "flowery", Regentrude? I was thinking a clear or white one myself.

[regentrude]

6 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

Did I say "flowery", Regentrude? I was thinking a clear or white one myself.

I was thinking of the one the OP had suggested and linked, which is very flowery.

But I probably would be unconciously negatively biased to a plain curtain because I associate it with mildew and previous tenants dirt ?

Edited August 12, 2018 by regentrude

[Guest]

Okay, guys. Just coming home from working at the rental today. Random thoughts as I have read the replies:

So, I thoroughly cleaned the bathroom today and brought with me a shower curtain from my home. It has been hanging in my downstairs bathroom for a few years and has never been used. (Never been used because DH, the greater Leaver of Projects in medias res has not put the shower controls and shower head on.) It is white with an unobtrusive sort of mosaic pattern running in a border at the top and bottom. The mosaic colors are light tan and light aqua/mint. It will stay there for photos and maybe for touring and then will return to my home; it is simply something we will have to mention to a renter about to sign. Oh and there is a toilet paper roll holder. There was a towel bar but it was broken so DH removed it. I will try to brow beat him into putting another up. 

I washed windows and doors; I removed ninety billion stickers and used half a bottle of Goo Gone. Damn stickers. That is actually in our lease as a cause for security deposit confiscation, unfortunately that leverage is useless when you have to evict someone. But the windows and front door look awesome now. There have been cheap blinds on the windows but dh took them down. I think he means to throw them away. I will have to discuss this with him because certain windows really should have blinds, but I would rather not have those. They are really chintzy and now also quite dirty. 

I forgot who mentioned mulching and making flower beds look good, but that is good advice and something I can do for practically nothing but elbow grease. I didn’t even notice that there was a little flower bed to the left side yard of the house. It could be charming with a little attention. I also noticed that there is a little playground across the street; I believe it is meant for an apartment complex there, but I don’t guess a neighbor would be forbidden from playing on it. That would be nice for someone with one or two little kids. 

I briefly met a lady who lives across the street; presumably she imagined I was moving in. I explained who I was and said we are getting it ready to rent. She said she has been telling friends about that house, so hey, nothing bad about a little free advertising. 

Dh was painting the kitchen so I didn’t get to do anything in there today. Our biggest immediate issue is the junk and a few pieces of remaining furniture and the trash/junk in the little yard. My dd already confiscated a bunch of kitchen supplies that she can use for college, but there’s still a lot left to donate or trash. The yard has some pure trash like roof shingles and ruined carpet and worthless furniture. We had a dumpster during eviction but filled it and now have the remainder that will just need to go to the dump in the truck. 

PS. Funny thing about those rain shower heads: I hate them soooooo much! I know so many people think they are such an upgrade but I hate them. I do not want gallons of water pouring down on the top of my head inescapably. I like standard shower heads because, unless the shower is tiny, you can move out of the spray of water. Personal preference is interesting. 

 

[MEmama]

23 minutes ago, Quill said:

 

PS. Funny thing about those rain shower heads: I hate them soooooo much! I know so many people think they are such an upgrade but I hate them. I do not want gallons of water pouring down on the top of my head inescapably. I like standard shower heads because, unless the shower is tiny, you can move out of the spray of water. Personal preference is interesting. 

 

I hate them too. Not as much as I hate claw foot tubs, but still. Either way I wouldn't rent or buy a house with one (sorry). 

There's no accounting for individual taste. :)

[Catwoman]

It sounds like you made a lot of progress at the rental!  I would think of a towel bar and at least one hook (for a robe or whatever) as being absolute requirements in a bathroom, and multiple towel bars and robe hooks would be a bonus. 

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

It sounds like you made a lot of progress at the rental!  I would think of a towel bar and at least one hook (for a robe or whatever) as being absolute requirements in a bathroom, and multiple towel bars and robe hooks would be a bonus. 

Yeah, there is a robe hook on the back side of the door, but that is not suitable for accessing a towel from the shower. 

[BarbecueMom]

I hate the rain shower heads too because I'm still a baby that doesn't like my face to get wet, BUT the shower head would be one of the things I would specifically look at in a rental.  If there's rust or hard water build up or evidence of leaking, it would tell me a lot about what kind of water I'd have to live with.  Unless it cleans up to nearly brand new, I'd make sure that was replaced.  My mom rents and usually takes me with her to check out rentals, and shower/faucet condition is one of the things I always look at.

[Annie G]

Raising my hand to join the ‘no claw foot tubs or rain shower heads’ club. 

A well placed towel rod is a must, I think. It helps to keep people from hanging wet towels in places that can do damage, like over a door or on a doorknob, where they can ruin door paint.  

‘Sounds like you’re making improvements that will attract a tenant. Hope so!

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

I'm kind of funny about towel bars. It doesn't necessarily make/break a bathroom for me because it depends on where it is mounted. This house has a bar hanging above the toilet. It's part of the cabinet above the toilet. We never use that bar. The layout of this bathroom doesn't make a great place for towel bars. It would make the walkway feel every more narrow. It's kind of like a galley style kitchen. I just throw my towel over the shower curtain during my shower. I do have a towel bar rack hanging on the back of the door in case we need it but it's not used that much (sometimes we'll hang a face towel there). 

In my own personal bathroom, there is no logical place to hang a towel bar, so I have a robe hook mounted just outside the shower door. This is where dh and I hang our clean towel before a shower so it is readily available. Inside my closet, I have Command hooks on the wall where I hang my wet towels (well, damp towels; obviously I wouldn’t hang a sopping towel there.) Dh hangs his at the end of his clothing rod. 

I also like towel rings next to all sinks for hanging a hand towel. But I don’t actually have any towel bars. 

[TechWife]

I think adding a shower curtain & a vase of flowers or a candle to the countertop would be nice. I think it's fine to stage a rental house. I don't think people will even think the shower curtain will stay anymore than they think any other furniture or towels, etc. would stay in the house, so I'm not understanding why people are saying it's a bad idea based on thoughts about sanitation.

[Guest]

25 minutes ago, StellaM said:

 

Other people's shower curtains give me an icky feel. 

I may be the only tenant in the world like this; put stuff like that in a home and I won't want to look at it.

I'll also be wondering what the decoration is meant to be distracting me from noticing. 

Give me a clean, blank canvas please!

 

I think what @Farrar said is an important point; as a homeschooling board it seems likely there is some skewing towards people who are more impervious to subconscious influence and people who are perfectly happy marching to their own drummer. I identify with that quite a bit myself. But what @Tanaqui said is also supported by countless studies and buying/decision psychology and marketing. People very reliably make decisions psychologically and, while no concept is a certainty for all people (to wit: I don’t want “open concept” and hate barn door sliders and rain shower heads that supposedly “everyone” wants in homes currently), nevertheless marketing psychology is so often effective it makes more sense to follow it (at least some) than not. 

But I am very glad I posted this thread, even if there are a range of opinions, because it caused me to look more critically at some parts of the house that I was somewhat blind to. For example, anyone coming for a showing is probably going to enter from the back door because the car parking spots are there and one must go in through the back garden gate from there, or else walk up the alleyway and back down the street to the front door, which would be very improbable. So the first impression is actually coming from the rear and at the moment that is not the impression I would want to give. Honestly, it’s going to take some magic to really improve on that a lot because it’s simply not that attractive; one walks into a laundry room/mud room which was not originally part of the house in 1940. It’s just...not great. I can make it clean and I can paint it fresh and I can make sure there is not a speck of leftover prior tenant junk, but it still isn’t going to be beautiful on a budget. 

 

[moonflower]

A mud room is a huge huge draw for me in a house.  Like I cannot overstate how much I like a little room where everyone takes off their shoes and dumps their backpack and hangs up their coat before they come in the living room or kitchen.  I just really like those.

As a tenant, here is what makes a mud room stand out: a built in shelf with hooks for coats and whatnot.  A small hook for keys.  A decent-looking light fixture (I'm not talking chandelier, but something other than a bare bulb).  maybe a built in shoe rack or bench if possible?  (that would be above and beyond).  Floor that is solid and doesn't look like peeling linoleum or cracked tile or moldy carpet (in fact, something other than carpet is best).  If it has a wood stove that you let the tenants use (I realize this is not super common for insurance reasons), a bunch of stacked wood on one side.

[moonflower]

You can hang one of those little "welcome home" wooden signs somewhere, maybe.  Those are cool and pretty generic.

[moonflower]

What I am looking for in a rental is:

location

price

size

landlord quality - if a company, I read reviews online.  If a person, I am generally deeply suspicious and just hope I'm going to get my deposit back.  Reassurances to the tune of "I am not going be over here in your business all the time but be sure to let me know if there is any problem as we want to keep it in great condition and will fix any issue asap" are good.  

[Carol in Cal.]

I think your place sounds charming.  I love claw foot tubs and hate rain showers.

I think you should go through the place and keep the vintage stuff, and freshen it up in general.  Vintage is desirable and not dated looking.

No one has mentioned what gets us good tenants pretty consistently.  We charge a little under market rent.  And we charge a large security deposit.  The lower rent gives us a field of prospects that we can select within, and we check them out thoroughly, calling two prior landlords and pulling their credit reports and verifying their employment.  Then when we pick someone we explicitly tell them that the reason they are getting a deal on rent but also paying a big security deposit is that we want them to keep the house really nice, keeping it up in such a way that it’s not obvious which house on the street is ‘the rental’.  We tell them that we are trusting something big and important to them, and that we usually give back the entire security deposit and that we are pretty sure they will enjoy the place and will take good care of it.  

We do make sure the paint looks fresh and so do the yards, and that the place is very clean.  We let the dated stuff stay until we need to replace it for some actual breakdown—many rentals around here reflect a period that is not everyone’s favorite, and that’s just the way rentals are.  But everything works well.

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, StellaM said:

 

This makes a lot more sense to me than looking at someone's car, though the bolded...that would make my eyes roll in my head if anyone said that to me, a middle aged mum who's been running a house for decades. Yes, I understand landlord, this house is your big asset, not a dummie. Maybeeee to a student ? Though honestly both dd's would also find it very condescending. Stupidity doesn't come with tenancy. 

In my experience, rentals look like rentals when ll's refuse to do maintainance. I've only ever lived in one house where the ll did things like keep the outside of the house painted. I can keep it neat as a pin inside  but if it's been a decade since you repainted, there's not much I can do about that. 

Yeah...I don’t think I would say that to a tenant, either. It’s rare that I have met any potential or actual tenants in person; it is nearly always dh who meets with them. I don’t have any idea what he says or doesn’t say to people. Hopefully his manner is appealing. It seems likely, since he has been in a service business since his teens. 

[Guest]

Oh, also, interesting aside from today: when I went to get lunch at McD’s up the street, I saw a truck that exactly matched what a poster said upthread. It was a hoarded up vehicle. It was entirely stacked with garbage all except for the driver’s seat. Even the dashboard was stuffed with papers. I chuckled to myself and thought, “Well, if that guy comes for a tour, I am definitely already biased.” 

[moonflower]

I agree that lowering the rent may give you a larger pool of applicants, and thus a better chance at finding a good one.  we rented when we could afford 450/mo and when we could afford 4500/mo; we weren't more destructive when we were poorer, nor were we more likely to miss a rent payment.

 

I am leery of security deposits that are more than a months' rent.  I have had some landlords - maybe 1 in 4?  who are interested in keeping the security deposit and will attempt to lie to do so.  We had one who wanted us to pay for hauling off junk that was there when we moved in, repaint walls that were damaged when we moved in, pay $100 (literally, and I am not kidding) to replace a plastic outlet cover that was missing when we moved in.  We take a lot of pictures at move-in, so it didn't work, but I can see how it does work with some tenants.  Thus, I'm iffy about giving someone $4000 to hold for me, or whatever.  

[Guest]

7 hours ago, moonflower said:

I agree that lowering the rent may give you a larger pool of applicants, and thus a better chance at finding a good one.  we rented when we could afford 450/mo and when we could afford 4500/mo; we weren't more destructive when we were poorer, nor were we more likely to miss a rent payment.

 

I am leery of security deposits that are more than a months' rent.  I have had some landlords - maybe 1 in 4?  who are interested in keeping the security deposit and will attempt to lie to do so.  We had one who wanted us to pay for hauling off junk that was there when we moved in, repaint walls that were damaged when we moved in, pay $100 (literally, and I am not kidding) to replace a plastic outlet cover that was missing when we moved in.  We take a lot of pictures at move-in, so it didn't work, but I can see how it does work with some tenants.  Thus, I'm iffy about giving someone $4000 to hold for me, or whatever.  

The rent is already low for comps. I was actually thinking of raising it a bit. I do NOT want a large pool of applicants. I only need one good applicant. Part of the reason I am going to great lengths to make it clean and appealing is so that online pictures willl pull in applicants who wouldn’t see it otherwise. We have had a sign in the window for the past couple months and it draws people who are already in that area which so far are not suitable candidates. 

We typically require one month’s rent for deposit, and we always do a walk-through with items to check mark so the likelihood of disputes as to damage is not high. So far with this property we have not had an amicable end in either case, and dh was at first talking about requiring two months rent for security and the first month’s rent on possession (of course), but we discussed it - IMO, it is just too much to expect from renters. Not a lot of people can afford to have thousands of dollars suspended from use for a long time, at least, in the demographic we are serving. 

[regentrude]

10 hours ago, Quill said:

For example, anyone coming for a showing is probably going to enter from the back door because the car parking spots are there and one must go in through the back garden gate from there, or else walk up the alleyway and back down the street to the front door, which would be very improbable. So the first impression is actually coming from the rear and at the moment that is not the impression I would want to give. Honestly, it’s going to take some magic to really improve on that a lot because it’s simply not that attractive; one walks into a laundry room/mud room which was not originally part of the house in 1940. It’s just...not great. I can make it clean and I can paint it fresh and I can make sure there is not a speck of leftover prior tenant junk, but it still isn’t going to be beautiful on a budget. 

I think that would be VERY attractive to people who value cleanliness in their home (and those are the tenants you want to attract): there is a place to take off the dirty shoes right when you come in! I much prefer that to entering a house and immediately standing in the living room. And if there is a shoe rack and coat hooks, perfect.

Edited August 13, 2018 by regentrude

[BeachGal]

For your online photos, shoot on a day and at a time when there’s a lot of natural light coming in. You may need to set up other light sources in the room as well to remove any dark areas. The cheap LED painter lamps from Home Depot would do a good job for that if you fiddle with the positions. Natural light plays an important part in catalogs like Pottery Barn and home magazines.

I think your other ideas are good. Are you going to post any photos for us to see? :)

[BeachGal]

20 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

I can’t believe all of the claw foot tub hate! I actually need one for ds because they’re great for using handicapped lift equipment, but they’re so expensive. I need to McGyver my way out of this or bite the bullet and get one. 

 

Have you tried salvage yards/businesses? You can sometimes find really beautiful pieces that no one wants for a lot less than new. I would bet if they knew you needed this for your child, they’d keep their eyes open and help you out. The people I’ve dealt with in salvage yards have been incredibly kind and helpful.

[mmasc]

I agree that this mud room could be an asset, especially if you do the hooks on the wall, good lighting, etc. I’ll admit that I’d love to see an already-installed coat/bag hook even if I could do it myself later for only $20. If the back entrance doesn’t look that appealing to you, add a $10 patio pot of flowers. Yes, cleanliness is pretty much always number one for me, but I’m not ashamed to admit that pretty flowers do affect me positively. ?

I also agree with the towel bar. I would hate not having one. I also like the little hand towel loop, but I think you said it has one of those. When we moved into our current house, it didn’t have one and within the fist week I went to Walmart and bought the absolute cheapest one there and installed it. I agree with PPs that those small, fairly inexpensive upgrades can make a difference, along with a sparkling clean white bathroom. 

Good luck!

[moonflower]

5 hours ago, Quill said:

The rent is already low for comps. I was actually thinking of raising it a bit. I do NOT want a large pool of applicants. I only need one good applicant.

 

 

 

 

But surely the person who would apply if it is $1450 will also apply if it is $1400, and you also get people who can afford $1400.

Or are you saying that a richer person is more likely to be clean and responsible?  I don't know what the statistics are on that, so I only have my own personal experience, which is that I was not any more or less a scalawag when I was poor.  Now, when I could only afford $500/month for rent, I would have had trouble paying $700/month on time, so you would weed out people who can't pay that much - but you're not weeding out people who are by nature irresponsible, kwim?  Unless that is just a feature of lower incomes.

[Carol in Cal.]

15 hours ago, StellaM said:

 

This makes a lot more sense to me than looking at someone's car, though the bolded...that would make my eyes roll in my head if anyone said that to me, a middle aged mum who's been running a house for decades. Yes, I understand landlord, this house is your big asset, not a dummie. Maybeeee to a student ? Though honestly both dd's would also find it very condescending. Stupidity doesn't come with tenancy. 

 

Heh, I see what you mean but it's really not like that.

It's part of a larger conversation, where we say, look, cards on the table, we are not big property managers; we just have this one place, and we actually used to live here.  We know all the people on the block, and we really, really want the place to be kept up so that it will not look like 'the rental' to them or anyone else who visits them.  We rent it out in really good shape, super clean, on principle, and we picked you partly because we are trusting that you'll keep it this way.

 

ALSO, just in general we have documented rationales for our renting decisions.  We keep track of the order that people apply in, and what information we collect about them.  We are always ready to justify our decisions--have never had to, but it's a good defensive move and also for me it helps to keep everything businesslike, to have to articulate in writing the choices that we make and why.

 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, moonflower said:

 

 

But surely the person who would apply if it is $1450 will also apply if it is $1400, and you also get people who can afford $1400.

Or are you saying that a richer person is more likely to be clean and responsible?  I don't know what the statistics are on that, so I only have my own personal experience, which is that I was not any more or less a scalawag when I was poor.  Now, when I could only afford $500/month for rent, I would have had trouble paying $700/month on time, so you would weed out people who can't pay that much - but you're not weeding out people who are by nature irresponsible, kwim?  Unless that is just a feature of lower incomes.

No, I am not saying that. I’m saying I do not want to be the least expensive 3 br, 2 bth single family home in the area because people who can’t really afford even that will come calling. I know this because it is true. We have someone right now who is calling dh repeatedly, though his application gives his income and the number of dependents and previous eviction. We are not renting to someone with that low an income and that renting history. We have already been burned twice in a row. The previous renter was on a retirement fixed income and we felt compassion for him; we gave him rent that was at least $200 less than it should be for that house. But people in that situation are one small disaster away from no ability to pay rent, sadly. He was a nice guy and I hate that it ended in such a manner but if you don’t have enough money, you just don’t. 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, BeachGal said:

For your online photos, shoot on a day and at a time when there’s a lot of natural light coming in. You may need to set up other light sources in the room as well to remove any dark areas. The cheap LED painter lamps from Home Depot would do a good job for that if you fiddle with the positions. Natural light plays an important part in catalogs like Pottery Barn and home magazines.

I think your other ideas are good. Are you going to post any photos for us to see? ?

Not a chance. ? For one thing, although I am happy to get some good advice, I don’t want to be bombarded with criticisms. I think there’s a good chance someone or other will say something like, “I would absolutely replace the ——— with a new ———,” and I am perfectionistic and the thing will bug me until the end of time. I’m the idealist in the partnership, while dh is Mr. Realistic; as it is I’m happy I talked him into putting up new blinds. 

Besides that, it is going to be *somebody’s* home, hopefully in the near future, so it seems like bad juju to put up pictures, which are then critiqued, which are then discussed, which are then someone’s home. It just seems like it’s not the right thing to do with a house that *I* won’t be living in. 

About good photo light: yes, I definitely agree. I use my “real” camera so I can meter the light and have the photos be as illuminated as possible. 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, regentrude said:

I think that would be VERY attractive to people who value cleanliness in their home (and those are the tenants you want to attract): there is a place to take off the dirty shoes right when you come in! I much prefer that to entering a house and immediately standing in the living room. And if there is a shoe rack and coat hooks, perfect.

I do think it is a good feature; even in-unit laundry machines are a great feature. But it is small and not beautiful. There are hooks on the wall for coats and there is a very small bench where someone could put a few shoes or a backpack, but overall, it is tiny and the door to the cellar is directly ahead. This was once the outside of the house and the door to the left into the kitchen (no physical door there now) was an exterior door. It is probably only about four feet wide. So - it’s better than if there were no such tiny entryway/laundry room, but not by a huge margin. And at the moment, it’s a freakin mess in there because we have all our tools and cleaning supplies sitting there. 

Tangential story: the back door also had the interminable stickers all over it and I was going to tackle that door today. I stood out there scraping for about five minutes, looked down at my legs and noticed I had about twenty mosquitoes on them! Wettest summer in history here and all the junk in the yard is presumably mosquito paradise. Something else we need to address...

[Mergath]

20 hours ago, StellaM said:

In my experience, rentals look like rentals when ll's refuse to do maintainance. I've only ever lived in one house where the ll did things like keep the outside of the house painted. I can keep it neat as a pin inside  but if it's been a decade since you repainted, there's not much I can do about that. 

 

This. I get so annoyed when people (in general, no one in this thread) complain about renters because rental homes look rundown. The entire reason people rent is so that they aren't responsible for getting new siding or fixing broken windows or replacing the roof or whatever. The place we lived in before our current duplex was an absolute dump. Broken windows, paint literally peeling off the house in sheets, the garage door rotten and splintering... and there wasn't a thing we could do about it because all that stuff was the LL's responsibility to fix. Which he never did, in the six or so years we lived there. I'm sorry, but I'm not shelling out thousands of dollars on new siding so that my LL doesn't have to. The irony was that he was a contractor who lived literally across the street. And we STILL couldn't get him to fix a damn thing.

[Mergath]

4 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

Well maybe for you, but not for everyone. A good reason, sure, but not the basis of our choices over the years exactly. Not being sure where we are going to live long-term, not wanting the commitment of a home because then you feel "stuck" and will have to sell if you move or other things can come into play. I know that a mortgage can be cheaper than rent, but not everyone can afford to buy so I would consider that a big factor at play as well. 

 

That's true. I guess I should say the good thing about renting is not having to fix stuff. I mean, it's supposed to be the good thing about renting. In practice it's a crapshoot. Our landlord where we live now is actually pretty responsive and generally does a good job, but we've still had water pouring in through the bathroom vent every time it rains for two months because a thingie on the roof broke and he hasn't gotten around to fixing it yet. 

Sorry, I'm done now, rant off, lol.

Hey, there's an idea, Quill. If you want to attract good renters, you could offer references from past tenants saying that you fix things promptly. ?  

[happi duck]

Seriously, I wonder if there are any markets where landlords need to give references?  I'd want to know that they respect their tenants, fix things, and remember that they own the property but it is their tenant's home.

Edited August 14, 2018 by happi duck
Typo

[EmseB]

8 minutes ago, Mergath said:

 

That's true. I guess I should say the good thing about renting is not having to fix stuff. I mean, it's supposed to be the good thing about renting. In practice it's a crapshoot. Our landlord where we live now is actually pretty responsive and generally does a good job, but we've still had water pouring in through the bathroom vent every time it rains for two months because a thingie on the roof broke and he hasn't gotten around to fixing it yet. 

Sorry, I'm done now, rant off, lol.

Hey, there's an idea, Quill. If you want to attract good renters, you could offer references from past tenants saying that you fix things promptly. ?  

Here is what I don't get about that (as someone who moves a lot and has rented a lot of different places) especially with water damage... it's your house! It's your property! It's going to mold and be a huge mess! Whhhhyyyy don't you care to fix it?

The last place we rented was in a nice neighborhood, was a large home, the largest and nicest I've ever lived in my entire life. The pump went out on the A/C unit so the basement flooded with about a quarter inch of water all over the utility room (which just had carpet squares not even glued to the sub floor which could be dried outside and put back in), but I know that it also seeped into other rooms and into carpet padding. I was panicking and it wasn't even my house. I was thinking he'd call serve pro or some such to suck the water out and to make sure there was nothing in the walls (the utility room was framed only, so some of that got wet at the bottom). To me it seemed like a total nightmare, but he was just like...put some towels on it and run some fans. I was like....ooookay. But I made sure I emailed him and had it in writing that I reported it all to him because I didn't want to be liable for not telling him that his carpets were soaked around the edges, etc. I was positive that it was going to get moldy. I still am, but we moved so it's not my problem anymore.

Anyway, like you said, rant off, but I just don't get it. It wasn't the first time something like that happened in a rental either. Some lls go out of their way to fix things promptly and some are so blase it makes me anxious about getting blamed for something that I told them was a problem but they didn't want to fix.

[Mergath]

8 minutes ago, happi duck said:

Seriously, I wonder if there are any markets where landlord's need to give references?  I'd want to know that they respect their tenants, fix things, and remember that they own the property but it is their tenant's home.

 

I want to live in that market!

There's a housing shortage here right now so the LL could be like, "I have a functioning meth lab in the basement I'll need access to and I keep my collection of mummified severed feet in the attic," and he'd still have people lining up to rent.

[ElizabethB]

On August 11, 2018 at 8:10 PM, Farrar said:

To note... I've never seen a study about renting, but homes that are staged sell significantly faster than homes that aren't and for a little bit more money (I think the amount of time on the market is easier to quantify for the studies?). I really think this is one of those things that we think doesn't matter, but actually does - at least for the majority of people. If the property has flaws though, I don't think it'll hide them. It's more like it highlights it, makes it more appealing if people are on the fence or choosing between different options.

ETA: I think this board in general has a lot of rebels though. We homeschool, we often don't buy into things that others do. It's possible we're more immune to this dress up business than the average person? But I can't even begin to name how many times I've watched HGTV and seen people make a dumb choice over something cosmetic. You know you have too.

Yes, I think you're right.  The first apartment I rented when I was just out of college, the lady begged me not to tell management she'd shown it to me with a bit of sawdust on the counter and a fan on the floor because it needed replacing.  She didn't realize it was in that "condition" and kept apologizing for it, I looked at her like she was crazy.  I told her my dad fixed up houses and rented them out and I had seen a lot worse and could imagine what the place could look like without the sawdust and with a fan attached to the ceiling and not sitting on the floor, LOL.

It was a nice place for the price and I actually would have taken it with the fan on the floor and called my dad for installation help, but I didn't mention that to the lady who showed me the apartment!!

I would go with a blue/green/gray toned shower curtain with a matching rug, here is one in gray and white with matching rug in picture:

https://www.amazon.com/Madison-Park-Waffle-Curtain-Treatment/dp/B00ZBWB9J8/ref=sr_1_11?s=bedbath&ie=UTF8&qid=1534225652&sr=1-11&keywords=shower+curtain

 

Edited August 14, 2018 by ElizabethB

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Mergath said:

 

That's true. I guess I should say the good thing about renting is not having to fix stuff. I mean, it's supposed to be the good thing about renting. In practice it's a crapshoot. Our landlord where we live now is actually pretty responsive and generally does a good job, but we've still had water pouring in through the bathroom vent every time it rains for two months because a thingie on the roof broke and he hasn't gotten around to fixing it yet. 

Sorry, I'm done now, rant off, lol.

Hey, there's an idea, Quill. If you want to attract good renters, you could offer references from past tenants saying that you fix things promptly. ?  

Well, just for full disclosure, even if you are married to the contractor, it is still a crapshoot! (Lookin’ at you, half-constructed fencing sitting in exactly the same state since April...) 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

don't be so hard on the home. I think that room could be a positive. We have a built on mudroom here. The temp. doesn't work to make it an extra room (especially with it functioning as a walkway), but it's nice to have. What I mean is it was an afterthought and doesn't have proper insulation so would be too hot in summer or too cold in winter to double as a guest space. We keep our deep freeze chest in there and lots of misc. stuff (dd's bike, the cat's stuff). My washer and dryer are in my kitchen (not covered up or anything, just bam, right there to the left of the fridge) so having them in the mudroom might actually look like, "hey, a laundry room!" to someone lol. 

Yeah, you’re right. I just thought some people were imagining something much better than what is there. ? 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, happi duck said:

Seriously, I wonder if there are any markets where landlords need to give references?  I'd want to know that they respect their tenants, fix things, and remember that they own the property but it is their tenant's home.

On some online rental sites, I do think you can leave a review of the landlord or manager. 

This is not exactly the same thing, but I was surprised to learn that Vacation Rentals by Owner can review the renter, just as the renter can review the owner. When I stayed at a property in France, the owner gave me a 5-star review. I think it’s nice that the reviews can go both ways. 

[G5052]

My lease specifies certain things I'm responsible for, so I'm not entirely off the hook. As an example, I'm responsible for the caulk. When we moved in, all of the bathtubs needed recaulking. So I did that. The yard had been somewhat neglected, so we took care of that. I climbed up and cleaned all of the bathroom fans.

I have a landlord who is very willing to have things fixed within reason. They replaced a lot of things before putting up for rental, so I'm thoughtful about what I request. When I was having multiple plumbing issues, she sent a plumber and told me to have them do a full check of everything and keep them as long as necessary to make sure everything was running perfectly.

I don't call her for small things. When one of the bedroom door knobs fell apart and couldn't be fixed, I went to the local Habitat for Humanity Restore and found an identical one for $2. No big deal. I'm hoping to find a new bathroom fan there at some point for the master bathroom because it's on it's last leg. I can put that in myself.

 

[unsinkable]

1 hour ago, Quill said:

Well, just for full disclosure, even if you are married to the contractor, it is still a crapshoot! (Lookin’ at you, half-constructed fencing sitting in exactly the same state since April...) 

The cobbler's wife goes barefoot, the doctor's wife dies young...

And the contractor's wife lives with half-finished projects.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, unsinkable said:

The cobbler's wife goes barefoot, the doctor's wife dies young...

And the contractor's wife lives with half-finished projects.

Sooooo much the truth. So, so much...

[BarbecueMom]

3 hours ago, unsinkable said:

The cobbler's wife goes barefoot, the doctor's wife dies young...

And the contractor's wife lives with half-finished projects.

This morning, the contractor working on my house was repairing the exact same issue he has at HIS house... but still hasn't gotten around to fixing yet.