Great little houses (in many areas, 3 bedrooms or less, under 2,000 square feet) are frequently looked on by real estate investors as rental prospects. But when prospective renters (or homebuyers) come to look, uppermost in their minds is the question: “How can I fit my life into this small space?”

What’s the magic of installing a few space-saving conveniences before showing your investment property to renters (or homebuyers)? From the new occupant’s viewpoint, your rental is that much more move-in ready because they don’t have to shop for and install these conveniences themselves, or pay for them out-of-pocket. For you as the investor, these are one-time expenses, perhaps $250-$500 in total (especially if you install them yourself), that over the years may save you on carrying costs every time you turn the property around to a new renter.

Here are some nifty and affordable touches that show them your property is a quick, easy and comfortable move-in, much more so than other rentals they have seen:

• Does the tiny bathroom lack space even for a towel rack? Here ya go – room for more towels in less space than even an ordinary double-towel rack would accommodate.

• Especially for the many younger renters or homebuyers who cycle frequently, $20-$30 for this little dealy-bob, or just a bit more for the ceiling-mount bike lift, will neatly answer the question “where can I put my bike?”

• Built-in corner shelves make the most of otherwise dead space. Keep these in mind for small kitchens and bathrooms, as well as living spaces. Note the wrap-around corner shelves as well.

• Will people be tripping over the kitchen trash can? This trash–recycle combo goes neatly on a pull-out under the counter.

• Especially for flat closets, closet space-organizers can consist of just a few wisely-spaced shelves and hanging rods, found in the home improvement store.

• Under the stairs is a classic shelving opportunity – or even the place for the bike-holding dealy-bob above. Shelves don’t have to be custom-built. Clever stacking of shelf or cabinet units from a home improvement store often works just as well.

Take “move-in ready” to the next level and minimize market-time for your college-town rental or homebuyer starter-house by showing renters and buyers that many of their space problems are already solved!

Do you have a tip for attracting renters to your small rental property?

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