An apartment can be preferable and enjoyable accommodation for your family and tenants. Traditionally, apartments were considered empty spaces for renters to occupy but not inviting homes. However, things have changed; you can build an apartment for your family and earn income by renting well-designed spaces. As such, renovations and improvements are a way of raising the property value. Here are 10 cheap apartment renovation ideas your family and tenants will love.
Check with Your Insurance
Before implementing cheap apartment renovation ideas for your home, consider the insurance. It’s necessary to invest a little to be safe in case of major financial setbacks in the future. In this case, the tenants need to have their renter insurance. Your landlord’s insurance covers the physical structure and not their belongings.
That aside, your home insurance plan will cover your primary residence and personal belongings, while the landlord insurance will cover damages caused by tenants. For instance, if a tenant damages the balcony grill or the pavement, the landlord’s insurance will cover the repair costs. Also, if the tenant defaults lease agreement or fails to pay the rent, the landlord’s insurance compensates you for the losses. In the same case, legal liability is included if a person is injured or dies within the property.
The homeowner insurance policy will protect your living house. It protects detached structures like fences, sheds, garages, and yards. The insurance protects you from natural disasters like floods and fires. So in case your ground floor apartment is flooded during a storm or wind damages the window panes, the insurance will cover the repairs. The insurance will also protect you from lawsuits if you damage a tenant’s property.
Maintain and Clean Your Plumbing
Maintaining plumbing lines is one of the cheap apartment renovation ideas you must implement. Clogged toilet issues can occur since your family and the tenants will occupy the apartment. Toilets clog when papers and other materials accumulate in drain pipes. Ideally, hire professionals monthly to clean the drain pipes connecting toilets and sinks.
Apartment plumbing pipes freeze during cold seasons like winter. Freezing of the pipes can lead to cracks or bursting, which is the main cause of floor damage in many apartments. Thaw the pipes and apply warm water in the lines during cold seasons to break the ice loose. You can also use hot hair from blow dryers but avoid applying direct flames to the pipes.
Regularly check for water pressure because clogged aerators can reduce the pressure. As a result, water will not flow to some of the apartments, especially the upper floors. Have professionals inspect and replace the aerators regularly to avoid water pressure issues. Finally, you’d want to be very careful with the sewer lines.
The septic tank and the sewer lines need special care and maintenance because they can make the whole apartment a mess. Especially during the rainy season, check the sewer lines to ensure the drain pipes don’t direct water to the septic. Any leaks or overflow in the septic can cause severe health problems.
Repave Your Concrete
Concrete maintenance tops the list of cheap apartment renovation ideas you’ll love. Whether you have a large concrete driveway or several concrete patios within your apartment, you must extend their life and retain the property value. Repaving concrete is an affordable project you’ll hire professionals to do regularly.
The first thing you need to do after hiring concrete services is to clean the concrete surface. Professionals will use a gas-powered pressure washer to clean the concrete surface until it’s clear of mold, mildew, and dust. When they dump the concrete surface, they’ll use a resurfacer to fill the divots. Afterward, they will smooth the surface with a refinish trowel.
Once the spalled areas are patched, experts will spread the resurface to the concrete to make the area uniform. The 7-part resurfacer is mixed with 1 part water and blended thoroughly before application. The walkway joints are filled with peel-and-stick foam weatherstripping. Afterward, the professionals pour the resurfacer and spread it using a refinish trowel.
Besides repaving the concrete, you can perform preventative maintenance to make it durable. You can apply topical sealers to maintain the aesthetic look after a few years. Additionally, schedule regular cleaning to remove stains and any substance that spills on the concrete. Cars may leak oils, gasoline, and other substances that can damage concrete surfaces.
Limit the weight exerted on the concrete because, despite being hardy, heavy machinery and oversized vehicles can damage it quickly. Ensure delivery trucks and other heavy vehicles remain on the tarmac whenever they deliver items to the residence. Lastly, avoid using chemical and cleaning detergents that can damage concrete surfaces. Fertilizers and spraying chemicals used in the yard can quickly stain and damage the concrete.
Tint Your Home Windows
Tinting windows is among cheap apartment renovation ideas that will save you energy bills. Sunlight penetrates through the window pans making the interior warmer, leading to overworking of the HVAC system to cool the house. On the other hand, tints can help keep the house darker during the night for better sleep. According to Health News, sleeping in a dark room can facilitate quality sleep by regulating melatonin production.
Tinting is one of the best and cheap apartment renovation ideas to protect the future from fading. UV rays penetrate through the windows and cause the future to fade quickly. However, tint film blocks 99% of the UV light. This will save you from regular furniture replacements or repainting.
After the window tinting service, you will notice increased home curb appeal. Secondly, it will enhance privacy because you can raise the window curtains and rest in the living room without tenants seeing you through the windows. The enhanced curb appeal will retain the apartment value to attract more tenants. You can install a tint in the whole building rather than your apartment only.
Window tinting will reduce the glare from the sun to the TV or computer screen. So you don’t have to close the curtains during the day. Secondly, tints are water and stain resistant, so they will be easier to maintain. And once they wear out, you can replace them at a lower cost.
Fence Your Backyard
Although you live in an apartment, you’d want to make the home cozy because it’s your property. As such, fencing the backyard can be one of the cheap apartment renovation ideas your family will love. It creates a private space where your family and tenants can have weekend outdoor fun. Secondly, it offers security because burglars and thieves cannot easily access the property.
Often, rental properties like apartments border other rental properties. So, you’d want to fence the area to avoid future border issues. Your family pets and the tenants can wander from yard to yard, causing disturbances in other private residences. This may cause problems with the neighboring apartments’ management.
Fencing an apartment also adds curb appeal. It will increase and retain the apartment’s value for an extended duration. Fortunately, fences are easier to maintain because you can install a barbed wire or wooden fence and add some plants along the fence line. With time, plants will grow, and you can do away with the old fence if it wears out.
Apartment fencing costs vary depending on the material and the reputation of the fence installer. However, depending on the material, it’s a long-term investment and may require little maintenance. Ensure you have the necessary permits to construct the fence because different areas have unique rules.
Renovate Your Flooring
Apartment flooring can be luxurious when maintained. As such, you’d want to renovate the floor to keep your space cool and valuable. If many people walk around the apartment, you’d want to install heavy-duty hardwood or laminate. However, you’d want to install carpet or vinyl if you have occasional visitors.
Suppose you want to renovate the whole building; you can choose vinyl plank installation as one of the cheap apartment renovation ideas for flooring. Vinyl is an affordable option that will save you money, and you can reinstall it after every tenant’s contract ends. However, you’d want a more stylish and durable floor surface for your living space.
A good floor can also save you utility bills. For instance, you will notice the apartment is cooler during summer if you install ceramic, laminate, stone, or hardwood floors. During winter, you can install carpets to insulate the floor. This will give the HVAC system an easy time to heat the rooms.
Automate Your Garage
Automating your garage door may be one of the cheap apartment renovation ideas you can invest in. Automating the garage promotes convenience because you won’t need to carry the door keys or leave the car to open the door when you want to park. You only need a phone, a garage remote, and a keypad code to access the garage.
The other reason garage door automation may be one of the cheap apartment renovation ideas is enhanced security. Automated garage doors feature a vacation mode, which prevents opening the door using a remote while away for a longer time. The door system will request a specific code to open. This will prevent people with ill intent from opening the garage door when you are away.
If guests access the garage while you are away, you can set a temporary guest keypad code. It will eliminate the need to continuously change the code whenever you have guests around the garage. Garage doors also have automatic lights to deter thieves at night.
Apart from the smart technology implementation, automated garage doors prevent injuries. Children and older people may be unable to raise manual doors when opening. Automatic doors make opening easier using the keypad to key in the code. Automated garage door repair and maintenance is cheaper because it’s used a few times daily or weekly.
Retile Your Spaces
Once you renovate other building parts, you’d want to make your space unique. You can choose different styles and tiles for your living room, kitchen, and bathroom. For the living room, you can install hardwood tiles. They give the room a unique look that your guests will love.
When it comes to the kitchen, use porcelain or ceramic tile because they are water and stain-proof. This will give you peace of mind considering the kitchen is one of the moistest rooms in the house. Ceramic tiles are easier to wipe, and their maintenance is cheap. As such, you will have a long-term investment in your kitchen.
Lastly, porcelain and ceramic tiles are ideal for the bathroom. Your family needs a modern bathroom that is slip-proof. They are available in various colors and designs that your family will love. Ideally, choose a supplier with warranties to protect your investment.
Install Custom Shades
Custom window shades can be an ideal investment because they require minimal maintenance. While the curtains need cleaning and time to dry, the shades are wiped with a damp cloth. You wipe the slats while still installed in the window, saving you time. Shades give the home an aesthetic look and are excellent light blockers.
Window treatments are cheaper and easy to install. They also enhance energy efficiency by blocking warm air from escaping outside during winter. This will save the HVAC system from overworking to heat the apartment. Lastly, they prevent glare during hot summers because you can tilt them up or down by adjusting them to reflect sun rays away.
Inspect Your HVAC
HVAC systems are one of the ideal components of a home. A well-running HVAC will heat and cool the home efficiently. It will save you from high energy bills and retain your home value. HVAC is a good investment because the units can last over 10 years. However, regularly inspect the HVAC system to identify any issues.
You can do AC repair and maintenance services once or twice a year, depending on how you use it. Ideally, perform maintenance before and after the winter and if your area becomes dusty during summer, you can do some cleaning. If your AC is 10 years older, you’d want to swap it for a more technologically advanced unit. Systems that use smart technology are more efficient.
The above cheap apartment renovation ideas will help you retain the value of your property. Ensure you have good insurance coverage for your home space and the building structure if you have tenants. A good management system and maintenance plan will save you money. Never forget your family needs privacy and mental peace.
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