For a landlord, renting a property can be very profitable long-term. However, to attract tenants and make a profit, you first need to invest some time and money. Any renovation or upgrade to the property will increase its value and, thus, the rent value. If you’re willing to do this, you have to focus on the key areas, one of them being the kitchen. This is because everyone needs a functional kitchen, and if it also looks good, it can have a significant impact on potential tenants. Nevertheless, renovating the entire kitchen can be expensive. Therefore, a good solution would be to focus on the cabinets. So, what are the best kitchen cabinets for a rental property?
Before tearing down all the existing kitchen cabinets and spending a lot of money on new ones, it’s good to consider the following options:
A great solution because it will completely change the aspect of the kitchen. And at the same time, it’s less time and money consuming than removing and replacing all the existing cabinets.
This can be a bit more expensive, but sometimes, it's unavoidable. Specifically, if the kitchen cabinets are very old and worn out or if pests, mold, or rot damage them, you have to throw them out. Things like these can represent health hazards, and your tenants won’t accept that.
When choosing the best kitchen cabinets for your rental, it’s important to consider the color. It would be good to opt for light and neutral colors. On the one hand, these colors can make a small kitchen appear larger and more inviting. On the other hand, they will give your tenants more options when decorating their kitchen. You should also consider that people’s tastes are very different; therefore, neutral colors represent the safest option.
Landlords are often not willing to invest too much money in a rental property, so they opt for cheap materials. However, you should be aware that these low-quality materials will not stand the test of time. So, you will need to replace them more often, thus incurring additional costs. Therefore, it’s good to think about the future and invest in higher quality materials.
If you can afford to do this, a good option for the cabinets is solid wood. They are very durable, so you won’t need to worry about replacing them for many years. Moreover, solid wood will add warmth and elegance to the kitchen, which will increase the value of your rental property and attract tenants.
If you want the kitchen cabinets to last longer, you must think about their maintenance. And this mainly refers to the cleaning process. The best kitchen cabinets for a rental property must be easy to clean. Once again, you should choose the materials wisely, since some require using special cleaning products. This should be avoided since tenants are generally not as careful as the owners. Furthermore, it would help if you avoided kitchen cabinets with many small details because it will be harder to clean them.
The best kitchen cabinets for a rental property need to include high-quality hardware. This is very important because it helps protect the cabinets. Your tenants might place their greasy hands all over the cabinets. You might think this is not a big deal, but it can cause permanent stains in time if you opt for cheap hardware. Moreover, even if you don’t opt for fancy kitchen cabinets, using high-end hardware will make them look more elegant.
No matter the size of the kitchen, you have to find ways to create storage space. This is key to attracting tenants because kitchenware takes up a lot of space. Therefore you should add as many kitchen cabinets as possible - or just use larger ones, whichever works best. And don’t forget about the drawers for all those kitchen utensils.
Another great idea is to create a cabinet pantry if the space allows it. This way, you’ll generate a lot of storage space that your tenants will appreciate. Plus, if they have enough room to store everything, they won’t be forced to use the countertop for this purpose. So, your countertop will be protected from additional wear and damage.
And while we’re on the topic of storage space, if you want to rent out a property, you have to clear out all existing kitchenware. This is because people usually carry their kitchenware from one place to another, so they need room to store them. Moreover, your tenants might also want to replace the kitchen table and chairs with their own. So, in cases like these, the advisors at roadwaymoving.com recommend that you rent some storage to keep all those items safe until your tenants move out. And if you need any help transporting them, hire some professional movers.
As previously mentioned, choosing high-quality materials and hardware guarantees that the kitchen cabinets will endure longer. But how long is too long? For example, a high-end kitchen cabinet can last up to 50 years. And this is great, but you should also consider that decorating styles change over time. Therefore, if you’re planning to keep renting out the property, at some point, you will have to change things up a bit. Otherwise, you won’t attract tenants.
Having a rental property is an excellent investment. However, you need to put in some work to make a profit. It’s important to remember that any upgrade will increase the value of the property and will attract tenants. And the condition and aspects of the kitchen have a significant impact. You don’t even have to renovate the entire area; you can just focus on the cabinets. So use these tips to choose the best kitchen cabinets for a rental property.
Article written by Beatrice White of Moving Offices San Diego.
