House Hacking: Easy Value-Add Upgrades To Maximize Rentability

I've found there are tons of easy and effective ways to make your house hacks - or rental property - more appealing to potential renters - and also add value to your property without breaking the bank.

Today I'm going to share what we've found to have great returns on the investment - when it comes to rentability and maximizing the monthly rent amounts

We're going to start at the first property in Ames

To enhance the overall appeal and durability of the place - we decided to replace the flooring throughout the entire house

We chose LVP on the main level and highly recommend looking for this - when you're searching for your house hacks. 

LVP in the investor world is known to be "tenant-proof "

Its scratch-proof and water-proof - so this makes maintenance a breeze as opposed to - cheaper alternatives like laminate (which was what was in there previously). 

Laminate can last awhile if it's taken care of - but no matter how qualified, or nice, or clean of a person your tenant is - there are almost always going to be issues with cheap flooring.

- we also put brand new carpet upstairs and down stairs. It gave the property a better look and feel than the builder-grade stuff that was in there before.

So not only does this appeal more to tenants - but they're great updates for the overall value of the property, whenever we decide to sell the property. 

So those were bigger updates - here are some more things that increased the rentability 

We have a huge patio out back - so we included outdoor patio furniture as part of the rental package.

These include a grill, gas fire pit, couch, chairs, and side tables.

To top it off - to really increase its appeal - we also installed an outdoor TV to make it more enjoyable out there - its now another space for entertaining.

Other small items were installing a Google Nest Thermostat - great for energy efficiency which appeals to renters - potentially lowering their utility bill plus a modern technology touch to it - and on the other end, increases the longevity of your HVAC system. 

Win-win for both parties

We also include internet - 1, because it's a fixed cost - and 2, it simplifies the tenant's time here with one less thing to worry about when moving in.

Additionally, I provide a monthly subscription for a bag of coffee. 

This doesn't really do a whole lot for ROI - but it's a little personal touch to set your property apart from other units - and also enhances tenant experience.


Now the Ankeny properties:

Outdoor space is limited here so we only included a grill here - but we put a large focus on the interior amenities.

For example, we installed under cabinet motion sensor lighting in the kitchen - we replaced shower curtains with glass shower doors in the master bedrooms (I hate shower curtains)

We also included a 65 inch smart TV here in the living room.

internet and coffee subscription are also included - as well as another Google Nest thermostat just like we did at the Ames place

We got a little creative here with the rest..

To provide flexibility and increase rentability - we created a rent-to-own option for furniture - kind of in an a-la-cart format. 

Couches, living room table, dining table and chairs, bed frames, garage shelving, and mini fridge option 

We did this for a few reasons

1, all of a sudden this offers a fully furnished option - or fills gaps in what tenants might need.

Truly makes it move-in ready.

2, if any of the items are chosen - it makes our move to the next property easier with less items to move - especially the bulky items, like couches.

The current tenant in our Ankeny property - chose the rent to own on our dining table and chairs.

Again, another win-win for both the tenant and yourself - plus offering this option widens the renter pool.


So these options might sound expensive or difficult to tackle.

But keep in mind - you're going to live here for a year before you move out and rent it.

It doesn't have to be done all at once

And, these are things people would do or pay for in their home anyways - or at some point at least, to make it their own.

And that's what's kind of fun about it.

You start to learn about the inefficiencies or things in your house hacks that need changed - while you're living there.

So once you've learned your property - and have made adjustments to make your life and experience easier living there - that will carry over to the tenants experience.

Ultimately, this will result in getting the best possible rent out of your place - and also a better experience for you AND your tenants.







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