Carpet For Lower Income Properties?
I will be replacing carpets in lower end apartments (2 bedrms for $395, 725 sq ft, Columbus, OH). I want to place carpet right to the floor, using no padding. My reasoning is that the padding holds most of the odors and in most cases it has to be replaced when the tenant moves.
I would appreciate your thoughts and advice.
J. R.
To carpet or not to carpet, that is the question.
Carpets are a bad investment. Still, sometimes you have to do it. (I am waiting for my guy to call me back right now with an estimate for replacing carpet after just a year...)
Can you finish the floors? Paint them, stain them? Hardwood?
Also, do not carpet right up to the front door. That makes the carpet the "wiping mat." Instead, install ceramic tiles or a wood cutaway for about 3x5 feet inside the front door. The door will open over tile. Tenants will put down a mat, wipe their feet, and your carpet will last a couple more years because of this.
MC
[addsig]
Since one of our businesses is a carpet store, we carpet most everything we rehab.... mostly lower end properties.
The only time we get away with eliminating pad is when we install a commercial grade "level loop" carpet. The cheapest of this (14oz.) retails for around $5/yard. A better grade (24oz.) is closer to $8/yard, and worth the extra $. Installation costs about $3/sq. yd. with or w/o pad. Appearance is....well....basic, spartan, non-decorative.
Otherwise, it is very difficult to get a feeling of luxury without pad.
[addsig]
I agree with royalfortune, avoid carpet if at all possible.
Chris
We have also been installing laminate flooring in our units. No more carpet! It is so easy that this is one of the jobs I have taken over from my husband. I still hate the saw, but I am getting used to it.
I too tried laminate (pergo). I was wooed by the "10 year gaurantee" and it was easy to install. Unfortunately the 10 year warranty is for normal wear and tear. Within 3 months of renting the apartment I walked thru and noticed they dragged a big dresser over it and gouged thru the fake image on the top layer.
No more laminate for me. One idiout with an old piece of furnature and the floor is ruined without the possibility of refinish.
You might want to try the high-end SteamVac from Hoover. I think they run about $200-$300, and it cleans incredibly well.
I have used OdorXit before and it works great
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[ Edited by boo151 on Date 04/10/2007 ]
Move a whole bathroom to otherside of building because it would be closer to the door for when they are BBQing outside.
these are classic.
I have a thousand and one buying stories, but as I think about it ... I have no crazy tenant asking for stuff stories. I have been a landlord for 4 years and have 18 units. I think it is because from the very first meeting I am very direct and tell them that I am not interested in their personal life .. they are the tenant, I am the landlord .... they pay the rent and kept the house clean ... I will take care of the major mechanicals of the house. That is the beginning and end of our relationship. When people call me to ask "how much is the unit", I ask them if they have bothered to listen to my recorded message. When they say that they just skipped that part, I tell them to call again and listen and then call me back. Guess I just give off the "I do not take crap" vibe. It has worked for me.
I was showing an apartment to a prospective tenant and he told me he would take it if I would add a bathroom on the first floor next to the kitchen.
After repeatedly telling him no .......
I told him that he could purchase the building from me and do it himself.
All of these are good, but how about this? When I confronted a tenant about a late payment, he wanted to know how much of the rent I needed to cover MY mortgage. He would get the rest to me later.
Another time, he told me he was running short and wanted to know WHEN MY mortgage was due. He wanted to make sure he had the rent to me in time to pay MY mortgage.
Nothing like a tenant who cares (smile). I would gladly rent to him again. He was always good for a laugh and eventually the rent.
These are great. Glad to see I am in the same crazy boat as the rest of you.
I showed up at the property to cut the grass. When I went around back the tenants boyfriend had parked his truck in the back yard up on this steep hill that is hard enough to walk up never mind drive. When I asked him what was going on he said that there were no parking spots close to the house so it felt that was the next best place. I had all I could do not to strangle the guy, and just shook my head and told him to move it now.
Robert
I had a house for rent and a guy stopped by to look and the first question out of his mouth. "What my late payment be?"
While showing one of our houses to a possible tenant *who appeared to be educated and financially well off) he expressed high interest and wanted to fill out an application. I told him we check past credit, eviction history etc. and he said no problem and even paid cash for the application fee. Sure enough, per the credit check, he was in final stages of eviction. Why did he pay us to check this out? Interestingly enough he never called back.
I got one....I inherited a unit with,,ummm. what the nice word here........exotic dancers. They were OK about paying the rent but have you ever received a stack of 700 dollars in one dollar bills?
.
Money is money so I accepted it. It was a large, gross stack of money that my wife would not go near. Real life "dirty money". The bills had been abused to say the least, crumpled and worn.
.
They were asked to leave when they aquired two pit bulls. They even knew about the no pet policy but thought they could hide two Pit puppies.
bbriscoe - I hear you, but have you been able to collect on the judgment for this last one?
You guys should publish a book... Thanks for the laughs