Rental Property Renovations vs. Home Renovations
 

I would like to know how you think that rental property renovations are different then your personal home renovations. I am sure that like most others it will be said that person homes get higher quality work and materials, where rental properties will get good materials and quality. Does anyone here opt for the higher quality on these projects as well.

I know that I would rather see better quality and material as the two seem to lasts longer in the long haul and require less work later down the road.

I usually have a different approach when I renovate my rentals and my home. In my rentals I use high quality and strong material, but nothing fancy that can easily be broken or is extremely costly to replace.

In my home I rather do that, because it is mine and if I break it it is fine (well you know what I mean I am the only one to be blamed).

I always think of how a renter can destroy/ruin/damage something in the rental property. But I always use high quality and strong material in rental properties.

I agree with Gizmo. At a rental place you don't even know what kind of people are renting your facilities, you can't ever assume that they are going to take care of your rental property as you do. Therefore, I suggest to use high quality materials even though they don't look fancy.
At home that's another story, you want to make your home look beautiful and here I go with the fancy stuff.

Yes, I have to agree as well. Never, ever assume that they are going to take care of a rental property. Use materials that can withstand the abuse, but are not very costly to replace should they need to be replaced. I also use very different materials when I do renovations in my home, as it is my home and I know how I live. But with rentals I have seen people that thought would not wreck the place totally cause a full renovation.

I wouldn't buy junk for rental properties, but I wouldn't get top-of-the-line like I would for my home either... good point about renters destroying things. It's also different in my mind between functional items and more cosmetic items. Like if I'm offering a home to renters with curtains included, I'll probably go bargain hunting... if it's a furnace that I won't want to replace again in a few years, it will be a better model.

That does make a lot of sense, when you say some things need the better quality such as the furnace. I know that I would not want to replace one real often. I also look at things within my budget for each unit as well. If something needs to be completed in order to make it better quality or last longer I am glad to spend the extra money on it.

Rental Property Renovations versus Own Home Renovations
 

Many owners of property that is used as rental property have learned that renters who take the extra care of property (as owners who live in the property would) are the minority. As a result, buying "good but not highest quality" is often the choice.

Yes... and realizing that makes it easy to see why so many property owners are now requiring the renters to provide more for the property. It would be very difficult for me to offer more and more perks with a property if it's going to be abused or destroyed by the renters.

"Slap Dash" Isn't Wise Either
 

Yeah, I see your point. Some when landlords make changes they don't even take into consideration what the current tenant thinks about it. Landlords want their properties to look better but sometimes they mess up in little things like what happened to your niece. Hopefully she'll get used to it.