Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Rent a Home? Decorate it!

Make your uncomfortable and boring rental unit more like home. Here are some tips for decorating your rental property, while keeping your wallet in mind.

First of all, the landlord’s wishes should be considered when decorating a rental. Depending on your landlord, you may not be able to paint anything at all, or may be restricted to certain colors. You should get the landlords written permission prior to painting anything. For increased chance of getting approval to paint, try choosing neutral colors or pastels.

Choose the mood you want to convey for each room. If you're interested in a mellow environment stick with cool colors such as, shades of beige, blue or green. A more entergetic mood can be accomplished by using shades of white, yellow, or orange and is often used in the kitchen, bathrooms and dining area. Furniture and artwork can be used for the desired atmosphere if painting is not an option.

If you want rooms to feel more open in your rental property use lighter and brighter colors throughout the home. Darker, cooler colors make a room seem smaller, but provide a warmer, more relaxed atmosphere.

You can find inexpensive furnishings in classified ads, such as CraigsList.org or by shopping at thrift stores. When people change furnishings, they often let very nice pieces go for low prices just to get rid of them. Even if you find furniture that is scratched or discolored, you can make it look new again by refinishing it with paint or stain. Also, adding a futon is an excellent money-saving idea as it provides a nice, modern look, as well as an extra sleeping space for guests.

Once the foundational furniture items and color scheme are selected, the task of adding individual personality can be tackled. Shop for inexpensive accessories to add splashes of character and color to each room. Items such as throw pillows and blankets, vases, lamps, and other items are easily personalized and will add a great deal of character. If you have furniture with small blemishes, you can use these items to cover them up.

If your landlord doesn't give you permission to paint, you can still add color to your rooms. Add splashes of color and personality to your walls with artwork such as, CD covers, fabrics and photo groupings. Search online for wall stickers, they come in various shapes and styles, and can add a unique touch to your home.

It doesn’t take much money or effort to turn a newly rented space into a warm, inviting home. Be creative and search online for inspiration, there are tons of articles and websites devoted to design.

As you just read, there are many different option to make your rental feel more like a home. It's important that you're comfortable in your own home, and nice to feel pround of where you live. Don't forget to show off your new place to your friends - who knows, you might even get a gift or two. You could even find out who your real friends are and invite them over to help you paint!

Hazen Enterprises offers over 450 Tucson rental homes across 30 quaint communities. If you're in the market search our homes for rent in Tucson AZ.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Have you Considered Renter's Insurance?

Whenever it comes to assessing the importance of renter’s insurance, all data should be considered before haphazardly making a decision. Obtaining renter's insurance for Tucson rental properties is not considered by the majority of people renting a home. Most believe they won't ever need it, others believe any problems will be taken care of by the owner. Most reputable property owners carry insurance on their rentals, however it only covers the property structure, not the tenants belonings.

It is also dangerous to take on the outlook that “it will never happen to me”. The chances of a major problem occuring may be slim, however, renter's insurance exists for a reason - it has been needed by many that had it, and unfortunately those that didn't. It’s well worth spending a few additional dollars to have the peace of mind that if something does happen, valuable items for living are recovered.

Make sure to list all of your valuables before contacting an insurance agent. The reason this is so crucial is that only your valuables that are listed on the policy will be covered. It's not adventageous to overvalue your items as the insurance company will set there value in the event of an accident.

Begin the search for quality insurance companies. An important question to ask is whether they offer "replacement cost" coverage or "actual cash value" (ACV). In many states, by default, replacement cost rates are quoted.

Actual cash value policies cover what your belongings are worth. All covered items will be depreciated by the insurance company, and base the payment on what they're currently worth, minus the deductible - not the original value.

A policy based on replacement cost, however, pays the actual current cost of replacing the item, minus deductable. Replacement cost coverage is more expensive, but it will also provide more money towards replacing lost items should a disaster occur.

Also, it should be asked if especially valuable items, such as antiques, jewelry, or specialty electronics are covered at replacement cost. There may be a cap on reimbursements for high value posessions. If they do impose caps on some of your high value items, you can purchase separate riders that cover the full value.

Renter’s insurance will also cover alternative living expenses should your rental become unlivable due to an incident. Legal expenses and judgements are covered, up to the policy limit, if liability protection is added to the policy should someone have an accident at the home and need treatment or sue.

Search for your perfect Tucson Rental Home

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Why Rent a Home When You Can Buy? Wait, No! Errr...

For those of you looking for homes for rent in Tucson AZ, or anywhere for that matter, you may come across people asking the question - "Why rent a house when you can buy one for so cheap in this market?" Depending on your situation, even if you have the money to buy, you might respond with - "Why buy when I can rent!?" There are many advantages to renting over buying, just as there are advantages to buying over renting. But this isn't a one size fits all argument, for either side. Your optimal living situation should solely depend on YOUR lifestyle and what lends itself to making it even better. Whether it's renting or buying a home...there's no right or wrong answer. Here is a list of 5 websites that expand on advantages of renting.
  1. Is Renting the New American Dream?A look at the changing American reality of homeownership.
  2. Buying vs Renting Pros & Cons With Owning Real Estate: Information about owning or renting homes in today’s market.
  3. 6 Advantages of Renting Instead of BuyingAn interesting perspective from a Christian budget guru.
  4. RentCycle: Advantages of renting you may have never thought of.
  5. Benefits of Renting: This mother takes an honest look at the advantages of renting.
What do you think? What lifestyle situations make renting an optimal living solution? 

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Renter's Insurance? You Might Want to Get It!

File:House on fire.jpg

Many people looking for homes for rent in Tucson AZ don't consider obtaining renter's insurance. Sure, your landlord probably has insurance on the property, but unfortunately it doesn't cover your belongings. I came across an article that states...

...nearly two-thirds of college-age renters don’t have renters insurance, according to Allstate Insurance.  Beyond college, more than half of renters fail to have any property protection.

If you have any interest in replacing your property after it's been damaged, you may want to consider contacting your insurance agent, as it's not that expensive. The article goes on to say...

On average, a plan costs roughly $16 a month - about as much as you may have spent on brunch this weekend.

Stay Tuned....

For more information regarding Tucson rental properties. Discover that you don't have to be crammed into an apartment or incur the additional expense associated with a single family house. Find the middle-ground and get the best of both worlds...rent a home in one of many lush townhome communities around Tucson AZ.