Blog Posts

Keep Your Property and Residents Safe This Halloween

Before the ghouls and goblins come out to play on Halloween, take some time to prepare your property for trick-or-treaters. If you tend to get a lot of kids going door to door at your property, one of the best ways to ensure safety is to clear common areas of any debris. Kids have one objective on October, 31st - candy - and often, little kids in bulky costumes can easily knock stuff over or trip in the excitement of the night. Clearing your common areas can avoid these injuries and an unnecessary mess. Another easy way to ensure a smooth Halloween is to make sure the outside areas are well-lit. While a dimly lit area may add to your spooky decorations, it can also lead to injury. Next, if you have a pet-friendly property – make sure to remind your residents to try to keep pets inside while the trick-or-treaters are roaming about. Pets can get easily spooked and anxious when lots of noise are coming from all around them. The best way to ensure your furry friends and neighbors are safe, is to keep your pets inside while the little ones are running around. You may also want to consider reminding your residents about fire safety before the big day. Though Jack-o-Lanterns are a huge staple on Halloween, consider using a fake candle to light it up. The same goes for inside decorations – candles can give the spooky effect that you are looking for, but make sure they are away from things that can catch fire and they are being monitored while you may be passing out candy, or put out before you take your own trick-or-treaters out. Looking for an alternative to the traditional door-to-door trick or treating this Halloween? Set up a Trunk-or-Treat at your property. Ask your residents to decorate their trunk and let the little ones grab their candy in a more controlled environment. If you have a clubhouse or main area, you can also set up some decorations and have residents set up a table with candy inside as well. Overall, keep it simple and help your residents celebrate Halloween in a safe environment.

Decluttering Before Fall

Autumn is almost here and with cooler temps on the horizon, now is the time to do some decluttering before hibernating. Decluttering around fall in many ways helps prepare for the upcoming holidays. With new toys, holiday decorations and bulkier clothing and outerwear, homes tend to get a little crowded during this time - and though it can be cozy, it can also get a bit overwhelming. One of the easier steps to start with is going through clothes. If you have the room, try putting your summer clothes in a bin to make room for your fall and winter clothes. If you have a little one, now is the time to see what still fits and what an be donated or handed down. This is also the part where you can really be mindful of what you use and what you don’t use. A good question to ask is have you worn it or used it in the last year? If you haven’t and it has no sentimental value to you, it might be time to add to the donate pile. If you use different blankets or pillows during the cooler months, now would be the time to change those out too. Pro Tip: Give them a quick wash before packing them away and keep a fresh dryer sheet in a bin or vacuum seal bag so when you take them out next season, they will be clean and ready to use. The next thing to dig into is the toys. ‘Tis almost the season where toys never stop multiplying. If there are toys that your child no longer seems interested in, time to donate. Another option is to pack some toys away and interchange them throughout the year. Sometimes too many toys can feel overwhelming to your child and they may have a hard time picking something to play with. Switching out toys helps because the toys will feel new to your child and you will be able to keep the toy clutter to a minimum. Another easy tip for packing things away is to label everything as you go. This will help you find what you’re looking for easily when you need it. If you’re having a hard time finding the motivation to go through your stuff, try setting small goals or rewards. Maybe allow yourself to buy a new, fall scented candle once you pack away all of your summer season scents, or save your “cup of coffee and scrolling” for after you’ve finished decluttering at least one room. December you will thank September you for the steps you took to declutter earlier in the season.

Back to School: Tips for a Successful Start

It’s that time of year again – when the days get a bit shorter and the school supplies list gets a bit longer. Nevertheless, it’s always good to take a moment to get prepared for the craziness a new school year can bring. If you are a new resident to your community this year, or it is the first time you will be sending your little one off to school, now is the perfect time to contact the school your child will be going to and get information about pick-ups and drop offs, start and end times, bus stop locations, who your child’s teacher will be and what supplies they will need. Most schools will send out emails for any school updates, so make sure the school has a valid email address for you. You may also want to get to know your neighbors that may be sending their children to the same school as yours this year. This could be the perfect way to set up a carpooling schedule, play dates and have a support system throughout the year. Another easy way to get prepared for the school year is to plan your lunches and dinners ahead of time. Prepping freezer meals or even just writing your daily meals on a calendar will help keep you on track and less frazzled come dinner time. Check online for easy crockpot recipes to make dinner time one of the easiest meals you’ll have all day. For your little ones who are bringing a lunch to school – have them help come up with ideas for lunches that way they are more likely to eat it. For a fun idea to get your younger kids involved, have them create their own Lunchables! Lastly, it’s always a good idea to get organized before the school year starts. Much like adults, kids also tend to get anxious or stressed out with new changes. Organization and structure can be a huge tool to keep some of that anxiety at bay. Whether it is creating a separate space away from other distractions for homework or even making a little check list of responsibilities for your kids to complete before they get screen time – keep it simple and your student will surely get into their groove in no time. Anticipating the changes that the new school year will bring, with all of the craziness going on in the world makes actually handling them a whole lot easier. Allow for some hiccups, for your student and for yourself and you’ll fall into your routine with ease.

Five Ways to Show Resident Appreciation

Residents are a huge part of the success of our properties. Making sure residents feel appreciated and heard can lead to less turnover and an overall better atmosphere at your community. Here are five easy ways to let your residents know they are appreciated: Thank You Cards One of the easiest and budget-friendly ways to show your residents you appreciate them is by writing a Thank you card. You can keep it short and sweet by simply saying, “Thank you for being a part of our community!”. Be sure to personalize the card with the Resident’s name and your signature. Creating a Property Newsletter A newsletter can help notify your residents of new things happening in the community. It can include events, reminders and can also be a great place t o give some tips such as "How to eliminate pesky household odors" or "The best indoor plants to buy". You can also ask residents to send in accolades or updates and celebrate their big days or accomplishments with a shoutout. Hosting an Event A great way to show your appreciation is to host a get together. Events are a great way to bring the community together and doesn’t have to break the bank. If you have a pool at your property – throw a pool party. Have a dog park? Host a Doggy Meet and Greet. No matter what kind of event you have, your residents will love getting to know you and their neighbors better. Renewal Incentives What better way to keep your amazing residents around than by offering renewal incentives. Having residents that respect your property and you have great relationships with are residents you want to keep around. Without our residents and the relationships we have nurtured with them throughout the years, we could not be successful. See what you might be able to offer to help your resident decide to stay another year. Communicate This may seem like an easy one, but sometimes just a quick check-in and a "Hey, how are you doing?" can go a long way with making sure your residents feel heard and appreciated. It also lets the resident know that the line of communication is always open if they need anything. Listening to resident's concerns and making sure they are taken care of is the best way to make your resident feel at home and ensure a long residency at your property. Showing your residents that you care doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Simple things like cards and open communication is all you need to ensure that your residents will feel the love.

Using Social Media To Advertise Your Property

Long gone are the days of taking out an ad in the newspape r to list your property. Being able to showcase and build a brand using social media is the most efficient way to connect with current and potential residents. Need to fill some vacancies? This is where social media can be a huge asset. Showoff your Amenities Always list the basic amenities that prospective residents might be looking for: laundry facilities, pool, gym, playground and be sure to include anything that may be unique to the property. Have a car wash station? Highlight it! Have a Summer kick-off party at the pool every year? Highlight it! Pro Tip: Ever see pictures of a place online and then get there and it looks nothing like the picture? Not many things in life are more disappointing than that - so, be sure to take lots of quality pictures of the areas and amenities with decent lighting so potential residents have a good idea of what the property has to offer. S hare your Vacancies The fastest way to fill those vacant units is to post about them. The rental market is crazy right now and tons of people are looking to move quickly. Through the power of sharing, these posts could reach those exact people in a matter of minutes. Again, be sure to take good pictures of the unit, highlight the amenities and include the date the unit will be available. It’s also important to always include the property website and ways to contact the office for more information on the property and application process. Highlight your Renovations Currently renovating areas of your property? Let the followers (and prospective residents) in on the journey. Post the pictures of the dust and talk about what the grand plans are. This is a great way to show future residents that the property cares about upgrading outdated areas and items. If there is anything people love – it’s a good before and after picture. Spotlight your Employees and Residents When people are looking for places to live, they’re not just looking for a building, or amenities – they’re also looking for the people who will help them make that place their home. Current and prospective residents want to be able to put a face to the brand and get to know the person that will be able to help them if something comes up. So, go ahead, post the birthdays, anniversaries and any events that you may put on for the residents. As always, make sure permission is given before sharing photos or creating posts about anyone on social media. Sometimes the thought of putting yourself and your property out there on social media can feel a bit overwhelming. Start small and encourage the current residents to “like” or “follow” the property's social pages and even give reviews of their experience living at the property. Good reviews are golden when it comes to helping prospective residents choose one property over another. If posts are created regularly and incoming comments and messages are responded to often, it can help create a successful property page and potentially keep occupancy numbers high.

Summer Maintenance Tips for Property Managers

We’ve finally made it – Summer is almost here! The days are getting longer and hopefully our to-do lists are getting shorter. But, before we officially trade in our pens for pool noodles, let’s talk about a couple of things we can do now to make sure our summer goes off without a hitch. Grab an ice-cold lemonade (maybe even add one of those fancy little mini umbrellas to it) and get ready to check off the last of your “to-do’s”. Pool Safety - If your property has a pool, you’ve probably already done the necessary tasks of contacting your vendor and making sure your pool supplies are stocked – but before officially opening the gates for the season, there are a couple more items that may need updating. If you do not have a lifeguard, make sure that your posted safety signs are visible and haven’t been weathered or faded since last summer. It is also important to make sure that your gates and locks are in good condition to avoid any preventable accidents. While you are in the pool area – check the chairs, tables and umbrellas to make sure there is no damage and that nothing needs to be replaced. These are the items that will likely be getting the most use this season, so making sure that everything works will make for happy residents. Air Conditioners – It might be helpful at this time to enlist a professional to service the A/C units to ensure everything is in good working order for the hot days that are to come. Fire and Heat Reminders – For our properties that endure some of the hottest days in the States, make sure any fire dangers are removed, including dead brush and trees. This may also be a good time to check any property-owned grills to ensure they are well ventilated and positioned away from other buildings. As always, check your fire extinguishers seasonally and make sure staff knows where they are located in case of emergencies. Summer time is the perfect time to re-engage with your residents - remind your residents of the pool rules, using the grills and other amenities, guest policies and quiet hours, if applicable. You want everyone to enjoy themselves and relax in their home space, but also to practice safety and be respectful of others. Finally, once the summer prep tasks are done, it could be a great time to get everyone outside for a summer kick off. You could plan to grill up some hotdogs and burgers, hire an ice cream truck to come around or set up an outdoor movie night – show your residents that you appreciate them choosing your property to reside in. What are your favorite things to do in the summer? Let us know by leaving us a comment below!