Home Improvement to a Rental Property - What You Should Do Before Changing Someone Else’s Home

Renting gives you the freedom to pick up and move on a month’s notice, and if
problems arise with the property, you can give your landlord a call. It’s an easy way to
keep your life simple. But at the end of the day, you’re living in someone else’s home.
And as a renter, there are limits to what you can do to a property. Granted, some
landlords are easygoing and they allow tenants to make changes or improvements to a
property. This is your home, and understandably, you want to make the property as nice
as possible. But before going into your pocket to make home improvements, consider
four tips.

Does It Make Financial Sense?

Think past the moment and look into the future. Realistically, do you see yourself living
in the property in one, three or five years? Bringing in new furniture, home accents and
wall art are simple and quick fixes to a boring house. But if you’re tired of old carpet, a
dated bathroom and worn equipment, improving these areas with your own money isn’t
always cost effective. Your landlord isn’t going to reimburse you for these expenses,
any changes that you make to the property remain with the property when you move.
You can maybe justify home improvement projects if don’t plan to move in the near
future. But if your goal is to buy your own place, save this cash and put it toward your
down payment.

What Are Your Landlord’s Plans for the Property?

After renting a property for several years, you may start to feel comfortable and take
liberties with the property. Maybe your landlord stated that he would never sell the
property, or that you could rent for as long as you needed to. Understand, however, that
situations can change rapidly. For example, your landlord may stumble on hard times
and need to sell the house for extra cash. Before spending your money to make home
improvements, talk to your landlord and ask about his plans for the home.

Do You Have Permission?

Read your rental agreement very carefully before making an minor or major home
improvements. Your landlord likely included a clause in the agreement regarding
changes to the property. This clause may clearly state that changes are not allowed,
or your landlord may allow certain changes as long as you obtain permission. But even
if home improvements are allowable under the lease agreement, always contact your

landlord before making any changes to the property. There’s a possibility that your
landlord may only allow minor improvements. Furthermore, your landlord will likely want
to review your plans for the property. This isn’t your house, therefore, you landlord has
the final say in the matter. For example, your plans might include ripping out the carpet
and laying porcelain tile, yet your landlord prefers carpet in the house.

Jeff covers topics for people who rent for the Renters’ Insurance Blog (linkto: http://
rentersinsurance.org) for the Consumer Media Network.

Typical Demolition Waste Issues

When beginning a small or residential demolition project many homeowners gloss over the disposal of the waste they will be creating. This is not to say homeowners are unaware that they will need to deal with garbage created from the demolition; but rather that they may not know of the long list of regulations that needs to be reviewed prior to the disposal of their waste.

Many municipalities have strict rules as to what can be put into a landfill. Some of them are common sense like car batteries or toxic oils and greases. Others would not seem as sensible such as tires, paint cans, and computer monitors. Also, do-it-yourselfers can often get in trouble by not knowing that the items they are dealing with are hazardous. A perfect example of this is asbestos shingles. Used as a roofing material up until the 1970's many homes still have these shingles. As you may have heard asbestos fibers can cause a good bit of trouble when they are released into an open air environment. However, since most of these shingles aren't stamped with the word asbestos on them many people don't consider the regulations in place to deal with them. In New York State a homeowner is allowed to pull these shingles off themselves without any issues. However if they choose to employ a contractor for the work, the area must be sealed off and attended to by trained, equipped workers. Thus adding significantly to the expense. The next hurdle to clear for homeowners is the transportation of them. If not secured correctly the asbestos fibers present a real danger, and you will likely receive some for of a penalty. Once at the landfill site, there will be a special section for the shingles, and you must have a signed waiver regarding either if it was a self-done project or contracted.

That is just one brief outline of the disposal of one type of hazardous waste, and that is if you are savvy enough to notice it. One of the best solutions for your demolition project is to pair up with a knowledgeable waste management or dumpster rental company. By doing so you'll have a source familiar with the regulations, and one that assumes all liability in the transport and eventual disposal of the material.

Although this will add to your bottom line of the project by a small margin, it also insures you against the much larger costs of fines and citations. Also, a drop off dumpster rental service does make life a lot easier. But if you are going to move ahead on your own, first make sure you know what it is that you will be working with, the potential risks, and how your community has chosen to deal with its removal. Good luck!

Author Thomas Farley is the head of the waste management firm WNY Dumpster. He has successful navigated dozens of bureaucratic pathways to properly dispose of potentially hazardous material.

What You Should Know About Buying Commercial Properties

Commercial property deals typically involve an enormous amount of capital. For that reason, you have to ensure that you obtain utmost value for your investment. You can incur massive financial losses if you take wrong decisions in this kind of property deals, and it may not be easy for you to sell it to another person later on, which may further complicate your problems.

It requires immense expertise to deal in landed property, particularly to purchase commercial property. You might have the funds to purchase a property, however you may know little or nothing regarding the market conditions. In cases like that, you are better off engaging the services of a professional. You will find many licensed professionals who have been in this business for several years, and made a great deal of money from it. These people are in a very good position to provide you with sound counsel about real estate matters within a particular locality, at a specific time. However, you also need to be very cautious because several criminals are out there who are capable of making you incur losses for their own gain. Therefore, your best option is to deal with a licensed professional.

You should first do some planning before getting into any kind of property transaction. Even though things can sometimes not work according to plans, you will definitely achieve success if proper planning is done in the beginning. Carry out a bit of research within the locality where you intend to purchase a property. Speak with the inhabitants of the area regarding the accessibility, problems, and the like. Find out the amount land goes for in that region. Enquire about the owner's motive for wanting to sell off the property. Could it be that there are some shortcomings for landed property investment with the locality?

One other thing you need to take into account when buying commercial properties is the legality of the deal. Ensure that you have examined all the laws that have to do with commercial properties in that administrative region. If you find it difficult understanding the legal process, seek advice from an attorney who specializes in issues about commercial properties. You are better off dealing with an attorney who is accustomed to the laws of the region. Laws are constantly being altered; your lawyer should be able to give you good advice regarding the legal issues involved. You should be prepared to spend substantial time taking care of the legal formalities; because it is a very important part of property transactions.

You have the option of obtaining a property loan if you do not have sufficient funds to purchase the commercial property. Before you commit to purchasing any property, confer with a property valuator in order to calculate the approximate worth of the property. If the estimate given by the property valuator is lower than the price quoted by the seller, it is an indication that you will incur a loss. Also, if the estimate given by the property valuator is much higher than the price quoted by the seller, then you have to carefully re-examine the property. If the property has no problems, the seller would most likely not sell it at a low rate.

In recent times, commercial property investment has become a broadly used means of retaining capital. You are always at an advantage if you are informed about the whole process, because it ensures that you take every necessary safety measure to guarantee an easy cruise through the transaction.