I was lucky enough to have the same renters stay for 5 years. They took care of the place, let me know if something was broken, minimal management. That's how I like it. I asked if they wanted a fresh coat of paint, etc. Nope, they were fine.
So when they decided to leave I decided to spruce up the place. Below is the complete list of stuff I ended up doing, posting for reference in hopefully another 5 years when these new renters move on!
- Yard:
- trim trees & bamboo
- 16 bags of recycled rubber mulch for just the front yard
- treat fruit trees
- remove & replace back yard overhang
- replace cord for sprinkler control
- test and reset sprinkler schedule
- paint front gate
- spray down house and front wall
- spray down windows
- remove/hose/replace screens
- new under-house-access screen
- new security screen door and threshold
- House
- termite treatments - subterranean treated in garage and crawl space (no structural damage, 4 year guarantee)
- re-coat floor (10 year warranty)
- paint house (ceilings=ceiling white; walls=swiss coffee eggshell finish; trim & bath/kitchen ceilings=ultra pure white hi-gloss enamel)
- new toilet
- new kitchen light fixture
- clean and rehang curtains
- serious scrubbing of shower door
- new sick stopper hardware
- new tub stopper
- new garage door opener control
- thorough cleaning
- lamp on a timer
- Less than 6 months ago:
- new hot water heater
- new fridge
- Less than 2 years ago:
- new wall heater