Austin home property management: how to protect against extreme weather

We all know that the prices for natural gas and electricity will continue to rise in the near future. As an Austin home property management company, you know that making your rental units as eco-friendly as possible is a high priority for both tenants and landlords. This article presents several tips to help you prepare your managed properties for extreme changes in weather. This process is known as 'weatherization'.

As an Austin Texas apartment management company, one of the first things you should do to any property you manage is to caulk, weather-strip and install storm windows on each property. By making the windows on each property as air-tight as possible you can keep cold gusts of air from entering in the winter and save expensive air-conditioned air from escaping in the summer. Both prospective tenants and landlords look for Austin TX condo property management companies that strive to leave a smaller impact on the environment.

Austin TX condo property management professionals know during the winter, the cost of heating a single family home, apartment or condo can rise dramatically. One of the things property owners look for in an Austin townhouse management company is that they guard against potential sources of heat loss. One of the easiest ways to save money, and ensure that eco-savvy tenants will enjoy living on your property is to insulate the attic. Even simple items like old Styrofoam coolers can be used as insulation.

As an Austin home property management professional, you will want to consider ways that tenants can use existing appliances to help weatherize their homes. Consider providing new tenants with introductory packets outlining some of the following ways they can help:

• Run the ceiling fan in reverse during the winter. This helps push the warm air near the ceiling back down towards the floor, increasing the ambient temperature.
  
• Set the temperature of the water heater lower. Most electric water heaters store water at a temperature most tenants will never use. By setting the temperature for stored water lower, you will see a big reduction in energy bills.

The summer weather can get quite hot in Austin. As an Austin Texas apartment management company you know that tenants look for rental property outfitted with air-conditioning systems. Many of these are window-mounted units that are not sealed properly. Consider removing loosely fitting window-mounted air conditioners during the winter to keep out cold drafts.

With many property owners turning to an Austin townhouse management company, be sure to follow some of these simple tips to keep the properties you represent in tip-top shape. You will reduce the environmental impact of your rental properties and send a positive message to eco-friendly landlords and tenants.