When I was looking up statistics for my New Year’s column for Ojai Monthly a couple of years ago, studies showed that folks usually give up on about 80% to 90% of their resolutions shortly after making them. While researching the column this year, it seems like not much has changed. It turns out that most of us still have difficulty maintaining resolutions because we often make the goals too ambitious, too vague, too focused on depriving ourselves of things we enjoy, or too divergent from our current lifestyles.

Respondents to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2024 (pewresearch.org) reported that most of their resolutions were focused on health followed by finances, and then dropping down to a bit more than half reporting that they wanted to work on personal relationships or hobbies and other interests.

These are all worthwhile pursuits, of course, and will surely be on my list of intentions for the coming year, but I always find that my intentions also lean heavily towards home improvement and organization, community involvement, and finding new homes for things I no longer need. If that sounds familiar, then here are a few more resolutions to consider for this year’s list.

1.    Improve the defensible space around your home.
The destruction caused by recent fires is a good reminder that we all need to keep wildfire risk reduction in mind throughout the year. One thing we all can do is create a defensible space around our homes or improve the defensible spaces we have already created. This might include choosing fire-resistant plants for landscaping, trimming trees away from your roofline, moving firewood away from structures, and using non-flammable hardscape materials like gravel, paving stones, bricks, and concrete.

2.    Commit to better home maintenance.
It is easy to forget regular home maintenance tasks like cleaning refrigerator coils and testing smoke detectors, but these tasks help keep our families safer, make our homes cleaner and more efficient, and help protect our investments. Set calendar reminders to clean refrigerator coils every six months, dryer vents at least once a year, and gutters at least twice a year. Reminders can also help you remember to have your chimneys inspected and cleaned before you start using them each winter, to change your furnace filters every one to three months, and to test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors regularly.

3.    Support local businesses and contractors.
Home improvement and organization projects often make it onto our list of resolutions each year, so if you are planning renovations, repairs, upgrades, or big organizing projects, be sure to shop locally and hire local contractors to build community and support the local economy.

4.    Increase community involvement.
This can take many forms, which means everyone can find some way to become more involved in the local community or communities that are meaningful to you. This might include setting up a monthly donation to a cause close to your heart, checking out locally owned restaurants and shops, volunteering with community organizations in person or remotely, or joining local community groups.

5.    Clear clutter for a cause.
If clearing clutter is on your list of resolutions this year, consider donating household goods and clothing to local charities. One way to help locally is to donate items to 2nd Helpings Thrift Store (841 East Ojai Avenue). Making donations here provides a way for local families to acquire lower-cost necessities while also supporting the work of HELP of Ojai.  

Happy new year, everyone! May 2025 be filled with love, joy, prosperity, health, and adventure for you and your loved ones!

Many herbs are even easier to grow than vegetables and often take up less space, which makes growing herbs great for beginner gardeners, folks with small yards, and parents or caregivers teaching kids about growing food. Of course, growing herbs is also popular with anyone who enjoys the freshest possible herbs for culinary, medicinal, or ceremonial purposes.

Fresh ingredients make the best cocktails and mocktails, and there is nothing quite like cooling off beside the pool or on a patio with a cold, flavorful beverage. I had the most refreshing, non-alcoholic cucumber fizz the other night at dinner, which was the inspiration for this month’s column.

While I do enjoy a cocktail now and then, I am not much of a drinker, but I do very much enjoy a well-made drink with fresh ingredients. I also enjoy having a signature cocktail and mocktail to serve guests when hosting game nights and other gatherings. Incorporating ingredients right from my garden makes this even more fun.

Just about any edible herb can be worked into a drink recipe, so if you have favorites, that is a great place to start.

Here are a few more suggestions if you need a bit of inspiration:

1. Mint – Mint is so easy to grow it will take over your garden if you do not keep it corralled. Mint is best grown in a container or border to keep it from spreading. It is one of the most commonly used herbs in cocktails and mocktails, including mojitos, juleps, fizzes, mules, and spritzers, which makes it a perfect addition to a cocktail herb garden.

2. Basil – Basil is another easy-to-grow herb that has many uses in the kitchen. Aside from soups, salads, and pastas, basil can be added to pitchers or water or muddled or used as a garnish in cocktails and mocktails.

3. Sage – Sage pairs well with gins and bourbons and brings a distinctive flavor to non-alcoholic drinks. I have a huge pineapple sage plant in my garden that is one of my favorites for mocktail and cocktail crafting.

4. Lavender – If you have a garden in Ventura County, you are probably growing a bit of lavender somewhere anyways, so you might as well have some culinary lavender in your borders or right in your herb garden for drink-crafting purposes. Lavender is a pretty, aromatic garnish, but it also is perfect for infused spirits and makes a great addition to lemonade, sparkling water, and cocktails made with vodka or gin.

If you have space, you might want to consider expanding your garden to include other cocktail ingredients, such as cucumbers, jalapeños, tomatoes, limes, lemons, tangerines, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, and other herbs.

Harvesting fresh herbs from your potager to craft your own cocktails will make even the most consummate host just a bit fancier, so don’t be surprised if you suddenly find yourself referring to your covered porch as a veranda.

Fall is finally here, and I could not be more excited. If you also wait all summer for the return of sweater weather and cozy nights around the fire pit, then you are likely just as ready to transition into the fall entertaining season. Here are five things you can do to prepare your outdoor spaces for entertaining in the coming months.  

1. Transition your outdoor living areas.

As we move from summer into fall, the kids are back in school, pool parties are not as common, and the focus moves from keeping your guests cool to keeping your guests warm. Pool toys make way for portable heaters and signature cocktails at soirees transition from margaritas and mojitos to fall favorites with maple, cinnamon, pumpkin, and warming spices. To facilitate this transition, clear the summer clutter and stock up on fall entertaining supplies.

2. Improve your outdoor lighting.

Check your landscape lighting for any fixtures that are not working, bulbs that need to be replaced, or timers that need adjusting to accommodate the shorter days ahead of us. This is also a good time to assess your outdoor lighting to see if more path lights or task lighting would improve the safety or function of your outdoor living areas. To add soft light to create warm, inviting spaces, consider adding festive string lights.

3. Plant an herb garden for fall and winter cocktails.

Now is the perfect time to plant a cocktail herb garden with herbs you can use for fall and winter entertaining. Options to consider include sage, rosemary, mint, thyme, lemon verbena, and basil. Herbs are great for crafting cocktails and cooking and also make good ornamentals, so fill containers and borders to beautify your entertaining space and have fresh herbs close at hand.

4. Plan to keep your guests warm.

If you entertain often in the cooler months of fall and winter, consider installing a patio heater to help keep your guests warm. An outdoor fireplace or fire pit is perfect for creating ambiance and gathering around with friends, but they can only radiate so much heat in larger outdoor entertaining areas. If an installed heater is not in the budget or if it would be too challenging to run electrical for one, portable heaters that run on propane might be a better option. Another nice touch for cozy gatherings is to keep a basket of throw blankets near outdoor seating areas for your guests to use.

5. Prepare your fire features for fall.

With the weather finally starting to cool off, we are all going to be able to use our fire features more. That means it is time to make sure they are functioning properly and can be used safely. Before your next party, make sure your chimney, fire box, fire screen, and fire tools are clean and in good repair. If you do not have a fire screen, get one. There are plenty of attractive options and no excuse for not having one.

You will also want to stock up on the proper fuel and make sure you have fire extinguishing supplies nearby.

Fall home maintenance tip: Cooler temperatures and rain are likely on the way, so it is time to prepare our homes for the changing weather. It is time to clean your gutters, change your HVAC filters, and adjust your irrigation system. Remember: Cleaning your gutters is not just about reducing the risk of water damage; it is also about reducing the risk of fire damage by avoiding an ember carried on the Santa Ana winds igniting debris in your gutters. If you need assistance with any of these tasks, support the local economy by using local contractors.

Earth experienced the hottest day on record on July 21, 2024, and then broke that record on July 22nd. This comes after weeks of headlines reporting record-breaking heat in cities across the country and a climate scientist from the Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute noting a high chance that 2024 will be the hottest year ever recorded.

Of course, we do not really need climate scientists to tell us that it is hot and is going to get hotter in the coming weeks. Most of us have lived here long enough to know just how hot the summers get. Since this one could turn out to be one of the hottest summers ever, let’s look at a few ways to beat the heat.

Increase Shade
You, your family, your guests, and your pets are all going to need more shade for the next few months. The easiest ways to increase shade in your yard include adding umbrellas, installing shade sails, hanging patio curtains or roller shades, setting up portable canopies, or moving seating areas into shade created by fences or buildings.

Create Cooling Stations for Pets
Setting out extra water bowls is a good first step in making sure your pets are safe on hotter days. If possible, keep animals indoors in climate-controlled areas where they will be the most comfortable. When that is not possible, make sure there is plenty of shade and plenty of water. Consider cooling beds and bowls that keep the water cold to help them even more. Smaller animals, such as rabbits, chickens, or small dogs may benefit from mason jars filled with ice for them to lay against to cool off.

Service Your HVAC System
You are going to be using your central air a lot in the next few months. If you have not already, have your HVAC system serviced – or at least change the filter – to help keep your system running smoothly.

Weatherproof Your Home
While you cannot completely heatproof your home, there are several steps you can take to make your home more energy efficient and help keep it cool. Some ideas include replacing old weatherstripping and caulking, adding more insulation to exterior walls, hanging blackout curtains or roller shades, installing ceiling fans or setting up portable fans, upgrading exterior doors and windows, and installing heat-blocking window film.

Install a Drip System
When preparing our homes to beat the heat, we must not forget our plants. A drip system that delivers water at the soil level will help your plants survive the coming heat while conserving water.

Reduce Fire Risk
We are starting to see lots of headlines about wildfires across North America again, so now is a good time to make sure you are doing all you can to reduce fire risk on your property. This includes keeping your roof and gutters clean, trimming your trees, managing weed growth, moving wood piles away from buildings, and creating a defensible space around structures.

If you plan to implement some of these suggestions to keep your family and pets safer and more comfortable, be sure to use local contractors and vendors to help keep the local economy healthy and the community strong.

Watching vibrantly plumed hummingbirds flit between flowers is one of life’s little pleasures. We are fortunate to be able to enjoy this throughout the year here, but you may see fewer as spring blossoms subside and food sources become scarcer in the summer heat.

If you would like to attract hummingbirds to your yard for the colorful and entertaining show, their assistance in naturally controlling the insect population, their prowess as pollinators, or just to help them out as they adjust to warming temperatures causing flowers to bloom earlier, you can take several simple steps to provide a welcoming habitat.

1. Add a hummingbird-friendly water source.
Other birds may love bird baths, but hummingbirds are quite particular about many things, and stagnant water is one of them. An inexpensive, solar-powered fountain pump can turn your bird bath into a hummingbird oasis.

2. Create rest areas for travel-weary hummingbirds.
Even traveling from one yard to the next could be exhausting if you flap your wings somewhere between 75 and 200 times per second. If your yard has trees and shrubs with lots of branches, a clothesline, or a trellis, you may already have enough perching opportunities available for visiting hummingbirds. If not, consider adding perches to provide resting spots in your yard.

3. Make sure there are nesting spots available.
Remember how we said that hummingbirds are particular and don’t like stagnant water? Well, they also don’t really like birdhouses. So, no matter how many birdhouses you hang around your yard, it will probably not increase your chances of hummingbirds choosing to nest there. The best way to provide nesting options for hummingbirds is to plant native trees and shrubs that provide sheltered, safe spots for nest building.

4. Do not clear spider webs off your fascia and eaves.
Spider webs provide access to protein and nest-building materials, so leaving them intact allows hummingbirds to use them for these purposes.

5. Let native flora and fauna reign.
According to Audubon, hummingbirds “consume half their body weight in bugs and nectar, feeding every 10-15 minutes and visiting 1,000-2,000 flowers per day.” (Audubon.org) Leaving spider webs intact is a start, but you can help hummingbirds even more by creating a habitat where beneficial insects, such as smaller pollinators, are also attracted to your yard.

One way to do this is to stop using pesticides to kill off bug populations. Another way is to plant native plants that attract beneficial insects to your yard. When selecting native plants, include options with bright, tubular flowers that produce a lot of nectar. Hummingbirds are particularly attracted to bright red, orange, and yellow blooms, so choosing plants that fit this description will attract both hummingbirds and the insects that hummingbirds like to eat.

6. Add a brightly colored hummingbird feeder to your yard.
Hummingbirds are attracted to bright colors and are most likely to use feeders that are easy to see when they are flying by, easy to access, and safely out of reach of cats, dogs, and other predators. Skip store-bought nectars and make your own sugar water by mixing one part sugar to four parts boiling water. Stir until the sugar dissolves, allow the mixture to cool, and then fill your feeder. Avoid adding red coloring, which might be harmful for the birds, and make sure you change out the sugar water at least twice per week and more often when it is especially hot out. You will also want to make sure that your feeder always has sugar water, since they will remember and will look elsewhere if this food source is regularly unavailable.

You might consider hanging more than one feeder in your yard, since one more thing hummingbirds are not fond of is sharing.

Commercial air fresheners will cover up odors for a while, but they are often laden with toxic chemicals and can exacerbate respiratory issues, cause headaches and dermatitis, and be toxic to pets.

Naturally fragranced candles, potpourri, simmer pots, diffusers, and room sprays all tend to mask odors without eliminating them. This is fine if you need a quick fix or for use with odor elimination options while they are working their magic. But to really get to the source of the problem and make your house smell better, you need to eliminate the odor, rather than cover it.

Here are six ways to naturally neutralize odors.

Windows and Fans – Airing out the space is a good first step for odor elimination. If the walls, floors, and textiles are holding the smell, this is not going to be a long-term solution, but it is a good start. Open windows and turn on fans to increase air circulation and air out the space.

Baking Soda – Baking soda has so many uses around the house that I always keep a big bag of it on hand. For carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and other textiles that are holding smoke, pet, or other household odors, baking soda is a great option to try. This natural odor eliminator can be sprinkled on carpet or fabric to absorb odors. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes – longer for more stubborn odors – and then vacuum it up and empty the vacuum in your outside garbage can.

You can also use baking soda in a bowl or box for deodorizing closets and refrigerators, sprinkle it in shoes to absorb odors, or add a cup to a load of laundry to help eliminate tougher odors in clothes and bedding.

If you are not concerned about animals or children getting into it, it is best to leave baking soda for at least 24 hours before tossing it out or vacuuming surfaces where it has been sprinkled.

Activated Charcoal – Small bags of activated charcoal can be placed in closets, shoes, drawers, cars, pet areas, and around the house to absorb odors. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and can be reused repeatedly after setting them outside in the sun for a few hours to release the odors they have absorbed.

Distilled White Vinegar – Like baking soda, vinegar is one of those household staples that seems to be good for everything. To allow it to work its odor-elimination magic, put a small amount of vinegar in a bowl and place it in the area that is need of deodorization. You can also mix it with water in a spray bottle to neutralize odors in the air.

Vodka – Fill a spray bottle with unflavored vodka to use as an air and fabric deodorizer. Vodka kills odor-causing bacteria, neutralizes odors in fabrics, and dries quickly. I have never had an issue with vodka causing discoloration or damage to fabrics and have never heard of this happening, but if you have a favorite garment or chair that you are concerned about, make sure to try it in an inconspicuous area first.

Some folks like to cut their vodka with water or to add a few drops of essential oil to the spray bottle. Cheap vodka works perfectly fine for odor elimination, so you can just buy the cheapest, unflavored vodka you can find. Of course, if you prefer to use the good stuff, I am not here to tell you how to live.

Coffee Grounds – The nitrogen in coffee grounds helps make them effective for neutralizing odors in your home. A small bowl or sachet of dry coffee grounds can help eliminate odors in smaller spaces, such as closets or refrigerators, as well as in whole rooms. You can use fresh grounds or used coffee grounds, but if you use used coffee grounds, be sure to spread them out on a cookie sheet to dry first. Like with vodka, you can use the cheapest coffee you can find, since nitrogen is nitrogen, so, if you are not a coffee drinker, buy the cheap stuff for this. If you are a coffee drinker, use the grounds from whatever coffee you are drinking.

For ongoing odor control, make sure you stay on top of household tasks that can lead to smelly situations when left undone. This includes regularly taking out the trash and recyclables, emptying the kitchen scrap bucket into your backyard composter, changing bedding, doing laundry, vacuuming carpets and rugs, changing the air filter on your HVAC system, bathing your pets, and checking for spoiled food in the refrigerator.

It is also good to regularly clean your dishwasher, washing machine, garbage disposal, and trash and recycling bins.

If you are trying to deodorize a house that was exposed to smoke or pet odors over a long period of time, you may need to replace the carpet, wipe down the walls and ceiling with vinegar, and repaint the walls and ceilings to remove the odor.

With all the rain we have been receiving lately, my garden beds are rather abundant.  Unfortunately, almost all the greenery is weeds. I have been quite busy so far this year and am only now getting around to trying to set aside some time to get a spring garden planted. Of course, now I must first contend with the weed situation before I can move on to the fun part.

Since all this much-needed rain has left me dealing with weeds in my garden beds right now, I thought some of you might be dealing with them as well and could maybe use some ideas about how to limit weed growth among our food plants. I know I have talked about natural weed prevention in past columns, but many of those methods are not suitable for use around food plants or other desirable plants. Options like salt, cornmeal, boiling water, and vinegar do not discriminate between weeds and wanted plants, so we need to move beyond these easy options when we are removing weeds from our vegetable gardens.

1. Hoe or pull existing weeds.
Whether or not you have already planted your desirable plants, you need to remove the undesirable ones before we can do anything else about it. So, if your garden beds do not have food plants (or you can hoe around them) and are low enough and large enough to hoe, use a hoe to remove weeds. If they are raised beds or it is difficult to get to the weeds around wanted food plants, pull them by hand. While hoeing and weeding can put stress on your body and are not the easiest way to kill weeds, they are the most effective way to make sure the entire weed plant and roots are removed. I use a Hori Hori garden knife for removing weeds – and lots of other tasks in the garden – which makes weed removal much easier.

2. Mind the weeds in surrounding areas.
Most weeds did not start out in your garden beds. Those seeds blew over from some other part of your yard or were left by a bird or other critter visiting your garden. While you cannot stop weed seeds from migrating from your neighbors’ yards, you can keep the weeds down on your own property to help limit seeds finding their way into your garden.

3. Irrigate carefully.
Water only the areas where there are wanted seeds or plants and avoid watering bare areas of your garden where weed seeds might be waiting for an opportunity to sprout. The easiest way to do this is to install a drip system or use soaker hoses.

4. Disturb the soil as little as possible.
The less you disturb the soil, the lower the risk of weed seeds germinating in your garden. Mix in compost and amendments to prepare your soil but avoid tilling the whole garden to remove weeds and prepare the ground.

5. Use non-living ground covers around food plants.
Cover any bare earth in your garden with non-living ground covers, such as mulch, bark, wood chips, or straw. If you choose bark or wood chips, make sure to choose natural options that have not been dyed. Cover the ground around your plants with at least two inches of one of these natural materials to prevent weed growth. Make sure you to leave the base of your food plants clear by keeping the ground cover a few inches away from the base.

6. Try growing your food plants closer together.
Rather than thinning out your carrots, beets, and other food plants, allow them to grow closer together. They will not all perform equally, but you will end up with a larger harvest and less space for weeds to take hold.

7. Stay on top of weed removal.
It is easiest to remove weeds when they are first emerging, so stay on top of pulling weeds while they are seedlings. If you do not have time to check for weeds every few days, at least make sure you pull them before they go to seed and exacerbate the problem.

Spring is here, which means it is time for the annual ritual of spring cleaning. Since I love any excuse to clean and organize some part of my house, I love this ritual and usually start making my to-do list well before spring arrives. Most of us who participate in this tradition will include tasks like cleaning out the refrigerator, washing the windows, scrubbing the baseboards, shampooing rugs and carpets, and cleaning out closets.

If you think you might still have a bit more energy to put towards cleaning after completing these tasks, here are four more you might consider adding this year:

1. Clean and maintain your garden tools.
This is the perfect time of year to take an afternoon to clean, sharpen, and maintain your garden tools. This might be particularly true after all the rain we have had so far, which might have left some of your tools a bit rusty. For anything with a wood handle, apply linseed or another skin- and plant-safe oil, let it sit for about 20 minutes, and then wipe off the excess with a rag. If you have shovels or hand tools that need sharpening, use a mill file or flat file to sharpen the edges, or have them professionally sharpened. If some of your tools have gotten a bit rusty, use a wire brush or sandpaper to remove it. You can then apply a coat of linseed oil and store them with the metal part in a bucket of sand mixed with linseed or vegetable oil to help prevent future rusting.

2. Clean your patio furniture and outdoor textiles.
While you are outside getting things ready for spring, grab the covers for your patio cushions and outdoor dog beds and bring them inside to launder. Wipe done plastic and metal patio furniture with soap, water, and a rag, and check wood or painted furnishings to see if they need a new coat of oil, stain, or paint.

3. Clean out your shed.
The extra storage offered by sheds is rather handy, but it is easy to just keep tossing stuff in there and forgetting about it. Spring is a good time to take everything out of the shed, see if there are items you no longer need that can be given away, sold, or discarded, and then organize what is left to maximize the space and make it more functional. If you free up space in your shed, this will also make more room for storing garden tools, pool toys, or other items that might be cluttering your outdoor living areas.

4. Clean your refrigerator coils and dryer vent.
Help your appliances function better and reduce the risk of a house fire by cleaning your refrigerator coils and dryer vent. All of your refrigerators – the main one in the kitchen, the extra one in the garage, the mini fridge in your outdoor kitchen, and the wine refrigerator in your pantry – all have coils that need to be cleaned at least twice per year. This is an easy task you can do yourself with a screwdriver and a vacuum. The dryer vent is usually also easy to clean, but you can hire a professional if you are not comfortable doing it or want to make sure it is properly cleaned to reduce the risk of fire.

Side note: If your spring cleaning includes donating items you no longer need, check local organizations, such as Humane Society of Ventura (HSVC.org) or Ojai Raptor Center (OjaiRaptorCenter.com) to see if the items might be on their list of needs. Alternatively, donating general goods to the 2nd HELPings thrift store in Ojai allows the items to be sold to support HELP of Ojai.

According to the Forbes Health/OnePoll survey conducted in October 2023, improving physical fitness is a top priority for folks making resolutions for the new year. Forty-eight percent of respondents reported improving fitness as their top goal in 2024. This is followed by 38% prioritizing improving finances, 36% looking to improve their mental health, 34% prioritizing weight loss, and 25% wanting to make more time for loved ones. (Forbes.com)

I’m guessing this means we are going to see even more folks hitting the pickleball courts this year, and they might even be doing it with their families to combine the goals of fitness, weight loss, and spending time with loved ones.

Being more active is always on my list of resolutions and, going into my fifth year as a widow, spending as much time as possible with loved ones is a priority every day of the year. For 2024, I am thinking that I also want to focus on home organization and continuing my seemingly never-ending list of projects around the house. If you, too, also seem to always be in home repair or home improvement mode, here are some resolutions for you and me to consider adding to our lists this year.

1. Use local contractors.
If your house project list includes maintenance, repairs, or renovations that require a professional, support your neighbors and the local economy by hiring local contractors. If you plan on completing home improvement projects on your own, head to one of our local hardware stores, nurseries, or the lumberyard for the materials, tools, and garden features you need.

2. Support local businesses.
If redecorating your home or improving organization is more in line with your goals for 2024, shop local to help build community and support the local economy.

3. Donate your gently loved clothing and household items to local charities.
Clearing clutter is always on my to-do list. One of the bigger projects I am planning for this year is to finally really clean out and organize the garage. As I slowly work on this project, I have come across so many items I no longer need. If you could also stand to let go of belongings you no longer need or use, consider clearing your clutter for a cause by donating them to local organizations that help folks in need. For example, donations to 2nd Helpings Thrift Store (841 East Ojai Avenue) help provide lower-cost necessities for local families while also supporting the important services HELP of Ojai provides.

4. Set up home maintenance reminders.
Add reminders to your phone, calendar, or other preferred system to help you remember regular home maintenance tasks. This includes tasks like changing your furnace filters every one to three months, cleaning your refrigerator coils every six months, cleaning your dryer vent at least once a year, and having your chimneys cleaned and inspected before you start using your fireplaces each winter.

5. Check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
It is best to test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors once a month and to check the batteries every six months, but, since I know you are not testing them monthly, let’s at least get it on your list of home maintenance resolutions to check them now. Then, see #4 above and set up a reminder to regularly perform this very important home maintenance task.

Happy new year, everyone! May 2024 bring you health, joy, love, prosperity, and adventure however you define each of those.

Rental properties can be a profitable investment but only when managed properly. This is particularly true in areas with higher property values where it is even more important to maximize rental income by reducing expenses, increasing your property’s appeal, and limiting turnover.

Whether you have just purchased your first investment property or are an experienced landlord with a full portfolio, there is almost always something you can do to increase your profit margins.

Here are seven tips to get you started:

1. Replace carpet with LVT.
There are two reasons to replace the carpet in your rental with luxury vinyl tile (LVT) or a similar product.

The first is that people just do not like carpet anymore. Having carpet in your rental automatically shrinks your pool of potential renters. The more folks interested in renting your house, the more likely you are to find a great, long-term renter at your asking price.

The second reason is that LVT is an easy-care, durable option that holds up well to traffic, pets, and kids and is far less likely to need to be replaced between tenants.

2. Complete simple updates.
You may not have the budget for major renovations, but there are plenty of simple updates you can do to increase your rental’s appeal and function. If cabinet hardware, sink faucets, ceiling fans, switch plate covers, doorknobs, or light fixtures are dated or have just seen better days, consider replacing them with modestly priced upgrades.

3. Improve outdoor living areas.
Good outdoor living areas are appealing to renters and will make your property stand out, particularly in areas like Ojai and Oak View where the weather allows for year-round outdoor entertaining. If a paving stone or stamped concrete patio is not in the budget, create a more affordable option with gravel.

You should also consider paying for ongoing landscape maintenance. Paying for maintenance allows you to select the gardeners and helps ensure that your investment is properly maintained. You can offset this expense by considering it when setting the monthly rent.

4. Install low-maintenance, drought-resistant landscaping.
While we are on the topic of landscaping, you should also consider replacing high-water or high-maintenance plants, natural grass, and other features with low-maintenance, drought-resistant options that will lower your maintenance costs and your water bill.

You can also help protect your investment by choosing fire-resistant plants, hardscapes, and other landscaping features.

5. Maximize tax deductions.
Work with your accountant or tax preparation professional to make sure you are maximizing your possible deductions, including travel and home office expenses, depreciation, repair costs, and your mortgage interest.

6. Vet your applicants.
If you are not using a property management company to do this for you, do not forgo this important part of the tenant selection process. It is well worth the money and time to run credit and background checks and to call previous landlords to inquire about their experience with the applicants. While there is no guarantee that this is going to result in amazing renters, it is going to improve your chances. Avoiding lost rent and eviction expenses is an important part of maximizing rental income.

7. Be a good landlord.
When you get good renters, you want to keep them. Reducing turnover reduces the cost of marketing and vetting applicants and results in fewer vacancies. One way to reduce turnover is to be a good landlord. For some, the best way to do this is to hire a property manager who will handle everything for you. If you choose to manage your property yourself, respond quickly to maintenance requests, make sure you are easy to reach when issues arise, and stay updated on local and state laws.