Anyone in charge of managing an apartment building can tell you how difficult it can be. In a competitive housing market, for both rentals and sales, it’s important for you to ensure your apartment complex stands out to anyone looking for a new place to live. One way to attract residents and gain attention is by offering amenities like a fitness room or rec room. Deciding what to include in your recreational space can be tricky, though, especially if you’ve never designed one before. If you need some inspiration, read on to learn what products your apartment building’s rec room needs.
What should you put in your building’s rec room?
As the name would indicate, the purpose of a rec room is to give the people living in your building additional space for recreation and relaxation. A good place to start is by getting some popular game equipment, like a pinball machine or a selection of board games, or even investing in a billiard table rental. Renting is a smart option at first since you can get a sense of what games people like to play before you invest in actually purchasing items like a pool table, air hockey table, or foosball table.
Think about how many residents live in the building when you make your design plans. While it’s unlikely that the majority of the residents will use the space on a daily basis, it can give you a general idea of how much seating you’ll need. It’s a good idea to have tables where people can play board or card games, as well as more comfortable couches and lounge chairs for anyone looking to kick back and relax.
It’s also essential to provide your residents with security when they’re using any of your building’s amenities. A quality security system is integral to the operation of an apartment building, but you should ensure that you have security cameras and alarms even in areas like your rec room. If your building is in need of security solutions, Verkada is one of the best platforms for camera management and access control.
What are the benefits of offering recreational space?
One major reason recreational space has become more valuable is the ongoing impact of COVID-19. With so many of us staying home more often, it’s easy to run out of ways to entertain ourselves. Offering the people who live in your building spaces where they can interact with others without going out will be much appreciated, now more than ever. However, you will need to make sure that your rec room is safe and disinfected on a regular basis. Your building’s maintenance staff is likely already familiar with proper protocols for cleaning and maintenance during the pandemic, but you should be thorough in high-traffic areas.
People also have more options than ever when it comes to renting or purchasing apartments. If you don’t want the units in your building to linger on the market for weeks, you’ll need to offer competitive amenities. Fitness and recreational rooms are definitely attractive to prospective residents. You should also consider other perks like a 24-hour doorman or packaging sorting services.
Though additions like recreational space have always been popular with apartment seekers, there are more reasons than ever to consider investing in one for your building. With many people bracing for another tough winter with ongoing restrictions due to COVID-19, being able to entertain yourself at home is of the utmost importance. If you do decide to create a rec room, don’t forget to secure it with additions like Verkada cameras and an access control system. Just make sure you’re aware of the health and safety guidance in your area so you can ensure that your residents are as protected as possible from both outside threats and the spread of viruses.