Maximizing the potential of your shotgun units

Shotgun-style units are a dime a dozen in South St. Louis. I don’t understand how anyone ever thought they were functional, regardless of the era they were built. I guess we take privacy for granted these days.

The question is what to do with these units today. You can rent them, for sure, but not having a private bedroom can be a major drag on your rent potnential. Seeing as this business is all about profits, that’s an important concern. One solution that a surprising amount of owners seem to gloss over is reorienting the layout of the unit. And its not really that hard.

The best time to do this is if you need to replace your drainage stacks in the building. At that point its simply a matter of moving the stack from the far end of the building to the middle. You’ll have to rework the plumbing and move the kitchen cabinets, but its not too big an ordeal. The costs are minimal and when you’re done you’ll have a private bedroom, which will bring increased rents and up the value of your property.

If you have shotgun units in your buildings, the next time you plan on replacing the stacks, make sure you take advantage of this great opportunity.