Adding amenities in a C class apartment

[John Warren]

Hi Fellow Apartment Investors,

I am currently under contract on a 36 unit apartment complex in Springfield, IL. The property is a class C property, but it is 2.1 miles from the University of Illinois Springfield. The University has a large population of exchange  and graduate students, and I am very interested in trying to attract them to this property. I am looking for ways to add value to the property and potentially attract a better class of tenant. Have any of you done the following, and if so how expensive/useful was it?

-Added a fenced in dog run/dog park. The property has a 2.1 acre lot, so I could easily create a fenced area to attract pet lovers. 

-Added a playground. 

-Added grills/picnic tables

Thanks in advance!

John