Decorating tips for landlords
Rental property demand is still very strong throughout the UK.
To ensure that you obtain the best tenants and avoid the risk of long rental voids, below are a few simple hints and tips for successful letting:
- Be prepared to redecorate at least every three years.
- Don’t get personal. Stick to neutral colours and a common theme – always keep a tin of paint for touching up when tenants leave.
- Install good lighting if necessary, bright and airy properties let quickly, especially in the main living room and kitchen.
- Keep costs down by buying felt-backed bleach cleanable carpet which doesn’t require underlay, and be prepared to replace where carpet cleaning does not work. Always pick neutral colours.
- If you provide curtains they need to be smart, hard-wearing and neutral coloured. Beige goes with anything and makes the property look light and spacious. Let the light in. Open curtains and blinds to their maximum. This will let a lot more light in and make a flat feel more airy and spacious.
- Provide standard white goods – cooker, fridge/freezer, washer/dryer etc. Provide a directory of procedures for all your equipment or copy the User Manuals, to ensure your tenants know how to use everything.
- If you decide to let your property furnished make sure the furniture is relatively new, in good condition and meets the latest fire and safety regulations.
- Fix all outstanding repairs. Fix the leaking tap, patch the holes in the wall, clean the grout and replace cracked tiles. Make tenants think they have little to do when they move in.
- Put excess furniture in storage or rearrange furniture to see more floor space. The more floor space a viewer can see the better. This is another psychological factor and the more floor space a viewer can see the bigger they think the room is.
- Clean. Many viewers are put of when viewing an unclean flat. Clean the windows thoroughly, clean sinks and toilets, and before viewings open all windows to let fresh air into the flat, put clean colourful towels out and most important hide any dirty washing.