Hello Harrogate mumblers!
With summer fast approaching it is the time of year when a lot of landlords look to put their property on the rental market.
With that in mind I would like to share with you my top ten tips on getting your home ready for rent. This guide will help you give your tenancy the best start possible and help reduce your void gaps.
1. Do not sign up to a homecare agreement! These can seem like a great way to ensure that all maintenance issues are covered without a large surprise bill. However, they require the tenants to be present for appointments and will not collect keys from your letting agent. This means the tenants have to take time off work to wait in for engineers. I’m sure you can appreciate that doesn’t always sit well with your tenants.
2. Turn your home into a blank canvas! The best way to appeal to tenants is with neutral decorations and floor coverings as everyone’s taste is different and you don’t want to put off perfect tenants if their sofa doesn’t match the wall colours! The look you want to go for is modern, fresh and neutral. Grey is very popular lately, gone are the days of magnolia.
3. Unfurnish your house! In Harrogate and surrounding areas, the need for furnished properties is very low and you will put off the majority of tenants by furnishing your property. If you have to keep it furnished, please remember it must comply with fire safety regulations and be aware that your void gap may be slightly longer than an unfurnished property.
4. Provide window coverings! Window coverings are a must when it comes to rental properties. it is unreasonable to ask tenants to measure for and provide curtains or blinds for each property they rent. You only need to provide one or the other and you don’t need to go to great expense as long as they are fit for purpose and neutral is best. Remember, your blind cords must be safe!!
5. Clean your property! A light professional clean won’t cost much before the tenancy starts and it’s a good investment as it sets the tone for the tenancy and the standard for which the property must be returned at the end.
6. Smoke Alarms! One must be present on each liveable floor of the property and don’t forget a carbon monoxide alarm for each room with a solid fuel appliance. This is the law!
7. Any appliances you provide are your responsibility! So think carefully about what you provide and its age and condition. For example, unless the tenant is negligent you need to replace the washing machine if it stops working. Appliances are a great appeal for tenants so can be worth the investment.
8. Instruction manuals should be printed out and left for the tenants. This is best practice and stops calls about non-working items!
9. Invest in a garden tidy up! As with the clean, this sets the tone going forward and ensures it must be left in a great condition at the end of the tenancy. All of this will be recorded on the inventory along with photographs to ensure it is returned in the same condition.
10. My last tip has to be to find a trustworthy local agent to conduct an Inventory at the start of the tenancy and manage your property throughout its tenancy. Your agent should be local and Arla propertymark regulated with Client Money Protection as a minimum.
I hope you found this useful and if you would like any further help with your rental property please don’t hesitate to ask.
Sarah
