When decorating a rented property, you’re trying to create something that suits a wide audience, whilst being durable and hard-wearing enough to be cost effective. Getting it right can be something of a balancing act. With these decorating choices, it could make your life as a landlord easier.
Take a look at our top tips to help you create the perfect rental property for tenants…
1. Flooring
You’ll be making a huge mistake if you’re thinking of fitting expensive, light coloured carpets throughout the property. If you must have carpets, always go for darker colours and instead of paying out for expensive carpets, opt for really good underlay instead, this will make even the cheapest carpet feel thicker. Opt for laminate or vinyl flooring in the kitchen, bathroom and hallways. It’s easy to clean and provided you get good quality laminate, shouldn’t rip or tear.
2. Walls
Always think neutral, say white or a very light grey throughout, however Magnolia tends to be the cheapest. Opt for water resistant eggshell or acrylic paint in the kitchen and bathroom. Top tip; if you have more than one rental property, use the same brand of paint and colour in every one, so you can keep a few tins for whenever a touch up is needed.
3. Bathroom
If all the bathroom needs is just a lick of paint, that’s great. But if you do have to rip it out and start again, this does give you the opportunity to make a few changes that could make your life as a landlord easier. Consider installing a shower over the bath, rather than a shower tray, for example. Shower trays can be leaky and leaks are expensive to deal with. Get an electric shower, so that if something goes wrong with the boiler your tenants will still be able to have a hot shower. Also, depending on space and layout, think about perhaps trying to fit a second bathroom or at least a second toilet, that way if one breaks it’s not as much of an emergency.
4. Kitchen
Before you decide to replace a dated kitchen and start again, consider replacing the cupboard doors and work surfaces. That may be all it needs to make it look new. When picking appliances avoid the integrated kind. Not only are these more expensive to buy, they’re also much more of a nuisance to fix.
5. Furnishings
Try to avoid letting a furnished house. Apart from being an added expense (and the risk of items getting damaged), tenants who bring their own furniture and make the rental into their home are more likely to stay for the long term.
6. And lastly…
Don’t over spec the property. Remember, a rental property is different from buying a house, increasing its value and making a profit on it (also referred to as flipping). You want to make sure it’s clean and presentable, there’s no reason for lavish fixtures and fittings. It won’t make that much difference to the rent you can charge. Keep it simple.
