If you’re looking to rent out your home, you want to make it as appealing as possible for potential tenants. While you don’t want to spend a fortune, some things are important to get done for it to rent out and particularly for you to get a good price. When it comes to renting your home, you want to get the balance right between somewhere that’s lovely to live and somewhere that you’ll have to fork out thousands to fix things if they do get broken by those living there – whether it’s accidental or not. In this article we take a look at some fixes you should do to your home before putting it up for rent.
Ensure your doors and windows are up to scratch
One of the most important aspects of any home are the doors and windows. These are not only what will keep the occupants safe, but also ensure they’re protected from the elements throughout the different seasons. Before you let out your house, you should inspect all your doors and windows for any signs of damage and disrepair, including cracks or leaks. You should then speak to a window installation service who can get you fitted with new windows that will not only keep your property secure, but also make it more economical. This is because you don’t need to worry about heat leaking outside and the cold making its way in.
Make sure the paint work is touched up
If your walls looks old and scrappy, this could be enough to put tenants off. Instead, give them a simple paint job, touching up any bits that perhaps don’t look their best. You would be surprised just how much a simple lick of paint can improve a space. It’s also a good idea to paint your property in neutral colors such as white or grey so the tenants can view it as a blank canvas and their furniture and accessories will all match. This will help it to feel more like home for them.
Do those little niggly repairs
When you live somewhere, you soon become used to the little things that aren’t quite right with your house. This could be the drawer handle that always falls off, the light bulb that doesn’t work, that garage door repair you’ve neglected or the window that doesn’t open. No matter what it is, it’s these little things you’re going to want to get fixed up before your tenants move in. Try and get these sorted as soon as possible and see if you can get deal on items such as on selling pages to save a bit of cash.
Decide if you want to offer it furnished or unfurnished
When letting out your home, you also need to think about if you want it to be furnished or unfurnished. When you offer a furnished house, it means you need to provide some of the furnishings – the tenants still have the chance to bring their own things in. What you decide to offer is up to you and you can either offer fully furnished where they have all the essentials from a bed and sofa to a dining room table, to part-furnished where you might just provide them with a bed or a sofa and they need to sort other things out.
Spruce up your outside space
As well as your actual interiors of your home, you need to spruce up the outside space too. Depending on if you have a large backyard, frontyard or a balcony, making these welcoming can not only entice tenants in, but also encourage them to rent the place from you. You don’t want to spend too much on things such as plants as they might not be interested in gardening and they could wilt and die, but mow the lawn and scrub up the patio area and it will look so much better.
These are just a few simple fixes you can do to your house if you’re considering putting it up for rent. Renting out your home is a great way to bring in some extra cash and help build up your property portfolio, but you want to do it right. By ensuring your house is set up correctly for prospective tenants, you put yourself in the best chance of having a long term tenancy and them taking care of the house too. What are some top tips you have for doing up your home before putting it up for rent? Let us know in the comments below.
