Getting your property rental ready

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Renting a home can be a lengthy process, however, there are things we can do to speed it up a bit. There are many people who think that if a house is up for rent, simply removing your personal items will be enough to make it happen, but we know that isn't the case!

If your property has walls in a state of disrepair, broken appliances and looks a bit grubby, all of these elements will deter potential renters, so resolve these issues before putting it on the market and you will be less likely to encounter delays. Think of it this way; a little investment from you, of time and maybe a little money, will more than likely speed up the process of getting your house rented, so isn't that worth it? 

Take a look at our tips for getting your home rental ready and see if you've done everything you can!

Repair the walls

Let's start with something nice and basic; repair the walls in your property. Few things will deter potential renters quite like damp patches, holes where pictures used to be or uneven paint! Would you want a home that looked that badly cared for?

When it comes to home rental, tenants want to know that the landlord will be attentive and quick to respond to any problems, so if you don't take the time to fix small issues like picture hook holes in the walls, how long would it take you to get their shower working again? You don't need to do anything fancy, but a fresh coat of paint afterwards, like in this picture from Elix, will go a long way!

Replace damaged appliances

Not every home comes with appliances, but if you plan to leave some in your property, make sure that you have taken the time to check that they work and if they do, go the extra mile and have them PAT tested, to ensure they are safe. This will give potential renters a huge amount of confidence and make them far more likely to select your property as their chosen new home.

If any appliances are deemed to be beyond repair, either remove or replace them, as simply leaving them in place will give the impression that you are inexperienced in the home rental market and don't have any consideration for your paying tenants. 

Install neutral furniture

If you are offering a furnished home rental, try to opt for neutral coloured furniture, as though you might love a bright red sofa, not everybody does and small things like this can really put potential tenants off. If they feel that camouflaging the colour would be too difficult, they may not book a second visit.

Neutral colours can be easily accessorised and jazzed up, allowing a tenant to put their own stamp on their new home, without making any permanent or drastic changes. Try to also pick out simple shapes and styles, as this will help you appeal to a broader range of people.

Give it a thorough clean

Naturally, you will need to ensure that the property has been given an exceptionally through clean, or you can kiss your hopes of a successful home rental goodbye! Nobody wants to move into a grubby home with an unhygienic kitchen and even if you don't have the time to clean it properly, we suggest that you hire a professional lettings cleaning team to really smarten the place up for you. It will be money well spent! If you can stretch to it, try to have any carpets and curtains steamed too, as this will eliminate any trapped odours and make the property really sparkle and smell great!

Include some accessories

While you need to remove all of your personal belongings, you don't want to leave the house feeling too stark, so when putting your property on the home rental market, aim to add some neutral accessories to make it feel homely. Good additions are candles, maybe some flowers and a lamp or two, but don't go overboard. Your new tenant will have everything they need to create a lovely home and your items may end up in a box until they move out!

If you are thinking of renting a new home, take a look at this Ideabook: Useful Tips For Viewing An Apartment. It's so easy to forget something, so we've written you a handy guide!

Make it feel less personal

Home rental shouldn't be about your tastes and styles, so as well as keeping decor and furniture as neutral as possible, we think it's a good idea to also remove any personal belongings. If you have previously been living in the property this might take some time, but ahead of viewings, you should aim to remove any trace of your own character. The key to successfully renting your home is to make potential tenants really envisage themselves living in it and this is difficult when they are surrounded by your family photographs and personal memorabilia!

Have you got any extra tips for making a home rent-ready? Let us in on them in the comments!

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