7) Make all your windows invisible
By thoroughly cleaning all your windows both inside and out means that at the very least any prospective tenants won’t notice them, and if they do then you want them to notice them for the right reasons!
Sparkling clean windows will make a very big difference to the impression of a property, but this will be a wasted effort if the blinds or curtains are not properly fixed up. Tatty or badly hung blinds and curtains shout out ‘trashy property’ to any prospective tenant.
8) Let your property unfurnished if possible
Letting unfurnished means you no longer have to worry about the fire resistance of all your furniture and furnishings. Also, the more items in the property, the more there is to record in the inventory and the more that you are responsible for maintaining during the tenancy.
9) Check your appliances are in good working order
This will help reduce your time spent dealing with problems later on, and will make your property that much more desirable. By law you’ll need any gas appliances checked every 12 months anyway, but you should also get your electrical appliances checked out by a qualified electrician, to make sure they are safe to use.
10) Ask a friend to point out ‘the elephant in the room’
If you have a trusted friend or relative who will give you an honest opinion then ask them to walk through your property pointing out any defects or undesirable points (while you note them down). It’s very easy to miss something really obvious just because you are so used to seeing it. At least you can then do something about it before your prospective tenants walk in and sees it.
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Doing these simple things should help you earn more rent, more quickly, and make it much easier to let your property to decent tenants. At least, that’s been our experience!