Decorating your buy-to-let for tenants
As a landlord, it is your responsibility to present your buy-to-let property to tenants as the best it can be. There’s a lot of rental properties out there, and standing out amongst the competition can be tricky. This doesn’t mean throwing a lot of money at it, as this can often end up as a financial loss rather than a gain. It’s important to find the balance of what areas of the property are worth your investment, and exactly what sort of decor and practicalities you should be opting for.
Here are a few tips, pointers and tricks to ensure that you decorate your buy-to-let in the best way for your future potential tenants…
Paints walls white
You might love the colour yellow, or bold, bright wallpaper – but not everyone does. With a buy-to-let, it is always sensible to keep things neutral. Not only is neutral always on-trend, but it provides the perfect blank canvas and backdrop for a tenant’s personal style. It’s ideal for pretty much any taste or decor.
White walls also make a property feel light, bright, fresh and airy, giving the illusion of a bigger space – and who doesn’t want that? Keep walls plain and simple so that a tenant can enter your property and easily envision their own belongings residing in there.
Opt for hard flooring
Be that laminate, vinyl – whatever it may be. Carpets can be pretty problematic in rental properties. As lovely and cosy as they make a room feel, they can easily become stained, dirty, worn and discoloured. They also trap odours. You may end up replacing them after every few tenancies, which can quickly become costly.
Hard flooring, on the other hand, is easy to clean and maintain and always looks chic and smart. It’s affordable too, and if you are a dab hand at DIY then you may be able to install it yourself, meaning you’ll save yourself an extra cost. With loads of different styles to choose from, you’re sure to find something that looks great in your buy-to-let, and that will never go out of style.
Put your money in the kitchen
If you do have some money to invest in your property, use it in the kitchen. It’s a room that is tricky for a tenant to change, as it’s full of fixtures and fittings that can’t be swapped out. That’s why it’s important that this room looks nice, up to date and of good quality.
You may not need to do a whole kitchen refit. Perhaps you have the option of painting wooden cupboard units to a more stylish colour (grey, navy and sage green always give a modern and classy look), and swap cupboard handles out to something more updated – such as an industrial black or up-market gold. You could also install some top-of-the-range appliances to sell it to your tenants such as a coffee machine or American-style refrigerator. Make sure that you compare landlord insurance to ensure that you have the right contents insurance in place when offering goods such as this. Remember, not everyone will treat these things as well as you would.
Furnish small spaces
If you have a small property, it may be a good idea to offer it furnished – or at least partially furnished. This applies all the more so if your property is in a commuter town or in the city, as it could be perfect for a young working professional. These are the kinds of tenants who may be searching for a property to simply move into without all the hassle of moving and buying big items of furniture.
Additionally, tenants on a lower budget who are looking at smaller properties may be keen to move into somewhere that offers more than a few empty rooms, in order to get more for their money. This will make your property stand out against the competition but again, ensure that you have the right insurance in place in case of any damage or theft!
There are plenty of other ways to make your buy-to-let as attractive as possible for your tenants without spending a lot of money. Little things such as the lighting, the presentation of the garden and even simply the front door can make a huge difference. Enjoy the process, go the extra mile and watch the tenancy applications come rolling in!
