Six strategies to get your buy-to-let property rented quickly
Whether you’re a new buy-to-let landlord seeking to get your first tenant or an experienced hand at residential lettings, to reduce the cost of tenancy voids to the buy-to-let landlord and maintain your cash flow you’ll want to make your property stand out from the crowd.
A two-bedroom house doesn’t have to be just another box to live in. Give prospective tenants the wow factor and not only will your property rent quicker, but you’ll also slash tenancy voids which ruin your cash flow projections
In this post, you’ll learn a few simple strategies that will help you reel in quality tenants at decent rental prices. This will help you to kick-start income generation as a buy-to-let landlord.
1. Welcome the tenant from the outside in
The first thing a prospective tenant sees is the outside of their new home (your property). If the garden is overgrown, the garden fence falling, and the paintwork on the door is peeling, the chances are you won’t get the tenant over the threshold. They’ll already have made up their mind to move on. So start outside and work in:
- Mow the lawn and weed the flower beds
- Add plants and flowers to invite the tenant in
- Make sure the paintwork is pristine
- Is there an area to keep rubbish bins out of sight? If not, create one
2. Spruce up the inside
Now you’ve given your residential property kerb appeal, you want to move inside and freshen up. Clean all the walls and ceilings, and splash out on a couple of cans of paint to make surfaces come back to life. Keep colours neutral for mass appeal. Bright purple with pink spots may be your favourite combinations, but you’ll lose 99% of potential tenants.
Satin paint is a little more expensive, but it’s easier to clean and will save you money in the long run.
Don’t forget to gloss your skirting boards.
3. Concentrate on kitchens and bathrooms
When it comes to individual rooms in the house, the kitchen and bathroom have the ability to make or break a deal. You don’t have to do wholesale remodelling, but the tenant will respect glossy surfaces that shine.
Start at the top and work your way down. Remove cobwebs and scrub the grease away from the extractor fan in the kitchen. Dust around all air vents.
In the kitchen, make sure the hob and oven are deep-cleaned and scrub cabinets inside and out. Remove shelves so you can get into all the nooks and crannies.
In the bathroom, the last thing a tenant wants to see is skid-marked hardware. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it. Make the bathtub and/or shower unit sparkle, removing any black stains.
Make sure that fingerprints from windows and mirrors are removed, and shine those tile floors.
When the kitchen and bathroom are clean, you’ll be able to see if there are any small measures you can take to actually sell the property. It’s amazing what a difference new cabinet furniture (handles and knobs) can make to a whole kitchen.
4. Carpets, curtains, and blinds
Your household fabrics – curtains, carpets, and blinds – collect dust. You may need to take your curtains and blinds down, clean them thoroughly, and rehang. Your carpets may need a deep clean to make them look new again. Cheap carpeting can be bought to transform a room. Again, keep all colours neutral.
5. Fixtures and fittings
Make sure that all the lights work, replacing bulbs where necessary. If shades are broken or too dirty to clean, throw them away and replace. Treat glass light covers with extra care. In the daytime, they may look clean, but when the lights go on at night, they suddenly reveal hundreds of dead bugs and moths.
6. You’re not just showing your property, you’re showing you
Attracting the best tenants and getting the best rent doesn’t end with staging your buy-to-let property to make it appeal. You have to appeal to tenants, too.
The tenant will expect you at the property at the time agreed to show them around. When we show our residential lettings to prospective tenants, we get there at least 20 minutes early. This gives us a chance to open windows and curtains to let light and fresh air flood in. We can sweep off the front step, pick out any rogue weeds, and make sure the front door window is clean.
You get the picture, and so does the client. We’re someone that the tenant can trust, and you’re a landlord who cares. People may know the product they want, but they always buy from someone they feel they can trust.
Please feel free to contact us by phone on on +44 1522 503 717 for information about our services.
Cheers,
Charlotte Jones