One of the key issues that tenants look at when viewing homes is the condition of the property in question and if this is up to scratch. With rental prices still on the rise tenants are rightly so, looking for properties that have been maintained to a high standard.
At 1Let we pride ourselves on keeping the properties we manage at a high standard which protects our landlord’s investment and attracts quality tenants who will be comfortable in their new home.
Below we have listed the key areas that every landlord should look to assess regularly to ensure their property is well maintained and meets the high standard that tenants are now expecting.
1. Painting
It is amazing the difference a lick of paint can make and this is one of the most cost-effective ways to make a huge difference to your property! We recommend using light and neutral colours that emphasise space. We find that ideally, the every 5 – 7 years but this completely depends on the circumstances and how many people are living in the property at any given time.
2. Flooring
When was the last time you replaced the carpets in your property? It is recommended that they are changed every 10 years, but this again completely depends on the amount of traffic they experience. We have lost count of how many times potential tenants have been put off renting some beautiful Edinburgh homes because the carpets or flooring isn’t up to scratch.
3. Furnish or unfurnished? That is the question.
It has been a long-standing expectation in the Edinburgh rental market that properties should be furnished. However, we are finding that as more and more people opt to let properties long term, they are collecting their own furniture. Tenants asking for furniture to be replaced or removed because they have their own is a common theme. It’s worth considering removing any old furniture completely but 1Let are happy to provide advice on this.
4. Bathrooms
There is a certain expectation now that bathrooms should be modern suites which isn’t always the case. There are numerous properties on the market that have avocado baths or colourful tiles that may have been popular in a past decade but are now a bit dated. If you want to be a step ahead it is worth considering updating the bathroom and keeping it light and neutral, so it is attractive to as many people as possible. It may even be worth replacing the tiles with shower panels which require less maintenance therefor less stress.
5. Windows
One of the top questions potential tenants ask when viewing properties is whether the windows are double or single glazed. With the new EPC minimum rating coming into play later this year and the environment being a hot topic, having energy efficient homes is one of the top asks and double-glazed properties are more attractive. We appreciate that in Edinburgh it sometimes isn’t as simple as replacing the windows with planning consent required in some areas. However, if your windows are old and draughty it may be time to consider investing in an upgrade.
6. Heating
A lot of properties in Edinburgh contain old storage heaters that are costly, in efficient and are just not attractive to tenants. A tenant’s default preference will be for gas central heating, but we appreciate that this is not always practical or possible and in the current environmentally focused world, might not be something you want to invest in! There is however a wide range of energy efficient and modern heaters available – why not contact 1let and we can provide some advice on the best options for your property?