If you’re a landlord or you’re thinking of becoming one (which could be a great idea – it’s hard work, but once things are set up, it’s a fantastic way to earn a passive income), one thing you’ll have to get right is how you decorate your property or properties. Making sure the place looks good is going to help you attract tenants more quickly and easily, which means the property won’t be sitting empty for too long, saving you money and stress.
It can be hard for landlords to decide how to decorate their properties because it’s a tricky juggling act – on one hand, you’ll want to do things on a budget because you want to make a profit, plus you’re not even going to be living there. On the other hand, you’ll want to invest some time and money to make it look good because you want your tenants to be happy and treat the place well. The good news is it’s possible to do both, so keep reading to find out more.
Blinds
Let’s start with the windows. Not all landlords put window treatments in place because tenants might want to use their own curtains, but if you put some gorgeous Roman blinds at the windows, your tenants are going to be happy and you can be sure you’re choosing well when it comes to decor as well.
Blinds are a great option for a rental property for a range of reasons. For one thing, they’re easier to keep clean than curtains, and they’re also better at controlling how much light comes into the property, which reduces the potential for sun damage, increases energy efficiency, and helps keep your tenants more comfortable (so they’ll stay for longer).
Neutral Colours
After every tenant leaves and before you put the property back on the market, it’s usual for landlords to redecorate. This might have to be a big job, especially if the last tenants lived in the place for a good few years or weren’t particularly careful with how they looked after it, but most of the time it’ll be a fresh coat of paint and potentially new carpets (carpets have a definite lifespan of around five to 15 years, so bear that in mind).
When you’re choosing the paint and carpet colour (and the colour for your blinds, come to that), the best options are always going to be neutral ones. Using neutral colours like cream, beige, and grey, for example, gives your tenants a blank canvas so they can bring in their furniture and artwork and so on, but as well as that, these colours can make rooms feel bigger and more comfortable, making it easier to rent the place out.
Storage
If there’s one thing that tenants are going to truly appreciate, it’s plenty of storage. In fact, if the choice is between your property and another one and one of those properties has great storage, that’s very likely the one the tenant will choose – it’s a good idea to make sure that’s yours.
You can install fitted wardrobes in the bedroom to start with. It’s true that’s going to make the room smaller, but it’s also going to mean it can stay neat and tidy and that your tenants are going to have somewhere to put all their things, so they won’t mind. You can also add storage under the stairs, or put in some more kitchen cupboards and so on. Anything is better than nothing, so take a look at what you can do.