How to prepare your home for rent
If the property that you are set to rent out was once your own personal home, it’s not just a matter of handing over the keys and waiting for renters to move in.
Instead, a little preparation is required to transform the property from a home to an investment.
So here’s a quick guide on how to prepare your home for rent.
Make it rental friendly
There’s a big difference between a property that you call home and one that others pay for the privilege of living in.
There’s also a difference between the personal features that might have worked for you as the owner and those that appeal to a wide range of prospective rental occupiers.
As you ready to move out, do a quick audit of your home, removing any overly personal or quirky touches.
That might mean painting over the feature wall that tied in so nicely with your antique couch, or removing that dog kennel you once built for Fido.
The aim of the game is to make the property neutral, loveable and appealing to prospective renters.
Make any necessary repairs
On that note, take a good look around for anything that might need fixing. As the homeowner, you might have been happy to work around that aerial that gave limited television reception, or that gate that took a bit of force to close.
Renters paying to live in the property may not be so flexible about the little things.
Perhaps more importantly, if it’s a big issue, such as something that impacts their ability to use the property (like a broken stove) this will need to be remedied as part of your responsibility as the rental owner.
Tidy the garden
A tidy garden creates street appeal, which goes a long way to attracting a quality renter.
Meanwhile, a major part of preparing your home for rent is about setting the standard that you hope the rental occupier will then maintain.
As part of your garden tidy, trim back any overhanging branches, have your gutters cleaned and water blast any stained outdoor areas.
This allows the home to look appealing and is also the type of ongoing maintenance you might need to undertake each year.
Clean the property
You’ll naturally want to leave your property clean and tidy, but just bear in mind this clean should be akin to the type of clean you would complete as a rental occupier at the end of the rental agreement.
Why? Again, it sets the standard that you hope a rental occupier will maintain, but more importantly, it will also form the basis of that all-important entry condition report.
As a refresher, an entry condition report is the document a property manager provides to rental occupiers when they move in.
It includes the overall condition of the property, along with a checklist of what is in good condition, what is working and what’s not.
And when we talk about an end of rental agreement clean (aka a bond clean) it involves making sure everything is spotless including the oven, the walls, the fans, the windows, inside cupboards and more.
Insurance
Finally, don’t forget to contact your preferred insurance company and take out landlord insurance.
Depending on your policy, this will cover you for damage to the property caused by rental occupiers, along with public liability insurance should a rental occupier injure themselves in your former home.
How we can help
Our experienced property managers pride themselves on establishing great relationships with both rental occupiers and owners.
We manage every property as if it were our own and you can learn more about our property management services here.
Alternatively, if you are looking to rent a property, you can view the properties we currently have available here.
