Helpful Tips 3 & 4
Having chosen your agent you need to make sure that your property is now ready for photographs to market your property for let. For the fully managed package agents will arrange any works required. A good question if you haven't already established this is to ask whether the contractors they use are required to add between 10 and 25% to the invoices. This is because some agents will take a cut of the invoice for passing the work to the contractor. This will also be why their management fee can be a lot lower than other agents. Julevic Property Consultants do not ask any of the contractors to do this.
Properties being freshly painted will appeal to tenants more. Painting throughout the property in White may seem dull and clinical but actually it reflects light and can lift carpets and kitchen cupboards. The beauty of using White is that at the end of the tenancy it is easier for a tenant to touch up the walls as they will be given the brand and exact colour used. If you prefer to go with the current fashionable colour then leaving a large jar (air tignt and easier to store) of the paint used for touching up is recommended. Gloss to the woodwork is harder wearing than satinwood too.
A clean property is another important factor. A good cleaning contractor is vital and another tip is not to pay their invoice until you have checked the property to make sure you are happy with it. Window frames and along inside the frame where the hinges as well as tops of kitchen cupboards can be forgotten and are important too. Again a nice clean oven, hob and extractor fan sets off a nice kitchen. Limescale free taps, tiles, shower screens and shower heads with a nice polished look will lift a bathroom. Prospective tenants viewing a clean property smelling fresh will set your property apart from others.
Carpets being cleaned will lift the pile and look inviting. Hard floors can be steam cleaned and the difference can be incredible. I have used a photograph to demonstrate the difference. I can pass the details on if you would like details of the contractors I use. The other important factor is the receipt can be added to the inventory and will help tenants to know who to appoint when they leave.
When you have prepared your property and a tenant has been found a good quality inventory is a must. Inventories that have been prepared by you or the agent inhouse will not be viewed as favourably by the deposit scheme arbitration as an independently sourced one. Julevic uses an independent firm and the quality of the inventory is paramount rather than how cheap it can be done for. It is protecting your investment and the tenants deposit.
