| Getting Your Property Ready to Rent

If you have a new investment property, or a rental property that is vacant, it is a great time to make it attractive to quality tenants by taking care of some important maintenance details. 

You don’t have to have a big budget, but by taking care of some details you will attract better tenants and possibly a little more rent.

It helps to do these odd jobs when your rental is empty and you are not disrupting tenants.

Test and Service appliances
Before your property is rented out, it is important to check any appliances like:

• Oven, 
• Stove, 
• Hot water system, 
• Air conditioning, 
• Heaters, 
• Fire alarms

They don’t last forever, so make sure they get properly checked and tested before a new tenant moves in.

Find and Eradicate any Mould
Look for mould in the following places:

• Dark corners of the laundry room
• Bathroom tiles and fixtures
• Closets
• Downstairs / under house areas

Scrub mould with soap and water, but don’t try to scrub mould out of drywall. Unless the mould is clearly only growing on the surface paint, the only way to eradicate it is to replace the affected drywall.

Re-key or change the locks
It’s a good idea to change locks between tenants. If you can’t re-key the existing locks on the entry doors, replace them. 

Touch up Paint on Walls
Over time walls and the paint on them deteriorates.  If you can, it is a good idea to refresh walls or rooms that are showing wear.  This will give the home a better presentation to potential tenants.  Painting a wall or a room is not hard or expensive.  Get a painter in or spend a weekend and do it yourself.

Get into the Garden
Gardens are important for a number of reasons.  Including increasing the street appeal of your property, especially if you are trying to attract families as tenants.

• Mow the lawns
• Do the edges of your garden
• Power Clean driveway and concrete areas
• Trim hedges
• Replace dead plants
• Re-lay any lawn that needs it
• Plant some colour to add to the attractiveness
• Also paint the front door (a cheap option that adds lots of value) 

Step Inside
You need the home to be attractive, inviting and have a nice feel.  Potential tenants need to be able to see themselves living in the home.

• Replace any worn out carpet
• Fix any broken door knobs and handles
• Clean windows to bring light into the house
• Make sure all windows are working well
• Remove any rust stains in the wet areas
• Clean any stained grout and tiles
• Either dry clean curtains or replace them
• Fix any chips and marks
• Make sure the home is smelling nice and fresh

You may need to spend a little money, but it will provide you a great return on your small investment.

By making your property more attractive to potential tenants, you will attract and be able chose higher quality tenants, reduce vacancy time and possibly achieve a higher rent.