If you're a landlord renting a property then it's incredibly important to make sure that you invest a little time and money into making it look as attractive as possible and that you use the best techniques when it comes to designing the layout and making your home look comfortable and new attractive.
When it comes to making the most from this investment property, the single most important measure is to make sure that you don't end up going months without having anyone in your property.
Here we will look at how to spend the money and design your rooms to avoid putting people off of living in your building by looking at some of the most common mistakes that landlords make.
Letting it Look Old The first problem that many properties have is that they look old and tired.
When people are looking around places to live, finding somewhere that looks modern and like it will be able to keep the cold out and the heat in while not looking terribly out of date is very important.
To give your property that new sheen you should look into re-plastering any damaged walls, certainly repainting when it starts to look tired, and putting in new carpets (or better yet, laminate flooring which won't date).
Using double glazing is also an important way to keep your property warmer and newer looking.
Making it Look Cramped No one wants to move into a tiny property, but many landlords make the mistake of dressing their apartments up to look smaller than they are.
A big mistake you see commonly for instance is beds pushed in front of cupboards thus preventing the doors from opening.
Not only is this highly impractical, but it sends a very clear sign that there isn't enough room for that furniture - in this case you'd be much better off leaving the cupboard out entirely or using a smaller bed.
Taking Unhelpful Photos Look around many multiple listings sites and you'll find that you often come across flats with little information and unhelpful photos.
If your potential visitors feel like they can't get much information from your photos, then chances are they will just pass you by and look elsewhere.
It's really no good then uploading pictures that don't show the entire room, or leaving out pictures of the bathroom or the bedrooms.
Of course you should try to make your property look its best, but at the same time you shouldn't make your pictures 'lie' either - this isn't a time for Photoshop.
While that might get more interested parties to come and look at your property, if you've lied then they will only be disappointed when they get there and you'll probably find you just waste everyone's time.
Including Weird 'Features' You might love your giant flamingo lamp and think it's a great feature to win over potential tenants, but the reality is that these kinds of things are an acquired taste.
When you list a property as furnished that should mean it comes with the 'basics' - in other words sofa and chairs.
Nothing that could potentially divide opinion.