As with your own home, a certain amount of wear and tear is unavoidable during a tenancy. We recommend a repairs and maintenance programme which will ensure that your property continues to achieve maximum rental, attract quality tenants and protect the value of your investment.
Consider the following guideline suggestions:
- Budget to paint internally every 3 – 5 years
- Paint thoroughly in a light neutral décor (not white) and use washable paint
- Remove ‘dated’ wallpapers, even if in good condition, as these can hinder securing a good tenant
- Clean gutters regularly
- Clean heatpumps, chimneys and flues regularly
- Re-grout tiles in bathrooms and kitchens to freshen appearance
- Ensure adequate tiling on walls around kitchen sinks, laundry tubs, bathroom basins, showers and baths
- Tile sufficient wall area around stoves to prevent damage from cooking
- Consider drapes as an alternative to more conventional blinds or curtains as they are more economical to install, maintain and repair
- Replace kitchen bench-tops, cupboard and drawer fronts instead of installing a new kitchen. This can give the impression of a new kitchen at a fraction of the cost
- Don’t lay soft vinyl flooring as this is more inclined to wear and tear
- Ceramic floors in kitchens are not recommended as they are more inclined to crack or fracture if heavy items are dropped onto them
- Select good quality, hard wearing carpet in a neutral colour with quality underlay when replacing carpet
- Select a stove with coil elements as the newer style ceramic surfaces require greater care and treatment during tenancy.
Selecting a tradesperson to carry out repairs in a timely manner that is both of a quality and reasonable cost is a process we regularly review.
This ensures that when any work is required, you have the confidence in knowing that work will be done quickly, correctly and at a favourable cost.