What facelifts will attract tenants?

Discussion in 'Property Management' started by PropertyInsight, 12th Oct, 2017.

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  1. PropertyInsight

    PropertyInsight Well-Known Member

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    Just plan to rent out my IP in one of the prestige suburbs in QLD. The house is in a good condition. I think of the following facelift of the IP to attract tenants and maximise the rent as much as possible:

    1. Refresh paints thru the house
    2. Replace with new energy saving white light bulbs to make the rooms very bright
    3. The house has 2 old basic toilets. Replace with 2 new modern toilets
    4. The carpets smell badly. Replace new carpets or de-odour them?
    5. Light candles with aroma during inspection time

    The target tenants are families with children who want to send their children to good schools.

    Do you think the above facelift works are worth will help me to achieve the goal? Anything else should I consider?

    Current Toilet




    May requite fresh paint to these walls and ceilings?

    upload_2017-10-12_9-15-24.png

    upload_2017-10-12_9-15-56.png
     
    Last edited: 12th Oct, 2017
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  2. qak

    qak Well-Known Member

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    Getting rid of smelly carpet would be my first objective. Can the floors be sanded there too, insted of carpet?
     
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  3. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I'd look at warm white bulbs. You don't need to go to the expense of LED for a rental, because some tenants might decide to take them with them, and they are expensive.

    It comes down to ambience and for me, cool white makes things too clinical.
     
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  4. PropertyInsight

    PropertyInsight Well-Known Member

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    Current toilet need be replaced with a modern one.
    upload_2017-10-12_9-38-2.png
     
  5. PropertyInsight

    PropertyInsight Well-Known Member

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    Floor cannot be polish because it is a concrete floor (slab on ground)
     
  6. Jess Peletier

    Jess Peletier Mortgage Broker & Finance Strategy, Aus Wide! Business Member

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    Fix the carpet. And maybe paint the kitchen cabinetry too.

    it's hard to see the paintwork in the photo, but it looks white already so doing the cabinets will add more brightness most probably.
     
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  7. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    look like it would do the job!

    stick to paint and carpets
     
  8. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I'd leave that toilet. I cannot see anything wrong with it.

    I agree with @Jess Peletier that the kitchen cabinets painted gloss white would make things much brighter. But be aware that once painted, they will show the dirt more and need more upkeep than the timber. For a rental, I'd likely leave them timber rather than have the continual cleaning once painted.
     
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  9. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    yep and prone to chipping
    Perhaps new handles would do the trick
     
  10. PropertyInsight

    PropertyInsight Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for all feedback!.

    I may agree with wylie. Kitchen cabinets need upkeep once they are painted. I rather leave them as they are, or polish them if I can.
     
  11. Natascha

    Natascha Active Member

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    the golden doorknobs date the kitchen. Never underestimate the impact of hardware. Would replace with nice dark ones- dark bronze or black metal to match the windowframes and bench top. I agree that painted white would also look nice but more upkeep.
     
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  12. DaveM

    DaveM Well-Known Member

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    Paint looks ok.

    For a quick makeover...

    - Carpet
    - Curtains (if dated/old fashioned)
    - Light fittings
    - Kitchen handles

    Nothing else really looks that bad
     
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  13. Christina46

    Christina46 Well-Known Member

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    Toilets look ok to me to.

    Don't under estimate a bit of styling for advertising photos as well - clear the top of the kitchen cabinets, add some accessories that lighten the area up - maybe even a rug on the kitchen floor to break up the timber floor going to timber cabinets? Just recently, my rental agent said she could organise "virtual" staging.

    We've had great success with staging rentals (with our own furniture & accessories) - managed to get significantly over market rent.
     
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  14. neK

    neK Well-Known Member

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    1. Paint walls / ceilings

    2. Wipe down all cupboards (kitchen, pantry, linen, wardrobe). Repaint if required. No one likes putting their cookware in dirty cupboards or clean clothes in smelly mouldy wardrobes.

    3. Current toilet looks fine. You're better ADDING a toilet in the laundry or something. You're targeting a family - more toilets to take dump is a win :D

    4. Rip off existing silicon in bathroom / kitchen and reapply. Its amazing how nice white new silicon looks compared to mouldy ones. Plus it will help extend the life of your items in your house.

    5. Repolish timber floors if they are scratched up. Matte is better than shiny.

    6. New light fittings, but have it suit the house. Eg. Cheapy plastic oysters are out. Replace with a nice LED oyster that has a trim. I like dimmable LED downlights in rooms that are 2.4m high. Rooms with higher ceilings (eg 3m) i like hanging lights as higher ceilings are of an older era and hanging lights suit better. Hanging lights in 2.4m ceilings is just plain stupid.

    7. New blinds if the old ones look like crap.
     
  15. hobartchic

    hobartchic Well-Known Member

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    I would replace the carpet with commercial grade in a cream tone/ natural tone, clean the walls or repaint if needed, clean the house, leave the kitchen - just clean it up, all that paint may well detract from a kitchen that looks good quality. Tidy the garden if needed. No perfume at inspection, diluted lemon essential oil in water on lamps if you must - hotel trick (people who have allergies hate scents).
     
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  16. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    oh yeah and re-grouting. it's a slow job but will freshen up the bathroom. grout scraper costs about $5 and elbow grease is free ;)
     
  17. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

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    Forget the aroma candles.

    As soon as I enter a house with some noticeable artificial scent I wonder what problem the owner is trying to disguise.
    Marg
     
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  18. Chivaun.Shortis

    Chivaun.Shortis Well-Known Member

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    Carpets!!!!!! I have been in pm many years and smelly carpet is the biggest turn off for potential tenants depending on your budget. Carpets and painting will always bring the property back up to speed
     
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  19. Tom Rivera

    Tom Rivera Property Manager Business Member

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    When you get the carpet done, look at a cost effective twist-pile Solution Dyed Nylon. It's stain proof, resistant to crushing, soft under foot and reasonably cost effective. You can get a good quality carpet for $38 per lineal metre, compared with flat pile Polypropylene which will set you back about $26 per lineal metre. The Polypropylene is what you would find in most rentals, it's stain resistant and easy to clean but it crushes easily and feels awful under foot- I wouldn't put it in an expensive property.

    The paint looks fine, but the photos are small so we might be missing details that show it up as aged and worn. The toilet looks fine but if it really bothers you, go check out a nice solid soft-close lid.

    I'm biased but I LOVE that kitchen, please don't paint it! Not sure what sort of new handles are really going to help, those ones look fine to me. If you're handy you can give them a good polish and they'll come up like new. You might want to replace the double fluro over the window with something more modern though, that's quite dated.

    Be careful with new energy saving bulbs, they can be too white and make the house feel sterile. Again, only a personal thing, but I really miss the warm yellow you used to get in incandescent bulbs.
    __________________________________________________________________

    Outside of what you've suggested, my top tip for presenting an investment property is to make sure the external of the house and yard look 100%! Beautifully mowed and edged lawns, neat bark chipped garden beds, clean concrete and no mould on the eaves makes any house look great!
     
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  20. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I couldn't work out what that thing was above the window, but if it is a wall mounted fluro, then it has to go. I cannot stand fluros and to have one "in my face" like that would drive me nuts.
     
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