A warm and cosy, well presented property that everybody can get access to is key to turning your winter letting blues into a welcoming home for a new tenant.
- Make sure the windows are clean inside and out – the winter light can be unforgiving and clean glass will maximise the best of the property’s natural light.
- Make sure heating and plumbing has been fully serviced.
- Make sure all the lights in the property are working. Winter hours mean that the property will often be shown when it is dark outside, so inside needs to be inviting.
- Make sure the heating is on a timer so the property never feels cold.
- Make sure to spruce up the entrance, front door and outside space if there is any – raking up leaves, sweeping the steps, polishing the door furniture, giving the woodwork a fresh lick of paint; it’s all about first impressions.
Presentation, presentation, presentation
People make choices based on immediate gut instinct and will rarely have the interest or ability to imagine your property in a different condition. If a property is vacant in the winter months, any extra effort that you can put in to making it look attractive and well dressed (if furnished) will pay you back dividends in extra viewings at this time of year. It just takes one person to see and appreciate what you have done to dress your property to get a deal.
Inside or outside
For landlords, it is important not to lose interest in the presentation of a property especially during the winter months. Another common issue over winter can be viewing a property that is colder inside than it is outside! No tenant will like a property that is freezing inside.
The human factor
Try to tune into the intuitive decision making that your prospective tenants go through when choosing a property. Human beings are not solely rational and process driven – we also have an emotional and primal side that will make instinctive decisions based on what we immediately see and feel.
For expert lettings advice contact Rosie Wallace at Homes 01428 728520
