Tips to Turn Your Rundown House into a Lettable Property
Turning a rundown house into a lettable property isn’t exactly easy. That said, you are likely to find that your efforts pay off handsomely, and in ways that are more than just financially rewarding. This is only possible, however, if you go about it in the right way, and concentrate your efforts on the areas where it matters the most.
Maintenance
While you might have plans for a massive makeover, maintenance is a key part of bringing a house back from the brink. Here are some things that you are going to need to make sure are taken care of before you do anything else.
#1 Water Damage
Water damage needs to be taken care of as soon as you find it. You need to be careful that you are scouring the whole house for this, as you don’t want to be fighting the repercussions of it when you’re finishing off renovations and you have a tenant in there and must strip everything out again.
#2 Weather Damage
Weather damage is every bit as problematic as water damage, and it is likely to lead to eventual water damage. You might find that making sure that your home is completely patched up and double-checking it after any bad weather can help you keep on top of it.
Finishing Touches
You need to make sure that, when you are looking at the details, you are picking things that bring out the character of your home. Here are some things that look fantastic and timeless in pretty much every home.
#1 Glass Railings
Glass railings can give a classy edge to any property, as well as being practical and sturdy. You will find that by getting a professional glass railing installer, your railings will look effortless and won’t interfere with your landscape.
#2 Wall Color
By choosing light colors for the inside walls, you can help light to bounce around far more easily. This helps the room appear bigger and more usable, as well as making the house a more refreshing space to be in.
Realtor vs Let by Owner
This might be causing you some worry, and even a sleepless night or two. There are lots of benefits to letting with a realtor, even though it can be expensive, and doing it yourself is not something that might not be all that appealing when you peek under the hood.
#1 Realtor
The benefits of letting with a realtor are:
- The landlord is protected against abusive and troublesome tenants,
- It is marketed well in a place where people are more likely to see it
- You will have the advice of a professional on prices and the right time of year to let.
#2 Let by Owner
The benefits of letting yourself are a little bit different and are the flip side of the bad things about getting a realtor. They are:
- You save yourself some money
- You meet the potential tenants, and you can judge for yourself whether you trust them in your home
- You own the property, so you know it the best, meaning that you are in the best position to extoll all its virtues. A Realtor might not do it justice.
