Making the most of your buy to let property in Hull comes down to three things:
- Maximising rental returns
- Minimising vacancy periods
- Controlling maintenance spend
It’s no secret that people want to live in nice places, and making a few small changes to your investment property can help to push up the rent and fill your properties quickly – here are our top 7 ways you can improve your property without breaking the bank.
1 First Impressions Count
You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it a good one!
Improving the exterior curb appeal of a rental property will help to drive viewings and increase the perceived value of your rental property.
Clearing the front garden of clutter, mowing the lawn, painting the exterior walls, replacing the front door and planting a few low-maintenance trees, bushes and flowers can all help to give your property a homely feel.
2 A fresh lick of paint
Painting the interior walls is one of the quickest, easiest and cheapest ways to improve a buy to let property – it will make a real difference.
It’s best to stick to neutral colours, but you don’t have to paint every room in magnolia! Introducing some more contemporary greys, tans and light browns can give a property personality and warmth.
As a rule, the smaller the room, the lighter the walls should be. This helps to maximise the sense of space.
3 Let there be light!
Light fittings date a house – and those 70s and 80s brass fittings are doing your property no favours at all! Replacing light fittings with simple, modern fittings will make a real difference to the look and feel of any room.
At the same time, replacing old, yellowing light switches and plug sockets will help to make your property look like it’s had a recent refurbishment. Doing all the rooms at the same time will help to keep electrician fees down.
4 Sort out the bathroom
Nothing puts a prospective tenant off quite as much as an ill-equipped, dank or dated bathroom – but in most cases, a few small tweaks will bring it back to ‘rent-ready’ condition.
Start with the simple things – replacing that old shower curtain, shower head, toilet seat and the mouldy seals will all have an instant impact for minimal investment. If you do need to replace the whole suite, you don’t have to splash out.
A simple, white suite and tiles is sufficient – it’s clean, contemporary and timeless.
5 Spruce up the kitchen
Kitchens sell homes, so it’s worth investing a little to make your investment property more appealing. In most cases, you won’t need to invest in a completely new kitchen – a few small changes will be enough.
Start with the cabinet furniture – invest in matching handles and knobs to refresh the cabinets. Whilst you can replace cabinet doors if they are particularly dated, sometimes, a good lick of paint is all they need.
6 Refurnish regularly
If you’re renting a property as partly or fully furnished, it’s important that your furniture matches the quality of the property. Tired, worn or dirty couches will definitely impact on rental values and desirability.
There’s absolutely no need to buy new – there’s a world of high quality cheap (and free) furniture available online. Check out Freecycle, gumtree and local Facebook pages for bargains, or head to a second hand shop.
7 Improve the garden
If your investment property has a garden, taking steps to make it an attractive, usable space will pay dividends.
The trick here is to go low maintenance – think nice paved or gravelled areas with a small bistro table, so your tenants can imagine themselves making use of the space. Planting low maintenance borders can also enhance the look of the outside areas. If you’re willing to invest, replacing lawn with high quality artificial turf can make it more appealing to tenants looking for an easy life.
Hull Buy to Let Property Advice from CJ Property
Hull is in the spotlight, expansive development is transforming the city centre and its reputation is changing fast – it’s the perfect time to start investing in Hull property.
Whether you’re an existing landlord or looking to invest, our local team of property investment professionals has vast knowledge and unrivalled experience in the local market, and we can help you at every step of your investment journey.
From finding the right, desirable properties in the right areas, to looking after your portfolio and managing it on your behalf – we’re here to ensure you make the right decisions.
Ready to start your investment journey? Book your free, no obligation consultation with CJ Property – the Hull buy to let investment specialists. Call 01482 645270 today for further information.
CJ Property