Time for Change in January – The New Year tends to bring change for many people, including where they live. Whether they are buying a property or looking for a new property to rent, there are many reasons for ensuring that if you are looking to sell a property, or you need to find a new tenant, that it will attract as much interest as possible. After all, the more people that want your property the more money you will be able to make!
The best way of ensuring that your property will attract attention is to have it decorated in order to suit all tastes. If you have put your interior design stamp on the property it might not be to everyone’s taste and may even put some potential tenants off, so it’s essential you pick a neutral design.
With this in mind, here at PropertyQuoteDirect we have come up with the best trends to look out for in interior design in 2014, and what you should be doing to make your property as attractive as possible.
Colour
One of the most fashionable colours for 2014 is yellow. While we aren’t suggesting that you paint your entire property in yellow it is a good idea to consider other colours that will compliment it. Grey and sand are great colours for the walls, even if your tenants aren’t going to have a bright yellow sofa!
If you are trying to dress a room however, accessories in the most popular colours for the year will show that the property has been well looked after. If this is something you are considering then yellows, teals and reds are great colours.
If you think your property is in need of some new carpet then neutral colours are best, and if you want to add some variety then you could consider a khaki rug. This is a great statement colour, although still natural and looks good paired with purples.
Painting
Obviously, if you are looking for new tenants you aren’t going to want to refurnish the property, but giving the walls a lick of paint in a contemporary but neutral colour is a great way to get started. You can then add accessories as you wish throughout the home so it is a little more staged and inviting to those who are viewing it.
It is obviously important to make sure that the property is clean and kept in good condition. If your property is on the coast for example it is likely that you are going to need to paint the exterior more often than if your property was in the countryside.
There is also no need to ensure that you have the latest technology in the property. If a property isn’t in the right location having a state of the art TV system isn’t going to persuade a tenant to take up a rental agreement. You are better off having a fresh coat of paint on the living room walls than investing in new equipment. Chances are, if the tenant is coming from another rented property they already have the gadgets they want anyway.
Maintenance
If your previous tenants had been in your property for a while it might be worth visiting it while it is raining so you can check for any leaking pipes. If you have a viewing and there is a downpour (it is January in England after all) any leaks will put potential tenants off.
It is also a good time to look at the ventilation in your property, especially in the bathroom, to make sure there isn’t a build up of mildew. Bathroom specialists are likely to advise you differently so it is important to consider who your target market is. A property filled with young boys tends to mean that the windows are rarely opened and wet washing is kept inside, so finding other ways to ventilate the property is important and will ensure you don’t run into problems further on down the line.
Overall, January is a great time to spruce up your property for selling or renting, providing your current tenants are not still living there! At the end of the day, how a property is decorated isn’t going to be a major factor in the decision making process, however it is a good tool for attracting interest, ensuring you get a fair price for what you are offering. If you are a landlord and experiencing a void period at the moment, make sure your landlord insurance covers any renovations or staging, or you might want to consider taking out extra cover.
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