The clocks have gone forward, Easter has passed and the sunshine is making a more regular appearance so it is safe to say that Spring has most certainly arrived. Many people are inspired by the changing of the seasons to make some changes and one of these is often moving home. So if you’re a landlord, you could expect an influx of requests to view your properties from those who are wanting to relocate. And with that in mind, you need to make sure your flats and/or houses are all ready to be viewed to the best of their standards. Here’s what we recommend you do:
Tenanted Glasgow property
It can be trickier to control the condition of the property at the exact time a viewing might be taking place. However, the majority of tenants will be accommodating, especially if it is their choice to be moving out. You should consider the following steps in order to ensure the home is in the best condition it can be for the prospective viewers:
- Maintenance – ask your tenants in advance of them moving out if there are any maintenance jobs that require work. They should have already logged them with you, but if not asking could highlight what is needed and should give you enough time to complete before the viewings. If there isn’t enough time, you can provide any prospective tenants with a full list of amends/improvements/maintenance that will be taking place before they would move in to give them peace of mind
- Cleanliness – the tenants should keep the property in a good state and it would be reasonable to request that the property is clean and tidy. You could schedule an inspection for just prior to visits (providing you give the necessary notice, of course) to double check everything will be of a high enough standard
- Host – it is at your discretion who shows the home to the prospective tenants but it would be advisable not to leave it to the tenants themselves. Whilst they do live there, they may not have as much of an interest in it being rented out again. The landlord and/or estate agent will be much better suited to this task as they will really point out all the positives as well as being able to answer questions regarding upkeep, maintenance and legalities.
Letting a currently tenanted property can seem unfavourable, however, your prospective renters need to be able to picture themselves in situ so having a ‘lived in’ look could assist.
Vacant Glasgow properties
The best thing you can do in order to show your property to the best of its ability is to ensure it is clean, with all the maintenance jobs completed. If you are renting it furnished, it is important the layout of the furniture shows off the size of the rooms with everything as clean as possible. If you are letting it unfurnished, stains and marks on the floors and walls will be difficult to conceal so should be removed wherever possible. You’ll have the flexibility to show the property at any time to suit the potential new tenants which is a bonus, but they may struggle to picture themselves living there if it is an empty shell. You might have to help paint a picture for them!
Regardless of whether you are letting a tenanted or vacant property, there are certain services you might need to gain access to in order to ensure it happens in a timely manner. This is where an experienced local estate agent can help. Firstly, they will know the market and audience so will be able to advise you on elements such as rent prices and so on. They will also have a range of channels through which to promote your property – this can be one of the biggest challenges. From getting it online, to email marketing, to shop window displays and even leaflet drops; your estate agent will arrange all of this. Then when it comes to the logistics of viewings, credit checks, contracts and managing the property going forwards, again your estate agent can handle all this for you.
So if you’re hoping to rent your Glasgow property out this spring, get in touch with your local experts at Thistle Property on 0141 428 4422 to find out more.
