FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT
Street appeal is crucial in renting your property
First
impressions count when selling, but do first impressions really count when
you are trying to rent out a property?
Absolutely. Many rental agents will simply hand out a list of available
rentals and let potential tenants drive by and see if they like the place.
Private inquirers generally want to do the same thing before they look
inside.
So when a
tenant sees your property for the very first time, they will almost
certainly make a quick judgement about the rest of the property. If your
rental looks like a bomb site and would be better off with a bulldozer
going through the middle of it, then you aren't likely to get much
interest, are you?
Your aim
is to visually create a property that invites the tenant in, that looks
like a home and makes people WANT to look inside. This is called
street appeal.
 Once in
the door, you get a second bite of the cherry which is equally important.
People, whether they be buyers or renters get a feel for a house after
wandering around inside it. This I call
living appeal.
How do I create street appeal?
Unfortunately I can't cover much in one article, but here are a few tips.
Have a
look at all the other houses in the street. They sometimes tend to have a
similar style. Look closely at all the ones you don't like and try to work
out what is wrong with their street appeal.
Also look
at the homes you do like and work out why they have great street appeal
and copy them.
The House
Can you
see the house on your property? Do trees or bushes cover it too much?
Modern
homes are designed to get as much natural light inside as possible, so you
may need to remove or trim some of the trees to improve the street appeal.
Make sure
the house and yard is clean and tidy. You don't want bags of rubbish, car
wrecks and old dog bones strewn around the yard. Mow the lawns, have the
edges trimmed, and weed the gardens.
The letterbox
Many
people spend a fortune renovating the house and leave a rusty, bent
letterbox at the front gate. The letterbox is the entrance to the property
and will often tell you what the rest of the house is like inside. Add to
that street appeal by repainting or replacing an unattractive letterbox.
Fencing
If the
front of the yard is open to the street and all passers-by can look into
your living room, you might need to add a fence or plant some small trees
to increase privacy.
The
existing fence might just need a water blast and a coat of paint to give
it a new lease of life.
Pathway
Try to
have a defined pathway to the front door. You are trying to welcome the
tenant, valuer and buyer, so make it easy for
them to find the front door.
How do I create living appeal?
As you
step inside the front door of a building you get an instant feeling of
space (or lack of it!)
Older
houses tend to open into hallways, and have too many walls and separated
rooms compared with modern open-plan homes. Simply moving or opening up a
wall can have a dramatic effect on the spaciousness of an entranceway.
On the
other hand, sometimes the front door opens straight into the living room,
so perhaps you can build a short wall screening most
of the living room. Create an entranceway.
In most
houses, the entrance way will naturally flow into the living room, so most
visitors will tend to walk that way.
Whatever
room it is, it should he light, bright and welcoming. Use neutral colours,
soft toned lighting and if you must put in a feature wall do it in this
room – tastefully!
By having
a favourable and positive first impression of your property you are
increasing your chances of the buyer or tenant inquiring further. Once
inside a favourable living appeal will increase your chances of securing a
high quality tenant.
Happy
designing!
|
