PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
How to decorate for maximum rental interest
Take in these decorating tips for rental success
By Faye-Marie Cloete
Decorating a rental property requires
a different approach to decorating
your own home, as your personal
taste may be different to your
potential tenants. The cardinal rule
is to keep your colours neutral. By
keeping things simple, you will
appeal to a wider audience.
Paint
Use off-whites, beige, taupe and other neutral colours. A fresh layer of
paint will lighten and brighten your property which makes it instantly
more attractive. Try calming neutral colours like Plascon’s Silver Bird,
Evening Mist, Light Grey Aluminium, Off Shore and Petite White which
is the signature shade in Plascon’s Colour Forecast for 2017. This will
also ensure that any of the tenant’s accessories will work harmoniously
with the neutral colour scheme.
Seeff Property Consultant Storm Colley says, “Neutral is the best way.
Don’t use bright colours at all. Light, neutral colours such as beige, pale
grey and light sandy colours. Earthy tones are what the tenants are
looking for.”
ISSUE 30 - JUNE 2017
Lighting
Lighting is another important factor for gaining interest in your rental
property. People usually want to live somewhere that has plenty natural light.
If you don’t have much natural light, there are things you can do, such as:
• Hang mirrors allowing sunlight to bounce off reflective surfaces.
• Make sure any bushes or trees that are close to your windows are
trimmed regularly so light can get in.
• Clean your windows!
• Move dark artworks to rooms that aren’t short of light.
• The lighter the colour of your walls, the more light they will reflect.
• Use translucent shades for curtains and hang block-out curtaining
on a separate track.
• Choose high-wattage light bulbs.
“Tenants like a home that is light and bright. There must be good
lighting, down lights are a good choice. A dark house that is not well
lit is not attractive to the interested tenants. Outside lights are also very
important to tenants for the security aspect,” says Storm.
Flooring
There are many choices available and deciding what’s best for your
investment while also considering the type of tenants you will find can be
challenging. Some options include wood, vinyl, carpets and tiling. Every
option has different pros and cons, but tiling usually works best and is
low maintenance for a rental property.
Storm adds, “No to carpets! Tiling is the best way forward. It is easy to
clean and look after. It’s also cooler in Botswana because our winters are
short. Again, choose neutral colours for tiling. Simple, neat and attractive.”
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