As an investor you may always be looking at updating your investment property. Essentially you want your property to appeal to potential tenants looking for a home that suits their needs.

A savvy landlord can stay on top of their property and make sure it’s appealing and updated. By refreshing your property with a few small improvements, you could increase the rental value of your property attract more applicants faster.

1.Start with a professional clean

Perhaps all the property needs is a good cleaning. Before deciding whether you need to make larger adjustments to your property, try hiring some professionals to perform a thorough clean to refresh the home and to help determine what actually needs fixing and what was just a bit dirty.

2.Tidy up the garden

First impressions can matter, so having a welcoming and uncluttered front garden can make a difference. Whether it is a thorough clear out, a quick prune or an addition of some attractive new plants, you may be enticing more tenants with a new garden. 

Many potential tenants can also be attracted to back garden space, as not all properties offer this. If you have a backyard, making sure it is tame and pleasant to look at can ensure that you find tenants that also value a neat garden and will keep it looking nice. 

Homely have an insightful article on “How to create a tenant friendly garden.”

3.Re-accessorise your bathroom

Bathrooms can be a space to get ready and set your mood for the day and can offer a place to unwind at night – particularly if the home has a bathtub. The bathroom should be an inviting area.

There are a few little things you can update without having to drastically refurbish the bathroom:

• Change the shower curtain
• Replace the toilet seat
• Update the bathroom fixtures
• Update the shower head.

4.Keep your materials cohesive

Especially in a smaller space, making sure the colours and materials you have used are looking cohesive and consistent can bring a stylish and sleek look to your property. It can even make your property look newer.

Providing a cohesive aesthetic can be done using neutral or consistent colours, using similar flooring and pursuing one style throughout the property.  

5.Paint the walls

The colour of the walls can set the scene from the moment you walk in.

A fresh paint job can sometimes be the most cost efficient and easiest of renovations to do, and sometimes it’s all the refreshment a property needs.

By giving your property a fresh coat of paint, you can potentially make the place look fresher and attract more prospective tenants.  

6.Change the curtains

It is something that can be easily forgotten about, but if your blinds have been in the house for a long time it may be time for an upgrade. With changing trends and new prospective tenants, it’s something small but it may change the feel of a room and make it feel more up to date. 

7.Change the lighting

A dull room can be very unappealing. Perhaps it’s time to change up the lighting fixtures to ones that let more light through. Maybe it is only a matter of changing the light bulbs to a different coloured light or using brighter bulbs.

8.Replace normal doors with sliding doors

You can make smaller spaces feel larger when you install sliding doors. If your property allows it, it can make the home feel more open and bigger when you use sliding doors instead of normal doors. 

Sometimes it is the smaller changes that can make a significant difference to your property. Before you go and spend a decent amount on a renovation, it may be worth trying a few property refreshers first and see the difference they can make.