Buy-to-Let with Clyde Property

Stylish and scandinavian living room interior of modern apartment with gray sofa, design wooden commode, black table, lamp, abstract paintings on the wall. Beautiful dog lying on the couch. Home decor.

Your property is likely to be one of your most valuable assets and could be the key to financial stability and freedom in retirement. Therefore, it’s essential that you choose a letting agent that will take care of your investment and be on hand to answer any questions you have. You must choose an agency you can trust and have the experience and expertise to partner with you on your landlord journey. Every one of our offices has qualified letting staff who have successfully completed the Scottish Level 6 Technical Award in Residential Letting & Property Management on hand to provide advice and guidance.

To maximise your income, you must make your property inviting and up to the standard that enables tenants to happily live in their new home without wanting to move on. Here are our tips for maximising the value of your rental property:

Modernise your kitchen and bathroom

The kitchen and bathroom can make or break a rental home and command more rent as well as reduce your void periods, so it’s important to bring these up to date. What’s more, if you renovate these rooms your property will be worth more which can affect the price you achieve when it comes to selling and the loan to value when it comes to remortgage.

You don’t need to spend too much money as you can always have a kitchen or bathroom facelift rather than a complete renovation. Just by changing the cupboard doors, worktops and tiling you can give it a new lease of life.

Replace the carpets

Carpets can get stained and dirty and can give your home an odour if not cleaned regularly. If the carpet in your rental property is over 5-10 years old we recommend replacing these as your tenants will look after a home better if it’s clean and smart when they move in. Choose a carpet that’s hardwearing such as polypropylene that can be bleach cleaned. Avoid a Berber loop or pure wool carpet as the pile can become damaged through wear, wet or stains. Alternatively, opt for a laminate or luxury vinyl floor that can be wiped clean and is hardwearing. You can also add warmth with rugs.

Choose a neutral décor

Having a neutral décor not only maximises the sense of light and space but will also appeal to a larger number of tenants. Aim for a blank canvas that your tenants can add their personality to – avoid bold colours, large floral designs and graphic patterns. Go for white, grey or off-white.

Get the property checked

It’s important to have all the relevant up-to-date certificates – something we can guide you on. You’ll need an Electrical Installation Condition Report, Gas Safety Record, Energy Performance Certificate A-E, and you’ll need additional certificates if you have a working fireplace or wood burner.

Fire safety

Properties in Scotland need to have interconnected fire and carbon monoxide alarms so that if one alarm goes off in the house, all of them do. You’ll need one in every living area including the kitchen, and one upstairs. You’ll also need a carbon monoxide alarm to keep your tenants safe.

Consider tenants with pets

Since the pandemic, a record number of people renting homes have a pet. Therefore, if you allow pets you’ll have a lot more tenants to choose from. What’s more, many people who care for a pet are responsible and will choose to keep the property clean and quiet.

Get the garden in order

If you have outside space – either a private garden, balcony, roof terrace or shared garden, it’s important to make the most of the space. Many tenants will pay a premium to have a place to sit, eat and socialise in the sunshine so make the area clear, well-kept and inviting. If you provide a landscaped area the tenants are likely to keep it looking great so that they can enjoy the space. Choose plants and flowers that are easy to look after and consider getting some garden furniture and lights to dress the space.

Prepare an inventory

This is the record of the condition of the property as well as the contents, fixtures and fittings so that when the tenant moves out you can record any damage or missing items. We will prepare an inventory before a new tenant moves in and we will compare it with the checkout report at the end of the tenancy before the deposit is returned. Check that each of the appliances and lights work and that all keys are present.