Decorations

The classic cliche is to choose neutral decorations which can offend nobody! Buy2LetExpert disagrees as a property can become too 'neutral' and start to be rather cold and look like a hospital. We would advise steering away from magnolia as a colour and pure brilliant white on all but possibly ceilings. It is worth obtaining a colour chart from a good quality paint supplier such as Farrah and Ball or similar.

The colour chart will give a few pointers but colours look very different when exposed to a larger area and possibly different light conditions. Buy2LetExpert would recommend a lighter tone or off white such as a pale green, grey, beige or similar for the walls. Woodwork and/or coving and ceilings should contrast in a brighter shade close to or actually brilliant white. Colours should always be tried on larger areas and viewed in both natural and artificial light conditions.

Careful choice of quality paints with carefully selected colours avoids the need for wallpapers and other more expensive wall coverings. Tenants will always drill holes in wall for pictures and the like. A little filler and a single coat of paint can very quickly return to room to its prime when it is simply a painted finish.

Buy2LetExpert will not paint the property in isolation but will augment the process with the use of colourful candles, lamps, plants in plant pots, furnishings and more. The decoration is just another cog in the wheel of home decoration and should never be seen in isolation.

Buy2LetExpert incorporates decoration into the Buy2LetExpert maintenance charter. The charter suggests internal decorations are executed every 3 years as a minimum and external every 5 years. It is very important to be 'ahead of the demand' for decorations. Keeping careful records is important and if a place is starting to look tired the invest in a redecoration immediately. This ensures the property is ready for a re let. Remember a tenant can in practice move at any moment whatever the contract says. The landlord may be legally empowered to hold a tenant to the contract for its full duration but there is little point if (for example) the tenant has lost their job and has declining funds. See void management for more details but always be ready for a re let and keep decorations up to date. A tenant will usually be pleased for a redecoration and it may well be enough to spur an additional renewal or even be negotiated as part of a rent hike.

Investing in decoration costs a little but reduces voids and increases income many times more than the investment

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