With some small changes, landlords can improve the chances of letting their property.
The current challenges in the Aberdeen letting market means that it is more important than ever for landlords to maximise their chances of getting tenants, and then keeping their tenants for the long term.
Mike Duthie, of Flexistore Aberdeen, and Chris Minchin, of CDM Lettings, have pulled together their top tips for landlords looking for tenants.
Choosing furnished or unfinished is a big decision when putting a home on the lettings market. This can be key in the decision-making process of a tenant.
Chris Minchin, managing director of CDM Lettings, said: “Although furnished accommodation is the most popular, there is still around 10-15% of people that are seeking unfurnished property.
“You just don’t know what type of inquiries you’re going to get, so landlords need to be on their toes to accommodate potential tenants.
“Even if a landlord’s property is furnished, we’d recommend putting a statement on the listing that says it can be unfurnished if required.
“This will maximise the audience viewing the property, and increase the chances of getting it let out.”
If a potential tenant does request the unfurnished option, the turnaround of this may be quite tight to secure the letting.
Mike Duthie, owner of Flexistore Aberdeen, said: “Unless a landlord owns a warehouse or a large empty space, self storage is a viable and flexible option.
“This is particularly prevalent if a landlord lives abroad, or won’t be in the area when the time comes to clear out the property, as this can be managed on their behalf.”
Making it comfortable and homely can really help. If a potential tenant is seeking long-term accommodation, they will likely want to add personal touches to the property to make it feel homely and fit their personal style.
Chris said: “More and more we see tenants that want to make their new property feel like home, and often this can mean bringing in their own furniture, or getting rid of certain items.
Again, landlords should be flexible to increase their chances of securing a tenant.
Chris said: “An added benefit of this flexibility is that if people are to truly make your property their home, they will likely be staying for a much longer period of time, which is ideal for a landlord.”
Mike said: “We see more and more landlords keen to go down this route.
“Many are considering self storage as a solution, as they can store as little as one box through to entire houses, and they only pay for the space required.
“So if a landlord needs to store a few personal items, or a few pieces of furniture, there are so many options available to them.”
For further information visit www.letstalklets.com or www.flexistore.com/aberdeen