How to get your Letting Property Photograph Ready (Our Top Tips for Rental Success)
Although in-person viewings do still form a key part of the letting property marketing process, photographs and video walkthroughs now have far more impact than pre-pandemic. A combination of high demand, relocations and lockdown viewings has led to far more people using virtual viewings to find new rental properties. This means that now more than ever it is important to ensure your property is shown in the best light with its photos and videos. So, what can you do to help get your letting property photo-ready?
Cleaning your rental property
This can be a somewhat contentious topic. In the past, some letting agents have hit tenants with cleaning bills regardless of how clean the letting property was, but this is not so easy now due to the
tenant fee ban which came into effect a couple of years ago. The fees and the ban itself are both contentious issues, but this approach did mean that the letting property could always be professionally cleaned and ready for the next tenant. Nowadays, landlords and letting agents need to think more carefully about how they are presenting a property at the move-in stage and what processes they want to put in place during tenant changeover.
Some landlords we work with intentionally schedule in a deep professional property clean between every tenancy regardless of how long the tenancy was or how the tenant left the property. Others take a more flexible approach. In terms of costs and whose responsibility those costs are, it all depends on how you started the tenancy.
If a landlord wants to get their letting property back at the end of a tenancy professionally cleaned, and this cost will be the responsibility of the departing tenant, then the landlord would need to provide proof it was professionally cleaned in the first place. This could include receipts or an invoice for the work completed which is dated, indicating the address of the property with images attached.
If there is no proof then it would be considered “domestically cleaned” as far as an inventory is concerned. The issue with this is that domestically cleaned can cover a whole range of levels as everyone’s interpretation of domestically clean is different. Some may feel that a “normal weekly clean” is domestically clean, while others may think this includes scrubbing the property head to toe with a toothbrush.
However, as letting agents we find that there is a certain standard that holds up across the board and can be communicated to tenants during an inventory or changeover process. It is also this standard that we would expect as a minimum when taking photos of a letting property for marketing purposes:
- Ovens should be cleaned
- Bathrooms should be cleaned – nothing worse than a cloudy soap scum covered glass shower door
- Cobwebs gone – We don’t like spiders
- Skirting boards and door panel are great collectors of dust but take seconds to wipe over; they might be a little detail but still make all the difference.
Clearing your letting property
One side effect of the pandemic seems to be an increase in excess stuff hanging about on rental properties. Sometimes this is from the existing tenant but not always. I know clearing a property can
seem like a challenge but having extra rubbish and clutter hanging about will not do your property any favours when it comes to attracting a new tenant. Nothing looks worse than excess stuff around when marketing a property. Can you imagine coming to view a property and the first thing you see is an over-stuffed wheely bin?
We have a cleaning and clearing company we often recommend to landlords and tenants alike who can provide professional clearing services if required. One of the benefits of using a local letting agent such as Bright Star is that you gain access to a host of local connections and service providers who have been tried and tested by us to provide you with a great service.
Decorating your rental property
In an ideal world, most landlords would like their rental properties to be returned to them looking pristine and perfect, but this is rarely the case. Even if you have the best tenants in the world who look after the letting property really well, there are always going to be some signs of wear and tear from normal family life. Therefore, you may feel the need to redecorate or touch up your letting property in between tenancies to ensure it looks as good as possible on camera.
Personally, I hate magnolia with a passion. There are a number of different shades, so many in fact it is often almost impossible to find the perfect match unless you know the exact brand, colour code and batch number you used originally. And because of this you can guarantee that the tenant will touch up any scuffs or marks using a different one to originally used, often silk on a matt wall. Not to mention magnolia often fades over time and rarely does it make a property look good on camera. At the end of the day, it simply makes me grumpy.
As a landlord, if the decoration isn’t perfect then you need to make the decision on how much you want to do to improve it. You can either clean it as best you can; I recommend using a magic eraser and some elbow grease as this should work on most on scuffmarks to make good and is a cheap and easy solution. Or you can redecorate, either throughout or touching up as needed. The other option is to leave as is and discuss it with the new tenants, and allow them the option to redecorate to their taste.
Key to the last option is good communication; most tenants will not go crazy and paint everything orange but it is worth giving them some guidance on what you are happy with as a landlord. On the plus side, letting them decorate can encourage them to feel more settled and at home in a new rental property which should mean they look after the property and stay longer.
Maintenance for your letting property
Little things mean a lot!
This is my mantra when dealing with letting property maintenance. Small things tend to be some of the most obvious issues, put potential tenants off and are normally the easiest things to fix. Making sure all those little niggles are sorted before you start marketing a letting property will not only increase the speed of rental, but also make the changeover process smoother and reduce the need for maintenance to be arranged while a tenant is in residence.
Door handles need to be secure and working; it’s not a great start if when viewing the property the first thing that happens is a problem getting in, or worse out, of a room. Make sure all the handles are easy to use and work properly. Windows and window frames are another area that often need some simple TLC. Make sure they are clean and the hinges and handles work well. We don’t want to have to do a viewing where you say “the windows work – you just need to jiggle it”; that is less than ideal as a first impression.
If there is furniture, make sure it looks neat. A chest of drawers where the drawers are all wonky is a definite no-no. Kitchen doors need to hang level and close properly, as do drawers. With silicon behind the sink, if it’s discoloured or non-existent then replace it. These are all cheap and super easy jobs to do which make a huge difference.
Bathrooms – the same applies: fresh silicon, clean surfaces, no wobbly loo roll holder. A bit of wear on a mirror isn’t going to be a deal breaker and is not something you would immediately replace but if the bathroom cabinet is starting to look tired, do consider replacing it – it can actually refresh a bathroom at fairly low cost.
Making your letting property stand out
Despite the high demand and shortage of properties, tenants are still keen to find the right property for them and they are unlikely to move unless they are able to find a better property than their current one. I should note “better” can mean a variety of things: it could be about location, access to outdoor space, size, price or many other factors which will be specific to that tenant. The point is they are unlikely to move unless they feel they will be better off in some way. If you want the best tenants, you want to make the best impression. Make it look clean and tidy: don’t leave rubbish around, and tidy the outside space; the basics really.
If your letting property looks well looked after and nicely presented, you will attract more applicants and better applicants. We also find that when properties look well looked after, tenants are inclined to make ever more effort to keep it looking good. Shabbier properties that look neglected by a landlord don’t set a good example for how your tenants should treat the property.
I am not a big fan of the arty flowers and coffee cup photos. There, I said it. Prospective tenants look at photos and are imagining their items in the property: can they fit their sofa there, will their TV fit along that wall, what does the kitchen look like, is there room for a dryer or their fridge freezer? If the property has space, show that in the photos. The kitchen, bathroom/s and outdoor space are the areas where the property is likely to shine the most in images, but making sure the other spaces look good and clear is also important.
At this time of year it is a little darker outside and so photos of rooms can look darker even if there is good natural light normally. It helps to have good lighting, both to ensure photos come out well and to make the property as bright as possible when prospective tenants come to view the property. But great lighting is not much good if we turn the lights on and half the bulbs don’t work, so once again, check those little things are all perfect for the best first impression. If there are curtains, make sure they are hung properly: no missing hooks, and blinds need to hang straight not crooked.
Bathrooms
I have mentioned bathrooms already and they are extremely difficult to get good photos of, but if you can then try your best to make those photos good. You don’t need to completely upgrade a bathroom to make it look that bit better and more refreshed. A new shower curtain hung properly helps to give it a refreshed look. If the bathroom still looks a little tired, consider upgrading just the cupboard/basin area. Toilet seats should ALWAYS be down for photos and viewings! And no mouldy silicon!
Kitchens
Often the ‘selling’ point of a property, make sure it is clean and decluttered. SURFACES DAHRLING!
If appliances are included make sure they are clean, working well and ready to go. If they are not included then it must be clear where they will fit – bonus points if you include measurements of any built-in slots for white goods so that prospective tenants can check if their current items will fit.
Lastly, listen to your letting agent. A good letting agent should be able to advise you on how best to present your property and where improvements can be made in a cost-effective way. For more information about our property marketing services click here.