Landlords might be used to seeing very little of their properties. After all, they hope to have tenants living in them for the vast majority of the time, ensuring they receive a regular income. But that is not to say they should take their eye off the ball when it comes to keeping properties in a respectable state.
Lee Grandin, a director at Landlord Mortgages, explained property owners need to maintain their dwellings and ensure they are in a good condition, not only for their existing users, but also for any future tenants.
He said most landlords are only too aware of exactly how important presentation is when it comes to offering a home to prospective tenants. That is not to say that spectacularly high standards must be achieved, but properties should be functional and reasonably attractive.
In addition to this, carrying out work on a regular basis should improve a landlord’s chances of nothing major going wrong at any point.
“General regular maintenance is your safeguard against the property falling into disrepair that will inevitably lead to expensive repair bills,” Mr Grandin explained.
With this in mind, landlords should hire professional builders, electricians and carpenters to carry out smaller projects and complete check-ups on their properties at regular intervals. This should put homes in a good state and not allow them to fall far from the levels required by tenants.
Nick Oldridge from Roofapedia.com is another expert to have recently told of the importance of keeping an eye on the state of a home, even when somebody else is living in it. He recommended landlords head to the property twice a year to give it the once over.
This should help them identify any issues before they become too great, while minor issues can be easily solved by drafting in a local tradesman to carry out some much-needed work.
If you want to do up your home with the help of a professional tradesman, take a look at RatedPeople.com for a directory of skilled and recommended workers.
