If you want to become a landlord, getting your rental ready for new tenants is an absolute must. A clean place will show that you take pride in your property, which will help it rent faster and get you better tenants. You can pay a cleaning company to come in, but if you do that every time a tenant moves out, the costs will add up over time, and it’s really simple to do yourself, if you know what key areas to focus your time on.
Carpets
Dirty, stained carpets are an immediate turn-off for a potential tenant. If it’s irrevocably ruined, new carpet is worth the expense simply because it’ll help you get it rented out much faster. However, usually you can just vacuum and do a steam-clean to get it prepped. Steam cleaners are fairly cheap to rent, but if you have several properties and need to use it on a regular basis, you may want to consider purchasing one.
If the carpet is nice but you want to give them the “professionally cleaned” look, a carpet rake will fluff it up and move the fibers so they get the streaks and designs a floor has after a carpet-cleaning service has worked on it. It’s a cheap and way to make the place more appealing.
Walls
Most of the time, simple touch-ups are all that’s needed to get the walls in shape for the next renter. When you purchase your paint, make sure you have enough left over to use for small fixes, and be sure to keep it sealed up for later use. Before you start showing the place, go around and fix any tiny spots that need it, but be sure that you stir the paint well first so the paint colors will match as much as possible. For any marks or stains too big to paint over without it being noticeable, an eraser sponge will often do the trick, and they’ll only set you back a few dollars.
Kitchen
The kitchen is often the area that gets the dirtiest, and it’s also one of the zones that tenants often scrutinize. Give all fixtures and appliances a good wipe-down with a grease-cutting cleaner, and put some attention and elbow grease into the refrigerator. A backsplash behind the stove can be pretty cheap to put up, will make cleaning that area much easier, and can add a cool design element to the area.
Once you’ve cleaned the cupboards inside and out and taken a swipe at all the surfaces, take a look around and check carefully for any issues that might stick out to a tenant, such as a crooked cupboard doors or grease build-up. It doesn’t take much work to fix those problems, but they make a big difference to a good tenant.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms are easy to clean and should only take a few minutes of scrubbing to get renter-ready. If the shower has glass doors, use a squeegee to make them look spiffy before you start showing it off.
Smells
Musty or smoky odors can really ruin a person’s impression of a house, so it’s important to spray a product like Febreze and give the air a fresh scent. Smoke smells are harder to get out, but there are products specifically made to get it out of the walls and carpet, and you should also spray it into the vents so that the smell doesn’t come out when you turn on the heater or air conditioner.
If you find the most important problem areas and clean them thoroughly, your rental house can be tenant-ready for very little cost and a little work on your part.
– Trisha Tate is an avid blogger for home blogs. If you’re interested in finding the best tools for cleaning house, check out more information on the Miele and Miele Olympus vacuum.
