When preparing your home for renting, its kerb appeal, or first impression, can make a huge difference! A well-presented home will not only attract more potential tenants, but also help you score an above-average rent. A few thoughtful touches and timely renovations are what you need to truly make your home rent-ready. Here are a few ideas that you can adopt to increase your house’s demand in the rental market!

• Put New Door Knobs

Small touches can make a big impact, and this is particularly true in the case of your front door. If your house is getting older, give the front door a polish and lick of paint, and replace your old doorknobs and handles with newer ones – more modern or vintage depending on your décor. Do this for your windows, cabinets and wardrobes too. This is an excellent way of enhancing the look of the home while keeping costs down. 

• Enhance Old Furniture

If you’re renting a furnished home, the furniture you are renting out must be in good condition. Call a carpenter in and have a thorough audit of all pieces of your furniture – paint over scratches, repair tears, and ensure that nothing will unexpectedly break under your tenant’s usage! If the furniture is good but looks old, simply restain it to give it a new lease of life! A fresh coat of paint or varnish can bring out the colour in your wood and add a contemporary touch to the old furniture. You can try this with chairs, tables, beds and even doors and windows. 

• Paint the Walls

Nothing compares to a room’s look after it has been freshly painted. Paint inevitably fades over time and your previous residents’ children may have added to the art work of the house with their sketch pens on the wall, so a lick of paint between tenants is not a bad idea! Choosing the right colour can enhance the look not just of the room but of its contents as well. A room painted in contemporary colours like teal blue, olive green or mauve can add a modern touch and really set off statement pieces of furniture!

• Woodwork and Kitchens

Last on our list is what is actually the first step! While you can rent out a house in any condition, every furnished and semi-furnished home must have woodwork in the bedrooms and a kitchen that works. A modular kitchen in any house, old or new, is no longer really an option. Choose brighter colours and modern finishes to add a touch of life to your kitchen and watch as the demand for your house increases. After all, the kitchen is the heart of any home! 
Similarly, your bedroom woodwork should also be user-friendly, ideally in the form of full wardrobes usable by two adults per room, and coverage for the loft storage as well. Prioritise sturdy materials as the woodwork and kitchens are the ‘permanent’ part of the home’s furniture… and you don’t want to be replacing them every few years!

Now that you are loaded with new ideas to make your house more appealing, you can start by taking a thorough look at what you currently have and how it can be improved! Bring out the old furniture, dust out the place and get painting and refinishing. In a matter of a few days, you will have a completely new-looking, revamped house with an increased market value and kerb appeal, without having to break the bank!