Top 10 Tips for Decorating A Buy-to-Let Property

When it comes to purchasing a buy-to-let property, decorating it is probably the least of your concerns. 

Between financing the property, exploring your returns and everything in between, the colour of the walls is usually an afterthought for investors. When it comes to letting your buy-to-let property however, there are a lot of considerations that can have a huge impact.

The key thing to remember is that decorating a buy-to-let property is very different to decorating your own home. Instead of questioning, ‘do I like this?’, you’ll need to think more about whether your tenants will like it as they’re the ones who will be living there, not you. 

Once upon a time, the rules for decorating a buy-to-let property were fairly simple – stick to something neutral and something that’s practical. That said, most tenants now have an eye for design, and with renters spending more time at home than ever before, the interior of your property could be the difference between a consistent rental income and void periods. 

Our top 10 tips for decorating a buy-to-let property will not only help you to steer clear of void periods, it will also help you maximise your budget:

Tackle Mould First

Mould and damp are two areas you don’t want to overlook. While these issues can usually be tackled fairly quickly if you catch them early on, they can have serious implications for your property portfolio. Mould and damp come with potential health risks, so to avoid more problems further down the line, addressing any issues – or potential concerns – is crucial.

You’ll want to focus on the areas that are prone to mould or damp, filling any gaps around windows, using mould spray on tiles and applying silicone seals. 

Focus on the Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home, so if there’s any room you shouldn’t cut corners on, it’s this one. Whether you’re looking to completely renovate the kitchen or just update it, you can’t go wrong with new cabinets. Trends are always changing, so it’s best to keep things neutral. 

High-gloss cabinets are usually a quick win – they’re modern, easy to clean and usually fairly reasonable. That said, repainting wooden cabinets is an affordable way of transforming a kitchen, so it’s best to decide what your intentions are before starting.

Feature pieces such as a new kitchen island can make a huge difference for a tenant, although these tend to be more expensive additions.   

Other areas that can be easily updated and make a big difference include:

• Cupboard handles
• New splashback
• Table and chairs

Consider Colour Very Carefully

When you’re deciding on colour schemes, the general rule of thumb is to keep it as simple as possible. Tenants generally want a blank canvas, so they can make their own mark with furnishings and textiles. 

While magnolia was once a safe bet for landlords, it has become outdated in recent years. Instead, consider white or grey walls – they’re timeless and don’t generally clash with many colours. 

Decorate With Your Tenant in Mind

As we mentioned in the introduction, decorating a rental property is less about your own tastes and more about what prospective tenants would like. The easiest way to approach this is to decide who you’re trying to attract and go from there. 

For example, if you’ve bought a HMO targeted towards students, they’re going to be more interested in the practicalities of the property as opposed to the look and feel of it. Whereas if you’ve invested in a house targeting families, they’ll be more concerned about the little things and whether they could see themselves calling it their home. 

This is a key consideration, mainly because you’ll be able to decipher where your money is best spent. 

Related: What Do UK Tenants Really Look For in a Rental Property?

Consider the Practicality of Carpet

Initially, carpet may seem like an impractical decision, but it’s important to think about the benefits of carpet, as well as the drawbacks. Carpet usually makes a property feel a lot warmer and more homely, which can be a bonus when attracting tenants. 

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to carpet the entire property, it’s actually more common to have both carpet and hard floors – carpeted bedrooms, and hard floors in the kitchen and lounge. This will usually make cleaning the property much easier, especially between tenants. 

Keep Your Receipts

It’s no secret that becoming a landlord comes with a lot of responsibilities, from taxes to maintenance costs. But when it comes to repairs and maintenance, you will usually be able to claim some of this money back, so it’s crucial to keep your receipts – even for the small things. 

However, it’s important to know what exactly you can claim back. The HMRC is very clear on what’s covered and what’s not, with allowable expenses including maintenance and repairs, but not home improvements. So, make sure you bear this in mind when you’re finalising your plans.

Don’t Overlook the Finishing Touches

For landlords with a furnished property, it’s important to budget for the ‘finishing touches’. Of course, you’ll have the standard furniture, such as a sofa, bed and kitchen essentials, but is there anything you can add at a low-cost that might help you rent out the property? And could this increase your chances of achieving a higher rent?

Think about the smaller details here, you’ll want to consider cushions, coffee tables and lamps, for example. These are usually affordable additions to make and can immediately make a space more appealing. 

Finishing touches to consider:

• Wall art 
• Footstools
• Cushions
• Lamps
• Coffee tables

Related: Top 10 Features of Profitable Rental Properties

Hire a Professional Decorator

Decorating isn’t for everyone and more often than not, it can be more cost-effective to hire a professional decorator in the first place than trying to do it yourself and spending more money fixing your mistakes. If you’re in two minds about hiring a decorator, it’s worth considering how long it would take you to decorate the property and comparing this with the cost of a decorator. 

When it comes to decorating a buy-to-let property, you’ll probably want the job done as quickly as possible so you can begin letting it, and a decorator will usually get the job done a lot quicker than an amateur. In addition to this, trustworthy tradespeople are invaluable, so if you find a reliable decorator, your rental property will always be in tip top condition. 

Avoid Wallpaper

We’ve already mentioned that when it comes to colours and paint, it’s best to stick to more neutral tones. Generally speaking, wallpaper is more of an acquired taste, with typically bolder colours and patterns. Because of this, it’s usually best to stick to paint, especially if you’re looking for more practical choices. 

While low-cost wallpapers are available, good quality wallpaper can be expensive in comparison to paint, which is a key consideration for investors decorating a buy-to-let property on a budget. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Spend Money

Naturally, when you’re decorating a buy-to-let property, some things will cost more than others. It’s understandable that as a first-time landlord, you’ll probably want to try and save as much money as possible during the decoration process, but there’s a reason the saying ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ exists. 

Of course, not everything you buy has to be expensive, but it’s important to remember that this is part of your overall investment, and in most cases, can increase the value and rental income of the property. 

Consider spending a little extra on:

• Door locks
• Carpets/flooring
• Bathroom fittings
• Kitchen fittings

Final Thoughts 

In comparison to the numbers and finance side of things, you might think that decorating a buy-to-let property is easy, but for a lot of landlords, it can be one of the most challenging parts. It can be particularly difficult to put yourself in the shoes of the tenant and to consider their tastes over your own, but doing so could benefit you in the long-term. By considering the finishing touches and making a homely environment in your rental property, it could increase your chances of letting the property quickly and keeping a tenant for the long-term.

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