How to Stage a House to Rent.

Staging a House to Rent.

• 1 Remove the clutter if you are trying to rent the house while you are living in the house then it is imperative to remove any and all clutter. Clutter can also include many personal items that fill up your end tables or all the foliage you have on top of your cabinets or furniture; basically the brick-a-brack that consumes your home. Think minimalist. Removing clutter also includes your closet. Consider it your time to donate all the clothes that don’t fit or have gone out of style. Remember the potential tenant wants to see the space, not what fills the space. If you need a good de-clutter rule try this…if you haven’t used it, seen it, missed it or needed it in six months, and it’s not a holiday item, then you don’t need it. Toss it out!

• 2 Clean, Clean & Clean again!  The most noticeable areas of cleanliness are the bathrooms and the kitchen. If these two areas are dirty or messy, you can bet they might perceive that rest of the house might be the same if not worse. Take the time to tidy and freshen up these areas, it WILL pay off. For the rest of your home, detail cleaning can help improve the aesthetics of the home and certainly make it appear well cared for. Detail cleaning means carpet cleaning, window cleaning, dusting the tops of cabinets and door trim or cleaning the floor boards and walls.

• 3 Fix it. Is the paint chipping off the patio? Is the sprinkler head broken? Is the sink handle loose? If you have these little things in the house that maybe you have lived with for some time, it would be advantageous to get those little things fixed. If you had previous tenants, then scan the house for things that need attention or replacing. If you have a fairly noticeable repair or damage, inform the realtor prior visiting that the problem will be fixed before the tenant moves in. If you can’t afford to have someone fix the property, check out local hardware stores that might offer “do it yourself” classes or go online for ideas and assistance.

• 4 Whether you have had previous renters or are residing in your home, mix and match colours throughout the home could become a distraction for potential tenants. It might be a good idea to grab a bucket of paint and neutralize the house with a base colour like cream or off white. A base colour could be simply white or some form of lighter brown or tan. The consistent colour throughout the space may make the home appear to be larger. Each new tenant has his own taste and providing a base colour allows them to begin decorating with their eyes.

• 5 When potential tenants come to your home, do something that sets you apart from other landlords. Maybe its fresh flowers or a sheet that further describes the house or flower pots in the front and back yard. Just do something that will make your home seem warm, inviting and different from the rest of the rental houses.

• 6 Each home has its own smell, and if your home smells bad, it will immediately turn off a potential tenant. Get rid of odours from smoking and pets, a BIG turn off for potential renters. Items that can make the house smell fresh and clean could be fragrant fresh flowers in the common areas or bathrooms, plug-in air fresheners or put pot-pourri bowls around the property. Whatever you choose make sure the scents you carry throughout the home are light and fresh.

Tips & Warnings:

• Try to set appointments so you can have enough time to freshen the house before the potential tenant arrives.

• Every night tidy the house, especially the kitchen and bathroom, and then you have less to do in the morning.

• If you have kids in the home, do your best to keep the toys contained during the time you show the house.

• Each morning air out your house and allow the freshness to consume the home. This will help rid of some of the musty smell that finds itself in the corners of the house.

• Think minimalist. The client wants to see the space, not what consumes the space.

• Keeping your house up to spec, while you allow potential tenants to come through, can be stressful, especially if you are living in the space. Do your best to keep things tidy and presentable. Give yourself enough time to prepare the house before realtors start rolling in. preparation and organisation is KEY.

Should You Stage a Rental Property?

It is not necessary to stage the entire rental property. I usually recommend staging key areas for rental properties.

I always recommend that properties have a strong curb appeal. A well maintained yard and some simple planters or flowers helps add some colour. In addition, making the entrance inviting and welcoming is important.

A simple table with cool drinks on a tray, exterior artwork or a silk plant are some quick ways to help stage this area.

In addition, I would recommend staging the living room with furniture and modern accessories. The kitchen is another area that is recommended to style. Some ideas would be using simple accessories on the counter, some artwork and a table and chairs if possible. Bathrooms are also key areas and are very easy to stage. The use of simple rolled towels, shower curtains and artwork does wonders. I also would recommend that at least one bedroom (preferably the master) gets staged.

The approach is affordable, easy to set up and quite effective. Furniture rentals cost about 20% of what the real furniture rentals we had for our property so it’s an approach that makes sense for rental properties. If you can stage a rental for less than the cost of one month’s rent AND get a great tenant in their quickly – it does start to make sense to stage your rentals.

Note please: “A home that is not staged usually stays on the rental market longer, costing the investor a loss of investment income.”

All rental properties should have some dollars spent on them as it’s well worth spending a little money upfront to fill it quickly, rather than having to play catch up on rent later.

Always keep rental homes very appealing and clean and you will always have a great response to rental ads.  Landlords will retain their tenants for longer periods of time and will always have their rented properties filled if you keep them clean and tidy. Why?

Because we set the precedent when we rented to them. We showed our tenants we care about keeping the rental homes immaculate and we treat them with the same respect and attention they deserve. I find there are investors that do not adhere to the same principles as we do and they are often the same ones grumbling about not being able to get good tenants and how the tenants are not taking good care of their homes.

Rental Staging

Do you own a home, unit or investment property that you rent out to tenants?

Would you like to bring in more revenue rental than you are currently getting?

Just a few small alterations, tweaking and additions like accessories and furniture, lighting and wall art, can make a property look far more attractive and appealing to your prospective renters.  Your property will also be much easier to rent out!

If your tenants are vacating your property, call Gregg Churchill of Mr Home Staging & Design, so that we can advise you how to make your rented property more appealing to a wider range of potential renters and get more dollars on that same property. These minor cost-effective changes will allow you to rent your property out far more effectively and faster, attracting the right kind of person to rent your property.

Having or owning a property that appeals to a wider market , affords you the HUGE advantage of being more scrupulous and discerning when interviewing potential tenants, thus avoiding the frustration of attracting the wrong kind of tenant and ultimately costing you money with unwanted, frustrating repairs, causing unnecessary stress to you.

Whenever you are deciding to rent your property for more money, don’t hesitate and call upon Mr Home Staging’s wealth of Home Staging experience and knowledge TODAY!

Gregg Churchill of Mr Home Staging & Design will get your property rented out for more rental revenue and greater peace of mind. Contact us right away!

Thumbs up for using Mr Home Staging & Design, great results all around! Thank-you.