When it comes to properties to rent in London, landlords sometimes complain of unfair delays or receiving lower rentals than what they are entitled. The reason for this plight is not far to seek. Either the landlord is too lazy or less proactive and not understanding the tastes of a tenant and failing to impress him. But it is not too late either.

It has been said that it takes only a mere 8 seconds for a prospective tenant to make his mind whether he needs a particular housing property for rent or not. Most people carry a mental image of a nice, picturesque house or apartment and anything that comes near to those images will attract them no matter what state of mind they are in.

A Few Simple Steps

The fact is, it takes only a few baby steps to impress a client. A mini renovation will not require much of a time or effort, nor big money. A positive attitude to stand impressed before a future tenant will fetch big returns in the long run.

Painting: Give a fresh coat of paint preferably in a neutral colour.
Clean Up: Clean up the windows to let ample light and install screens for windows and doors to keep out bugs.
Best Bathrooms: Make sure that the bathrooms are tidy and ensure proper functioning of all taps and electrical fittings.
Good Fixtures: Change all burnt-out bulbs and clean up switch panels. Address seepage problems, if any.
Enough Storage: Clean up the kitchen counters, cabinets as well as bedroom cupboards and door panels.

More Wise Tips

If the landlord has a bigger budget a few more tips of wisdom below can keep him in better control next time when a prospective tenant comes calling to see his buy-to-let pride.

Fix the front gate: No tenant likes a shabby gate, so spend time to bring it up from scratch again.
Tidy the front garden: Mess or rubbish in the front area will turn off any tenant before even seeing the property. A makeover on the garden walls is recommended.
Paint Front door: update handles: Enjoy the result when the door looks shiny and new again.
Clean the windows: Grimy windows are always disgusting. So take care
Make hallways Tidy: Clean the hallway and make it free from clutter.
Better Illumination: Large white candles and neutral table lamps are affordable and employ them anywhere on the property, and €dressing' up the place.
Clean the Carpets: Chase out all stained, nasty carpets.
Add Blinds: These days more rental properties have laminate flooring than carpet so most rental -lets have blinds than curtains as they tend to stay longer.
Match the blinds: All the blinds should match when looked at from the street and must give the right impression.

Obviously these innocuous steps go a long way in keeping both the landlord and tenant in making them get what they aspire to.