Increase the value of your rental

MAKING your investment property more rentable could be as simple as adding some throw cushions into a photo shoot, giving the house a lick of paint, replacing the dishwasher, or sourcing some high-quality fittings to lure a high-quality tenant.

Adam Rigby, founder of fixed-price property agency Upside, said the most important advice for landlords was to keep some rent money in reserve to make sure the property is well maintained.

Mr Rigby shares his top tips for making your property investment more rentable.

Make it appealing

Keeping things well-maintained is not expensive.

Give the house a fresh coat of paint between tenants, replace grouting cracks in the bathrooms and kitchen. If you have an outdoor entertainment area, make sure the barbecue area is clean and possible to use.

Replace appliances

It’s easy for a landlord to assume that dishwashers, washing machines and dryers are fine year after year.

But if you don’t maintain them and make sure they’re in good working order, it can cost you way more than the replacement cost of $700 to $800 – imagine if something goes wrong and the whole kitchen floods and you have to replace the tiling and pay the insurance.

With a premium property, you do want to make sure you match the fittings with what the tenant would expect. If you have an executive property, you don’t want to buy the cheapest dishwasher you can find.

Be flexible

I remember my landlord said to me, if you want to put pictures up you can...I want you to make this a home for yourself. And the same goes for pets. If you can get a good tenant and make a pet work without causing issues, that might mean a longer-term rental.

Dress it well

When your property is re-leased you are going to need to take photos (to advertise it for rent).

This might mean spending $50 on throw cushions or a mirror.

You are selling your property to a potential tenant.

Dress the table so it looks appealing with candles.

It’s all part of presenting the property in the best possible light.

Economise in a strata area where you have to pay the bills as opposed to the tenant, you can make economical choices with low-voltage lighting, low-flow shower heads, and making sure the taps aren’t leaking.

Also, have a list of jobs for the electrician to do when you call them out to make the most of the callout fee.