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| Look After Your Property to Look After Your Investment | November 3, 2009, 9:14 pm | visits: 0 | wordcount: 587
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By Debbie Morgan
If you are renting out your property it will pay to take care of it and here we look at what you need to take care of.
When you are renting our property you want to keep your tenants happy. Happy tenants will mean that your tenants will stay and so you will maintain a stable income. If you look after your property on an ongoing basis you will also save money on repairs and costs in the long run. And if you want then to sell it on it's in good condition for you to get a good price.
So firstly you need to check your property regularly. Try and spot potential problems before they happen. Outside areas that you need to check are the chimney, lead flashings and roofs making sure that they are all secure and safe. If they are not secure water will leak in and quickly cause damage which in turn will be costly to fix. You will also need to check for cracks on overflows, gutters and downpipes. Again, any water leakage will cause damage to brickwork which can cause long term damage.
The paintwork on windows and doors also need to be checked - cracked paintwork will allow water to leak into the frames and then they will gradually start to rot. Keeping on top of the paintwork if far cheaper than having to replace rotten frames.
You will also need to check air grates and the damp-proof course making sure that they are not blocked.
Inside the house, you need to check silicone seals around the baths and showers and the grout in between tiles. Again, if there are gaps water will leak and cause rotting and damage to the bathroom walls and flooring and could also cause damage to the room below.
All gas appliances need to be checked for safety every 12 months by a CORGI registered installer.
You should also make your property energy efficient. For example, loft insulation is the easiest and most cost effective energy efficiency measure you can take. To save up to 30% of your heating costs you need to lay loft insulations at least 8" deep. You may also be able to receive a grant to do this very cheaply so check with your local council about what could be available to you. Cavity wall insulations can reduce heat loss through the walls by up to 50% and again there are grants available to make this a cheap energy-saving option.
A modern energy efficient boiler and modern heating controls drastically improves the efficiency of the heating system. Fit thermostats on every radiator so that you can turn a radiator down very low in rooms that are not being used. Also, fit an insulating jacket to the hot water tank to keep the hot water hotter for longer.
All doors should be well fitting and you can fix a draught reducing brush or PVC seal to lessen the draughts. You can also fit curtains behind the doors and use draught moveable excluders.
Windows should be double glazed and if they are single glazed you can use secondary glazing and hang a heavy curtain to lessen the draughts during the cold winter evenings.
If you take care of your property your tenants are far more likely to take of your property too. You want tenants who want to keep the property in good condition and so if you keep it in good condition you are far more likely to find tenants with the same caring views.
Look after your property to look after your investment.
Debbie Morgan writes for the UK Property Search Engine, Wheres My Property and Renovate Alerts, the site that finds property to renovate.
Source:www.isnare.com | |
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