How to Prepare Your House for Lease
Preparing a house for lease is basically a process of cleaning and repairing. When leasing a house, you need to be careful not to get emotionally involved with the fixing or decorating because you may get a tenant who breaks things or changes decorative things you've done. The amount of time and money it takes to prepare a house for lease will depend on the condition of the house to begin with.
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Things You'll Need
- Any needed supplies to make repairs Boxes for packing Paint Paintbrushes Cleaning supplies
Instructions
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How to Prepare Your House for Lease
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1
Remove all personal items of value from the house. No matter how many background checks you do on potential tenants, there is always the possibility they will destroy things. Remove from the house anything that would cause you to be upset if it were ruined. This includes hardware and light fixtures.
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2
Make any needed repairs to the house. Fill any holes there may be in the walls. Replace any cracked tile. If there are any leaks in the bathroom or kitchen, take care of them. You want everything to be in good working order before a tenant moves in.
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3
Check for fire and safety hazards, which should be addressed before it is rented. Smoke detectors should be located throughout the house. There should be screens in all the windows. There should be working locks on all the windows and doors. These are items that need to be addressed before a tenant moves in to prevent injury and potential lawsuits.
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4
Paint the interior of the house. Paint each room a bright neutral color. You don't want to add a lot of color or decorate too much because you can distract people with the decor and prevent them from wanting to lease your house.
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5
Clean the house from top to bottom. Once the house is all fixed up and the rooms are painting, all you need to do is clean. Make sure all the floors are clean. Pay extra special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. Those two rooms being dirty will turn people away from the house.
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Tips & Warnings
Use citrus-smelling cleaning supplies throughout the house. People often connect the smell of citrus with clean.
The longer a house is empty, the more money you are losing in potential rent. Preparing the house for lease should take as little time as possible.
