Investing in your Wellington residential rental property is key to maintaining a successful investment, which is why a fresh coat of paint is a great way to increase the tenant demand and rental income. Here are our property managers' tips to help you successfully paint your rental property.
Use Simple Colours
Paint using simple neutral colours like cream, beige, grey, and off-white, as these colours don’t out-date and are attractive to most people. Picking paint colours outside the neutral colour scheme that are on sale or that you personally like runs the risk of you painting colours some tenants may be turned-off by, potentially lowering demand towards your property.
Use Light Colours To Open Up The Room
Keep the colours light and neutral to help open up the rooms. The tenant’s furniture also has a better chance of fitting into the property’s colour scheme when neutral, bright colours are used continuously throughout the property, helping make your property more attractive. We see some properties painted white throughout, making them look light and uplifting, and it’s an economic way of redecorating.
Use Good Quality Products
Avoid the temptation of buying cheap paint, because this generally chips easily and won’t last as long as good quality paint. Before long you’ll have to repaint the property, making cheap paint only a short-term solution to increasing demand and rent. Not only that, the appearance will look increasingly poor, which lowers the appeal, tenant quality and rent.
How To Cover Up Imperfections
If the wall surface is imperfect pick a paint with a mid or low sheen, as the finish will help hide this. Paint also offers the opportunity to repair imperfections using spackle, making paint a good choice if your Wellington investment property has damaged walls.
When Not To Paint
To avoid a patchy finish, try not to paint when it’s really hot so the paint doesn’t dry too fast. Also avoid painting when it’s raining, as the paint won’t be able to cure in wet conditions, causing its longevity to likely be affected.
Careful Masking
Aim for the best quality job. Ensure areas that aren’t being painted are carefully covered with masking tape to avoid the appearance of a cheap job. Light and power switches or their covers should be removed, and carpet and flooring should be carefully covered.