The Joint Equity guide to renting a room (part 3 - preparing the room, and the rest of your home)
Lots of first time buyers (and some second time buyers, me included) have rented out a room in their homes in order to help with mortgage payments and bills.
I have to say, it's a good plan, but you should take a few careful steps to make sure you get the right lodger, and that your relationship with them runs smoothly. Trust me, it can be a minefield, and I learnt the hard way!
By the way - this guide assumes that your mortgage or lease allows you to rent out a room in the property. Some mortgages and leases do preclude sub-letting, although under The Joint Equity Scheme you can rent part of your home to a lodger.
In this series of blog posts, I address the following topics:
Today, we're Preparing the Room (and the rest of your home):
So, you've decided how much you want to charge, and have prepared your adverts - now it's time to get the room ready, and to prepare the rest of your home.
This is not rocket science, but it's amazing how many people overlook this.
Just follow these few simple steps though and you'll be fine:
1) Make sure the room is tidy and clean.
Clear out any junk, hoover the floor, give the windows a quick once over, and please do dust the place. You might not be trying to attract a 'clean freak' but it really makes a difference to a room if it's clean as the space just seems to open up.
2) Make the bed.
Any unmade bed looks bad, even a brand-new one with a pristine mattress, so just make up the bed with a matching duvet & pillow set. Nothing fancy required.
3) Make sure that the rest of your property is tidy and clean.
First impressions do matter, so to make your home look welcoming (and worth the price you want to charge someone to live there), tidy away any random bits and pieces and have a bit of a clean round. This means putting away games consoles, loose CD's, piles of books etc etc. Pay particular attention to the kitchen and the bathroom (especially if you are looking for a female lodger, we can be more fussy!).
4) Check out the outside space.
If you have terrace or a garden, this is probably one of your big selling points, so make sure it's looking reasonable. Even at this time of year, a potential lodger will want to have a peek outside and imagine themselves out there in the summertime.
Following these rules shouldn't be too arduous, and will have the double benefit of making the property more attractive to potential lodgers and making it a nicer place for you to live in too!
That's all for now, but next time we'll be talking about holding viewings.
Take care,
Tam
www.jointequity.co.uk
I have to say, it's a good plan, but you should take a few careful steps to make sure you get the right lodger, and that your relationship with them runs smoothly. Trust me, it can be a minefield, and I learnt the hard way!
By the way - this guide assumes that your mortgage or lease allows you to rent out a room in the property. Some mortgages and leases do preclude sub-letting, although under The Joint Equity Scheme you can rent part of your home to a lodger.
In this series of blog posts, I address the following topics:
- Setting the rent
- Advertising the room
- Preparing the room (and the rest of your home)
- Holding viewings and interviews
- Taking deposits
- Signing tenancy agreements
- Setting ground rules
- Dealing with bills (and other stuff)
- What happens when they move out
Today, we're Preparing the Room (and the rest of your home):
So, you've decided how much you want to charge, and have prepared your adverts - now it's time to get the room ready, and to prepare the rest of your home.
This is not rocket science, but it's amazing how many people overlook this.
Just follow these few simple steps though and you'll be fine:
1) Make sure the room is tidy and clean.
Clear out any junk, hoover the floor, give the windows a quick once over, and please do dust the place. You might not be trying to attract a 'clean freak' but it really makes a difference to a room if it's clean as the space just seems to open up.
2) Make the bed.
Any unmade bed looks bad, even a brand-new one with a pristine mattress, so just make up the bed with a matching duvet & pillow set. Nothing fancy required.
3) Make sure that the rest of your property is tidy and clean.
First impressions do matter, so to make your home look welcoming (and worth the price you want to charge someone to live there), tidy away any random bits and pieces and have a bit of a clean round. This means putting away games consoles, loose CD's, piles of books etc etc. Pay particular attention to the kitchen and the bathroom (especially if you are looking for a female lodger, we can be more fussy!).
4) Check out the outside space.
If you have terrace or a garden, this is probably one of your big selling points, so make sure it's looking reasonable. Even at this time of year, a potential lodger will want to have a peek outside and imagine themselves out there in the summertime.
Following these rules shouldn't be too arduous, and will have the double benefit of making the property more attractive to potential lodgers and making it a nicer place for you to live in too!
That's all for now, but next time we'll be talking about holding viewings.
Take care,
Tam
www.jointequity.co.uk
Labels: bed, Rent a room
posted by Joint Equity Team @ 10:58 AM
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