Need help preparing family home for rental.

ColetteHamel

We are moving abroad for work and will be renting our family home for possibly the next five years or so.

I am looking for advise on selling a lifetime of surplus items, storing our good furniture/personal items and getting the house decorated to make it as attractive as possible for rental purposes. Is there a one stop shop for this type of request here in CORK. Would I need an interior decorator? Or trades people? Some parts of the house are a bit tired.

Thank you.
C

murphaph

An interior decorator? Erm, no. Just paint the house fresh (yourself if at all possible) and perhaps renew obviously worn carpets or furniture etc. but it really all depends on the spec/clientele you're aiming for. Can you possibly check daft for other houses in the area to see the standard you're competing with. The property should be clean and comfortable, but not showhouse standard unless you are aiming for high worth tenants or something. Keep it neutral.

You will not be able to offset any pre-letting expenses against income for tax purposes unfortunately.

No offence, but you sound like you could be walking into a world of hurt being a landlord. Please start reading up on your rights (few) and responsibilities (many) under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (for a start).

Rasmus

What kind of stuff do you need to sell? I'd leave what you can in the house rather than buying or replacing stuff for new. Also, the cost of storage for 5 years may well exceed the cost of bringing stuff with you.
Paint, clean and check up all household issues like plumbing, electrics, insulation and appliances to mimimize possible problems during tenancies.
As mentioned above, get all your ducks in a row regarding landlord obligations.

sunnysoutheast

As well as the sound advice above my suggestion would be to offer the house unfurnished, depending on your target market of course.

Many potential tenants mentioned to us how difficult it was to find an unfurnished property, with many potential houses full of tired, random furniture which landlords were unwilling to remove.

Also decide early on whether you will have a managing agent for the property.

ladysarah

Firstly keep all walls nutueral a lovely colour is cotton cream. Declutter the house and advertise free on the pink pages of a Tuesday night tel cork examiner or also advertise stuff on gum tree. O'Brien's storage on the Bandon Road offer storage. If you wish to purchase furniture you may pick up a good quality leather 3 piece suite which is good for renting from the pink pages. In regards to beds tenants seeks double beds so even in smaller rooms 4 ft beds are the way to go. You need to inform ypur insurance conpamy that you are renting the house. As the previous poster said there is a shortage of unfurnished houses in Cork. I am a letting agent and interior designer in Cork and from my experience a good clean house will rent no problem, By law since January 2010 you need to supply a microwave oven and a freezer. If you are renting it furnished you will need to suply ware, cuttlerly, pots and pans, kettle and toaster, iron and ironing board, hoover, mop and bucket, sweeping brush, Most landlords do not suplly TV as they would be liable fior lience. I would also suggest putting mattress covers on the beds. Photograph the house and give tenants copy of same on a memory stick. Good luck with the move. Also look up PRTB you will have to registar the tenancy. It will cost 90 euros.

handlemaster

demand is strong for rentals a fresh coat of paint may do the job. best way to gauge is put it up on daft see what viewers say

Ray Palmer

ladysarah wrote: »

If you are renting it furnished you will need to suply ware, cuttlerly, pots and pans, kettle and toaster, iron and ironing board, hoover, mop and bucket, sweeping brush, .

This is simply not true and discretionary. I would advise against there things as you have to replace them and they are common items to be broken/taken by tenants.

Furnished means that not provide a home. I would provide a hoover to make sure they clean.

djimi

With regards storage of furniture, you will need to weigh up storage costs and replacement costs if you plan to leave the place furnished vs cost to replace furniture when you return; you may find that it works out cheaper just to replace what you have when you return rather than paying to store it for 5 years.

As well as the sound advice above my suggestion would be to offer the house unfurnished, depending on your target market of course.

Many potential tenants mentioned to us how difficult it was to find an unfurnished property, with many potential houses full of tired, random furniture which landlords were unwilling to remove.

Its a good idea to perhaps offer unfurnished as an option, but Id be wary of offering it soley as an unfurnished property, as it will greatly reduce the section of the rental market that it will attract. Ireland does not (yet perhaps) have much of a culture for unfurnished rental, and the majority of renters will be looking for a furnished property.

NIMAN

Be aware that any improvements you make to the house, such as painting it, before the actual date of renting is not tax deductible on your return to Revenue.

A strange one I know, but anything after is, so you would need to let the people move in, then paint it.

djimi

Ray Palmer wrote: »

This is simply not true and discretionary. I would advise against there things as you have to replace them and they are common items to be broken/taken by tenants.

Furnished means that not provide a home. I would provide a hoover to make sure they clean.

Indeed. The only obligations a landlord has is to provide adequate heating, facilities for cooking and storing food, facility to wash clothes (and dry them if outdoor drying is not an option), and a fire blanket and fire alarms.

Further reading here: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/repairs_maintenance_and_minimum_physical_standards.html

NIMAN

Check out

www.irishlandlord.com

a good site for budding landlords.

I have no connection with this site btw.