19 May Every Empty Day Costs Money
Between tenancies you have a narrow window and a clear trade-off: the more you do, the longer the property sits empty. The landlords we work with regularly have usually settled on the same approach — do the things that affect letting and fair wear and tear deductions, and leave the rest for a planned refresh every few tenancies.
Do These Every Time
Some jobs are worth doing at every changeover because they directly affect how the property shows and how the deposit conversation goes.
- Touch in or repaint the hallway and any high-traffic walls
- Make good picture hooks, shelf fixings and small impact damage
- Deal with any mould or staining properly rather than painting over it
- Repaint woodwork that has chipped enough to be listed on the inventory
Do These Every Third or Fourth Tenancy
A full repaint of every room at every changeover is rarely economic. Ceilings, bedrooms and low-traffic rooms hold up well and can go several tenancies before they need more than a touch-in — provided the original work was properly prepared.
One Colour Across the Portfolio Saves Real Money
If you own more than one property, using the same neutral emulsion and the same woodwork finish across all of them turns most redecoration into a touch-in job. It also means you can hold a small stock of the right paint and get a room turned around in a day.
Mould Is a Repair, Not a Decorating Job
Painting over mould with a stain-block hides it until the next winter. If a tenant reports it, the cause needs finding first — usually ventilation, a cold bridge or a leak. We treat and repaint affected areas, but we will always tell you when what you actually need is a repair rather than a decorator.
Book the Access Before the Tenancy Ends
The single biggest cause of a long void is booking the decorator after the property is empty. Where we know a checkout date in advance, we can schedule the work to start the day the keys come back — which is often the difference between a two-day turnaround and a two-week one.