When you own a commercial real estate, an ongoing increase in property value is crucial to long-term strategizing. As a professional cleaning company, at London Local Services we know how important condition is to value and success. According to a recent study by Daily Mail, the trend is on a strong raise and if you don’t have a plan, then now is the time. Results from the Land Registry imply promising returns for thoughtful investors who act.
According to the Workever, specialised cleaning software for cleaners, having a well-planned and though off roadmap for both cost and profit projections is what sets the professional landlord apart from the average property owner.
You have to be a thoughtful landlord to withstand the pressure of unstable market conditions, though. To capitalise on your investment over the long term, you have to strategise. We already seen how investing in property value has proven to pay off and just imagine where prices will reach as the world calms down from quarantine.
Offer renters a home and a life that matches their standards makes life at home pleasant, so they treat it with care. But if you spend too much time in renovating the rental, only to keep rediscovering those pesky allergens, you may end up asking: is being a landlord worth it?
Here, we compiled the most prominent problems we faced at London Cleaning Services you might face while upgrading the property. We included ideas on how to deal with each and go for the highest of standards.
So, inspect for property damage
The first thing you want to do is to fix signs of wear and tear, raw damage, or pending repairs and interior design improvements. If renters spot any while inspecting the building, or even worse, after renting it, they may open disputes rent and you still will have to cover unexpected expenses. It’s best to prevent any risks before they arise.
Here’re the common areas to improve:
- Leaks. The main culprits for mould, buckling or warping flooring and peeling paint. Water damage is often costly to repair and only get worse if neglected.
- Electrical issues. Outdated wiring can cause fire, and faulty outlets can damage the electric appliances and be a health threat. Side note: Replacing old light fixtures with new ones will make your office look more expensive.
- Chipped furniture. Damaged furniture can make any place look cheaper than it really is. You can either restore, replace, or remove it.
- Stained walls. Repainting the walls might be the easiest way to freshen up the place. According to painting professionals from Nippon Paint (Singapore), it is better to stay away from bright colours as they don’t appeal to the general tenant. Choose neutral tones, they create a perfect base for every office.
- Worn out tiles. Using an office every day inevitably wears out the tiles, especially in the high-traffic areas. If most of the tiles are in good condition, you can replace only the visibly ones worn-out. Another solution for scratched tiles is to get them honed and polished. That will take the top layer off and leave the tiles looking as new.
Next, make sure the property is clean top to bottom
Hygiene plays a crucial role in the final decision of renters. Consider a reliable company to deal with the job as you want the place to be impeccable.
At London Cleaning Services we provide:
- Regular Domestic Cleaning
- One-off Cleaning
- Carpet Cleaning
- Window Cleaning
- Oven Cleaning
- Specialised Move out Cleaning
The cleaning checklist includes:
- Floors. As shared by home improvement specialists at Selleys Singapore, mopping isn’t enough, you should have tile and grout cleaning. Professionals use a specialised machine to lift the grime and dirt that builds up with time. It’s especially effective for natural stone flooring.
- Carpets. Law does not require landlords to clean the carpets before renting out a place, but common practise obligated tenants with a professional end of tenancy cleaning. Stained carpets will take away from the professional look you want to achieve.
- Windows. You can visibly change the appearance of a building from both the outside and the inside just by cleaning the windows. Removing dirt and grime also preserves the window sills from leaking.
- Air ducts. Clean ducts and air conditioning systems improve air quality. By doing this regularly, you also prevent a pest infestation.
- Walls. We often miss them in move-in/out cleaning sessions. The walls from the inside should be spot treated and depending on their condition – repainted. As for exterior walls, the solution is pressure cleaning. A powerful water jet removes dirt built up in even from the smallest cavities. This method doesn’t require detergents making it eco-friendly. Which leads us to the next topic.
Make the property eco-friendly
The modern world calls for energy-efficient workplaces. Luckily, there are a lot of attainable options which only depend on how much you’re willing to invest. The changes you make will not only help the environment but also save money on the monthly bills.
- Motion sensor LED lights. Put lights that turn on and off automatically. People typically forget to turn off the lights when they leave a room, so you’re one step ahead of them.
- Energy-efficient light bulbs. According to research, these bulbs can save 25%-80% more energy and last 3-25 times longer than the traditional ones.
- Turn everything off at night. Instate a strict everything-off-at-night rule – lights, heating, electronics should all be off by the end of the day.
- Sustainable electronics. If your office building has a kitchen – choose eco-friendly dishwashing machine and energy-saving refrigerator.
- Sensor-operated fixtures. It’s common knowledge that they help reduce water waste. Just keep in mind that there are different kinds of faucets and some of them may even use more water than the manual ones.
- Eco-friendly air conditioners. Overuse of air conditioning is partially responsible for global warming. One way to preserve energy is to set the conditioner to lower degrees in the winter (19°C/66°F) and higher degrees in the summer (25°C/77°F). This could save millions from the bills and spare the huge amount of tonnes of carbon yearly.
Solar panels. According to Hardware Connection, renewable energy is more affordable in the last years and some companies have already opted in for solar panels.