How to Prepare a Rental Property for Spring

As we begin to emerge from another grimy winter, thoughts turn to spring cleaning. With longer, brighter, warmer days, it is the ideal time to wash away the drabness and freshen everything up. Here’s how to prepare a rental property for spring.

These property spring cleaning activities can be performed with an agreement between a sitting tenant and the landlord or letting agent. If the property is currently vacant, this is a great way of bringing it up to its full potential before new prospective tenants begin to take a look around.

Appliance Maintenance

Winter means a lot more wear and tear for appliances in the home. We wear more clothes when the weather is colder, meaning there is more washing to do. In addition, tumble dryers come into their own when there is no chance of garments drying on the line outside. Even ovens see more use, with wholesome, hearty, home cooked fare on the menu more often than light bites and salads.

Spring is a great time to make sure the appliances supplied as part of the tenancy have come through the winter unscathed. If you check they are in good working order after their busiest time of the year, then hopefully they will deal with springtime without needing too much attention.

Spring Clean

Another byproduct of winter is the mud that finds its ways onto shoes and into homes. This makes spring a good time to knuckle down to some serious spring cleaning. To prepare a rental property for spring, you could give the carpets and rugs a thorough shampoo and maybe even clean the curtains too, particularly if they reach down to the floor.

Garden Maintenance

One of the most important areas to concentrate on when you prepare a rental property for spring is the garden. As soon as the sun breaks through the cloud and the temperatures begin to rise, the grass, plants and bushes begin to grow again. The barren twigs and beds of winter are suddenly a riot of colour, but they can also become easily overgrown.

Whether it is the landlord and letting agent or the tenant who is ultimately responsible for garden maintenance is down to the terms of the tenancy agreement, but whoever’s job it is can make some real headway by taking up their tools early in spring.

You should pull out the dead plants and remove leaves and other foliage that have fallen into the flower beds in order to protect the flowers that are starting to sprout. Prune dead branches from trees and neaten up bushes too.

If you have fences or wooden decking, check they are still in a good state of repair and fix any issues you find. You could replenish gravel or wood chip in pathways at this point. It is also a good time to clear the guttering of leaves that fell from the trees over the previous months.

Inspect the Doors and Windows

Doors and windows on the property may have been affected by the ravages of winter and need some close attention in spring. Do they open and close as they should? Are they stiff or loose? Do they lock properly? You could use a lubricant such as WD40 on the locks or hinges if you think they are stiffer than they should be.

Check the window putty too for signs of winter wear. If there is any damage, you should replace this. It is also worth monitoring double glazing to ensure there is no misting between the panes.

The freezing weather over winter can expose weaknesses around doors and windows that could lead to leaks, so keep a keen eye for any telltale signs.

Exterior Inspection

Take a look around the outside of the property. Make sure there are no emerging cracks in the brickwork. If you do spot something, call in the professionals right away before it develops further. You should also keep an eye on the roof and chimney for any sign of winter damage.

The return of vaguely warm weather is a decent time to begin any exterior painting that needs doing too in order to freshen up the look of the building. When you prepare a rental property for spring with a new paint job, it gives it the best possible chance of bedding in properly before the harsh frost and snow of autumn and winter hit again.

Need Help to Prepare a Rental Property for Spring

One of the massive advantages of outsourcing your property management is that our experts take care of your maintenance. Rather than having to inspect every door and window frame yourself, Executive Property Management Solutions keeps a keen eye on the state of the building to ensure both landlord and tenant are happy.

Call us today on 0208 5757630 or fill in the box below to find out more.