Ballad of a landlord .. Rant

[miss green eyes]

I'm just looking objectively to see what can be done to give your property a 'reno-ed' look. As others have pointed out, you have reno-ed it but it doesn't seem to look that way.

Some tips:
- remove the sticker from the bottom of the toilet bowl. In time the goo will stick and become even harder to remove, so you may as well do it now anyway.
- clean the toilet floor. it has dust on the black tiles, probably leftover from your reno. This is particularly obvious on the floor just in front of the toilet bowl.
- can you paint the toilet door? it wasn't painted? the edges are scuffed and black. or at least leave it out of the pics?
- bedroom pic with black cord on the floor. bottom right - I can see some black marks where the wall meets the skirting board. paint over or clean.
- door in the pic of the same room. I can just about see some black marks on the door. in real life, may indicate to a prospective the house hasn't been painted, even if it has (because usually people do everything in one go).
- doors, doorframes and windows in general have these black marks. Can you paint over them or remove them? Try sugar soap and plenty of elbow grease.
- powerpoints are black too. can you get these replaced? For light switch covers, it's easy. You just buy a set from bunnings - it has 2 portions - the switch portion and the cover. keep/discard the switch portion. use the new cover for your house. For powerpoints, you may need to get an electrician in do it. I'm not talking about replacing the entire powerpoint, just the cover.

Good luck.

PS, if you got a tenant in from the opens last week, good for you!

 

[mumbai]

Thanks a lot MGE for the feedback. I really appreciate the time and effort.

- The black cables from the picture and others from other rooms have gone.

- I have cleaned the bathroom floor and they are cleaner than the photos.

- The doors need to be repainted and I will do that this weekend, if the property does not lease out till then else get a handyman/painter to do it.

- The curtains are now gone and I have asked a blind guy to put vertical blinds all over (I feel they are less maintenance than roller and venetians)

- The powerpoints are just old and not black (though they looks black now). I will give them a thorough clean and see if that makes any difference. They are not the modern ones with switch covers.

- I had already changed all the light coverings

On a positive, couple of applications from last weekend are good. The REA is just going through the checks and they will let me know the outcome soon.

 

[neK]

Thanks for the feedback guys.Not justifying agents actions nor mine. But, some of you criticised the house and photos in such a way as if I am 'selling' a million dollar house.
I agree the photos are still not good, but not awful!.

Perception can sometimes be reality.

I hate pro photos that make a terrible house look like way better than it should.

However for a house that is decent, pro photos can help attract people who would have otherwise not bothered looking.

 

[miss green eyes]

I hate pro photos that make a terrible house look like way better than it should.

Haha same! As a renter, I have been to opens a few times because the property looked pretty ok in the pics. I don't expect something fantastic, but it's not fair to lease a place that is almost literally falling apart, dirty, smelly.
Amazing what pro photos can do

 

[miss green eyes]

To the OP - hope you get one of those who applied
I missed out on a couple good ones who were accepted elsewhere.
Although it was not my entirely my fault. They might have picked somewhere cheaper/nicer. I'll never know.
You are in the same boat now.
Please post new pics and let us know? We'd love to see how you spruced up the place.

About the blinds - curtains are lowest maintenance of all
I agree verticals look a bit neater and more modern though.
Up to you.

 

[EN710]

En710
Squatting occupant???? Can't they be evicted somehow????

In the process to - was in my rant on Thread where husband that's not on the agreement stayed and refused to leave, the wife who's on contract went AWOL . Husband is technically an occupant as wife invited him before - only wife can get him as tresspasser and not landlord (called Fair Trading and they confirmed), hence Landlord (ME) need evict per regulation The problem with ridiculous NSW rules...

I really feel for you. I hope the tenant does not do any damage before evicting!

3 weeks ago and already 3 holes on walls. Last week inspection, the squatter padlocked the entire place and PM can't get in. Fingers crossed it's all going to be resolved asap.

 

[miss green eyes]

Dang.
For my IP, husband only is on lease as he's the breadwinner. Should I have insisted wife also be on the lease?
Next time then....
Good luck with it.
I can't believe it! Can't YOU cut off the padlocks and put your own on?
Nevermind the holes. You can plaster them over.....
Structural damage is another issue though....
EN710 - Is your IP also in Western Sydney? Is it a 'western sydney' thing? lol

 

[EN710]

Dang.
For my IP, husband only is on lease as he's the breadwinner. Should I have insisted wife also be on the lease?
Next time then....
Good luck with it.
I can't believe it! Can't YOU cut off the padlocks and put your own on?
Nevermind the holes. You can plaster them over.....
Structural damage is another issue though....
EN710 - Is your IP also in Western Sydney? Is it a 'western sydney' thing? lol

Well, if your tenant is a responsible one, then migth or might not needed? I rent with my own name before without hubby on the lease - I paid on time and left the unit better than I've got them!

No, can't cut off padlock they technically has similar right to tenant on lease, so without proper reason, you can't just barge in

No, not Western Sydney, it's up north in Rutherford.

 

[miss green eyes]

?
So what's the process from start to finish to evict an associate of the legal tenant?
I don't want to hijack this thread too much.
Can you provide a link to your own thread?
Rutherford near maitland/newcastle? Argh.....are your tenants the same type of people who harass everyone on the train on the way up from Central

 

[EN710]

?
So what's the process from start to finish to evict an associate of the legal tenant?
I don't want to hijack this thread too much.
Can you provide a link to your own thread?

Same as evicting a tenant, i.e. termination notice, tribunal, order to vacate, tribunal, warrant to vacate
The thread here
http://somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101866

Rutherford near maitland/newcastle? Argh.....are your tenants the same type of people who harass everyone on the train on the way up from Central

Lol, maybe? Never met them whenever I travel to Central

 

[miss green eyes]

one more very small thing.
If you ever have to replace the door handles, I would recommend stainless steel.
The gold ones look very dated.
I think door handles are the least of the OP's worries right now though.

 

[mumbai]

I think door handles are the least of the OP's worries right now though.

You are right

 

[miss green eyes]

You are right

poor thing.
Can you afford to just reduce the rent and get that sucker rented out?

Looking forward to seeing the updated pics?

 

[mumbai]

already did. It was rented for 430. When the tenant did a runner and did not get much attention, I reduced to 410

 

[miss green eyes]

$380-90?
Try "$410 NEG" or "$410 offers invited" on the ad?
Try putting 'make me an offer' in the ad?

 

[mumbai]

$380-90?
Try "$410 NEG" or "$410 offers invited" on the ad?
Try putting 'make me an offer' in the ad?

It was 410 offers. I was asked to change to fixed price in this thread

 

[miss green eyes]

OK. Good luck.
Maybe you even have a tenant by now from the pool of apps you received?

 

[mumbai]

OK. Good luck.
Maybe you even have a tenant by now from the pool of apps you received?

Thanks. I hope so too.
They said there are a couple good ones. So. I might just get lucky!

 

[EN710]

already did. It was rented for 430. When the tenant did a runner and did not get much attention, I reduced to 410

Why can't tenant just be upfront "Hey, I can't afford the rent anymore. Let me go off this fix lease scratch free or I'll do a runner, gone missing and not replying email. So you'll be 4-8 weeks with no rent instead of 1-2 weeks. Choose."

Thanks. I hope so too.
They said there are a couple good ones. So. I might just get lucky!

All the best!

 

[miss green eyes]

Why can't tenant just be upfront "Hey, I can't afford the rent anymore. Let me go off this fix lease scratch free or I'll do a runner, gone missing and not replying email. So you'll be 4-8 weeks with no rent instead of 1-2 weeks. Choose."

Maybe the tenants owed money to other people too, and had to leave in a hurry to get away from those people....

Would people be open to a BAD tenant (in terms of references, income and rental history)? As opposed to NO tenant?