Roller Blinds vs Vertical Blinds in Rental Property

[Bretto]

I am currently arranging blinds for a rental property I am building. The property is aimed at middle income tenants.

I am trying to decide between vertical and roller blinds. I was going to go with roller blinds as I thought they looked pretty good and may attract tenants. I have been told by a blinds installer that verticals are much lower maintenance (he says roller blinds will get damaged and also damage architraves if a window is left open with the blinds down) but I am concerned that the house will look too much like an office building from the inside if I put verticals in.

Does anyone have any views on this subject?

 

[wylie]

I LOVE the "eyelet" style curtains that you can get now in all sorts of weights and finishes.

Much cheaper than getting blinds or verticals made I would think.

And we have timber and Ikea aluminium venetions in our PPOR. I love the aluminium and white venetion (also have some in IPs) but the timber ones have definitely left marks all the way down our architraves where the stain has come off onto the paint.

When we re-rent a house, we generally put in the eyelet type curtains. They look trendy and open and close so easily, and no mucking about with fixings.

 

[marg4000]

I agree with Wylie.

I guess a lot depends on where your IP is. In Queensland I find blinds of any description are a real pain - you need the windows open to let in the breeze, but the blinds shut to keep out the early morning sun. In any wind the blinds flap and bang all night.

Marg

 

[wylie]

And there is nothing more annoying than something wanting to bang all night

(Thought I would get in before Geoff )

 

[Dis]

We put Holland (roller) blinds in our PPOR. I've seen those eyelet curtains and they would be my choice for a IP also. Can't really break them, look ok, and are quite cheap. Can get them from spot light I believe.

 

[wylie]

Spotlight, Target, Crazy Clarks even had them locally before Christmas ($15 for two curtains - who cares if you have to put them in each tenancy at that price).

 

[Rob Williams]

What level of blockout do the eyelet curtains have? Do the $15 ones mentioned by Wylie provide blockout or just privacy?
I've become a bit of a fan of the Ikea aluminum venetian recently. $40 for a 200cm wide one. Can't beat that and play fair. The equivalent at Bunnings is over $80.

 

[Bretto]

Thanks for the ideas. The eyelet curtains look like a good option.

A difficulty I have is I live 700km from my IP and will need to hire someone to install the curtains. I will ask the blinds installer if he does curtains as well.

Do you think that aluminium venetians or faux timber venetians are suitable if I can get the installed for $130 per window?

 

[geoffw]

And there is nothing more annoying than something wanting to bang all night

(Thought I would get in before Geoff )

Why are people so unkind?

 

[Ms Jade]

Thanks for the ideas. The eyelet curtains look like a good option.

A difficulty I have is I live 700km from my IP and will need to hire someone to install the curtains. I will ask the blinds installer if he does curtains as well.

Do you think that aluminium venetians or faux timber venetians are suitable if I can get the installed for $130 per window?

Some of the faux timber ones look great & are still popular. Sound like an OK deal to me.

 

[Ms Jade]

BTW, I agree on the eyelet curtains but if you do go with blinds I'd urge you to please stay away from verticals. We have hated them in every rental property they've been in. If people have kids or pets they always get tangled in the plastic chains at the bottom, which then break.

 

[sue78]

BTW, I agree on the eyelet curtains but if you do go with blinds I'd urge you to please stay away from verticals. We have hated them in every rental property they've been in. If people have kids or pets they always get tangled in the plastic chains at the bottom, which then break.

I'd go with verticals. You can get them now without chains at the bottom. the best part about verticals is that you can open slightly but people still can't see it and lets in enough breeze...whereas with timber unless you roll the whole thing up, there's no breeze at all.

I have a thing about if people can see into the house. Usually I just slide the verticals across a little and the window open a little so they can still see in but not everything...especially if Master bedroom is at the front.

They're ugly but practical. It's in our house now and been here 10 years and still great.

I have fake timber venetians in our IPs, they're much cheaper than verticals (get them from Kmart at 30% off and install them yourself) and yes, we've had to replace a few because the mechanism is broken etc etc

We had timber in our last PPOR and it was a nightmare..had timber throughout a 42 square house upstairs and downstairs and seriously, the amount of dust that gathers is horrible...you need to clean the blinds all the time. Otherwise don't get the 50mm slats...they look good but show up too much dust. I recommend the 28mm slats in pine colour. Not dark, not white.

Use eyelets for sliding doors.

 

[Bretto]

Thanks guys.

After much deliberation I have decided to go with the eyelet curtains. This is my fourth IP purchase but only my first new building construction so I have not needed to make these types of decisions before as the older properties I have bought have had reasonable window furnishings. Lets hope all of the other decisions with the new construction doesn't require this amount of deliberation.

Cheers

 

[caterpillar]

I've just done the same. I ended up, after much advice, going with sheer curtains for privacy, as well as roller (holland) blinds. They are easily wiped to keep clean and relatively cheap.

I've had verticals in my rental property, and I wouldn't get them again. Damaged cords, hard to clean, flap in and out of open doors.