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Ever thought about renting out your home whilst you get off the island? Or do you have an apartment or house you want to rent out on a regular basis?
Whether you’re thinking of swapping houses or simply renting out yours your home so you can explore some foreign place, enjoy some time on a boat, or use it as a source of revenue, then we are going to show you how to get it into shape.
Renting a property in Malta is very easy with so many foreigners coming here for various reasons including work, vacation, retirement etc., that we can help you rent your property in no time.
However, there just are a few things that you can do in order to get your home looking fantastic and ready to rent!
Here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Declutter Your Home
Decluttering your home is at the very top of the list for a very important reason – nobody likes entering a space full of unnecessary clutter. It gives the impression of disorganization and uncleanliness.
Moreover, part of decluttering is about removing your personal items – guests do not want to find your personal items around the house, and neither do you want to have your personal items lying around.
For this reason, it is important to clear the space of anything personal such as personal photos, countertop clutter in the kitchen and bathrooms, personal mail or desktop documents – just take your laptop with you or place it somewhere no one else has access to. This will make the guests feel more at home – as though they’re in their own special space in a new environment.
You also want to remove any of your own clothing from site – especially from the wardrobes. So secure these personal items, along with personal clothing and linens, in storage spaces (in or out of the home), so that guests can unpack and use the closet spaces with ease.
Think of yourself and how you want to find homes you’re renting out.
2. Clean Every Nook And Cranny
When you’re clearing out your clothes and linens you want to leave things for your guests to be able to store their personal items with. Leave free hangers in the wardrobes, also leave fresh linen and towels.
You might also want to get someone professional to clean your home, to make it feel extra fresh for when the guests arrive.
For your bedrooms:
Make the beds, with the sheets soft-side down, using ‘hospital corners’ to leave for a smooth and crisp feel. Have a nightstand or at least make sure you have a light on each side of the bed.
For your bathrooms:
Make sure there’s a good amount of toiletries, fluffy towels, a stool and bathrobe. Having a blow dryer handy would also be appreciated.Make sure your baths or showers are looking spotless.
Folding your towels the right way is a small gesture which goes a long way. Give your guests the hotel treatment even in this, Fold your towel into thirds, length-ways. Then fold along a point close to the centre and fold along from the other side. Place a little soap at the top of your 3 tier towel pile.
For your kitchen:
Make sure not to leave your favourite pieces (so anything that has sentimental value) in the drawers. You want to leave separate and really nice cutlery, with good quality pots and pans – super clean and shiny mind you.
When it comes to glasses always think to leave clean design ones they can use for water and other drinks. You also want to leave a dozen (if not more) wine glasses for either red or white wine. Leave a jug handy so that they can easily fill it with any drink for the breakfast or dinner table.
Kitchen towels should be clean (unstained), and left in a drawer of their own.
Remember to leave extra cleaning equipment in one of the drawers or under the sink. In case something happens your guests need to know where to find these things. Along with these liquids and sprays, leave the garbage and recycling bags.
For your pantry
Leave them with at least the essentials in the pantry. So something for breakfast like a cereal (leave milk and eggs in the fridge along with anything else you think of), some packets of pasta (leave some white and wholemeal ones), jars of sauce. If you can leave something in the freezer, such as a pizza it might be really appreciated. Make sure there’s enough tea, herbal tea and coffee for them at hand for throughout their stay.
For your laundry room:
Always leave instructions just in case they forget what you have told them. Make sure that there is enough detergent liquid or powder for them to use along with softener possibly.
For your entry:
This is where you’re making your first impression. Even though your very first impression is the outside entrance, the inside makes all the difference. This is where they will come to unwind and it has to be cosy and familiar – it has to make them feel like this is home. Leave a bowl for keys, and some instructions – prep a list of the things that are ready for them, what they need to do at the end of their stay, and what they can find in the vicinity (anything from restaurants, bars and shops that are worth a visit). Even if you’re going to be there to meet and greet, they don’t want to be bombarded with this kind of information so it will be nice for them to just go through when they are more relaxed and settled down.
3. Redecorate And Re-Paint!
If this is going to be a home that you let out, you can dare to be a bit bolder than you would be with your own living space. That said you should always add a splash of colour! Experiment with the furniture too, just make sure that it remains functional and comfortable. The latter is key. Try out some nice eye-catching light fixtures too. It’s a good idea to maintain your own style at the same time.
4. Show Off Your Strengths
What makes a home memorable and what makes it desirable are its features – its highlights, so make sure you point these out. Make proper use of any outside space, garden, deck and pool area, rooftop space is sought after a lot too. Mention if you have garage space and how many cars it can take.
It’s always nice to have updated appliances and durable countertops with a marble look (if they’re marble all the better). This goes for your kitchen and bathrooms.
You’re offering them high style living.
5. Re-Think Your Layout
Some people prefer having the bedrooms close to each other, whilst others want to have them at either end of the house – but realistically you cannot change your bedrooms every time your guests have a different preference. Just as long as most bedrooms have their own bathroom access or ensuite, you should be safe.
You’re going to have to work with what you’ve got and the layout is not always as flexible as you would like. Make sure you have a mix of open and closed layouts – many now prefer to have an open kitchen/living/dining room space instead of separate rooms, you can leave the closed layouts for the bedrooms and maybe study too.
It will be good to know what is polite and what is not when it comes to international guests coming from places you’ve never dealt with before.
6. Added touches
Bring the city into the home from the very start, with local snacks on the breakfast table for when they arrive and you’re showing them around. Make sure there is water aplenty.
Open the windows and balconies if possible for when they arrive, and pepper the house with fresh flowers for a little extra life!
