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Window Coverings in Rental Properties – Nets, Curtains or Blinds?

When your property is ready for its final touches then installing window coverings will often be the final task prior to marketing for new tenants.

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When your property is ready for its final touches then installing window coverings will often be the final task prior to marketing for new tenants. Window coverings complete a property and not only help make the property look modern but they also help give prospective tenants the perception of privacy, security and warmth. Let’s face it − property is a people business and perception is the key. You have done all the hard work in presenting the rest of your property, so some thought needs to go into window coverings. This article is aimed at assisting you to make the right choices.

All landlords should provide window coverings. Gone are the old days when some landlords let tenants provide their own coverings. If you don’t have them installed then tenants will rent elsewhere. We recommend that rental properties should have cost effective, durable, modern coverings that fit each window. The location of your property (and the prospective tenant market – you should know your market) will help determine what sort of blinds/curtains you install, but there are some good guidelines to follow.

We recommend that landlords with properties out West or South (where there is often more wear and tear than in the central city) stay away from venetian blinds made of aluminium slats which although look smart, are damaged easily. The blinds and cords can be damaged as tenants clean them, or careless tenants open the windows without lifting blinds (by reaching between the slats) or the wind can cause damage to the slats. Executive properties and apartments in central Auckland may be better suited to these blinds as the properties are often not subject to the same amount of wear and tear. Vertical fabric venetians have plastic beading that keeps the blinds together and these can break easily, so the same rule applies. The one good thing about all venetians is that they are easily serviced with many companies out there providing a maintenance service. Roll down sun shade blinds are great and have a modern, clean look and are very durable but are often the most expensive choice so exceed many landlords’ budgets.

Curtains and nets seem to be the most preferred covering in most rental properties. Bedrooms require both curtains and nets whereas lounges and dining rooms can often get away with just curtains. Kitchens, toilets and laundry’s can get away with nets only. Nets in wet areas should be trimmed high so they do not hang in the vicinity of taps etc. Nets should be white and you can purchase nets with built-in zipped cuts that allow you to trim the nets to the height of your windows. Nets should be hung on cords on the inside of the window frame but not attached to the glass. Curtains should be hung on rails on the top of the window frames so when closed they hide the nets. If you invest in new curtains make sure that they are hung correctly to maximise presentation and prolong the life of the curtain.

Nets provide additional privacy when curtains are open but also allow a small amount of sunlight to shine through which has obvious benefits to your rental property. More sunlight means less moisture which has a positive effect on tenant’s health and also increases the life of all of your chattels including carpets and paintwork. Curtains should be thermal backed to provide maximum insulation. You can increase the life of your nets/curtains and blinds by tenant education and improving insulation and air flow. For example tenants should be told to regularly open windows and encourage air flow. Property owners with moisture problems can reduce these problems by installing fans and air/heat transfer systems such as HRV (Home Ventilation System) products which circulate air around the home. This will help avoid mould growth and discoloured window coverings.

We suggest that you purchase neutral colours that don’t clash with tenant’s furniture and personalities – for example, don’t choose multi coloured rainbow or pink/orange curtains. White curtains mark easily so contemporary grey/brown colours are always a good option. Presentation can be maximised by having consistency in all rooms and not different colours in every room. If your children’s bedrooms have kiddie cartoon curtains it may be worth replacing with normal curtains to increase your potential tenant market. Your property may then appeal to a wider range of tenants such as professionals or students.

Tenants

Coworking Countdown – 4 Things to Prepare Before You Move In

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The coworking scene has done anything but slowed down. Coworking spaces in Auckland alone vary between your upmarket, corporate office to the trendier, chic ones. Certainly, investing in this type of commercial real estate has never been more attractive.  There is a space for everyone in this landscape and for businesses looking for new workspaces there’s not only variety available, there’s options at an affordable price.

When a business has finally found an office, in one of these buildings they have not only found a workspace, they’ve also found community as well. One coworking space – Servcorp – is a good example of the way work and networking have intersected to provide business with the chance to grow. This new way of leasing premises is highly attractive to the leasee and the property owner.  Here are some tips for moving into a new coworking space, so the business can prepare to maximise their working experience.

Continue reading to learn what you can do to prepare for your move to your new coworking space to ensure the move is as seamless as possible.

Purposeful Coworking

Coworking presents professionals with the chance to use the space to just work or to build on their professional network. Before getting comfortable in your new office, sit down and take inventory of the tasks beyond work that you would like to accomplish. When writing down your goals and objectives, keep in mind the types of activities that you would like to engage in the space.

Of the many activities, formal networking events and community social events are the types you want to pay attention to if you plan to use the space to build a social network. Not that you have to be out and about every night, but scheduling time to promote your business is one way to maximise the coworking space. Ultimately, if the purpose of coworking is to build a networking platform or to grow your business, find ways to incorporate the more social aspect of the space.

Tool Of The Trade

Another thing that professionals moving into a coworking space should prepare for is knowing what amenities the space provides. Standard spaces fit out the office with exceptional IT services and office equipment, but other amenities include programs and conferences that help teach entrepreneurs how to build their businesses. Before moving into your space, consider checking out all the perks of working in your coworking space.

Moreover, make sure you know what is available for use in the office, so as to bring supplies if necessary. While staplers and other office products come standard in a conventional office, some spaces might not make this available to employees. On a larger scale, make sure there is a receptionist available, and if not, know exactly how to retrieve any messages.

Change Of Business Address

Before leaving your conventional or home office, make sure that clients and other important people know your new location and phone number. One simple way to do this is to email clients of your relocation as to avoid any mix-ups. Furthermore, make sure to forward any business mail to your new location, as to avoid missing important parcels. Finally, make sure you know the building’s office hours for scheduling appointments.

Event Calendar

Check out the coworking space’s event calendar. In addition to the numerous networking opportunities in the day, many coworking communities hold events to get the professionals to engage with each other. Make an exerted effort to attend at least a few of the events every week to raise your business’s profile. You never know what opportunity awaits when engaging people from your profession and others.

Preparing And Putting Coworking To Work

Coworking makes moving effortless simply by alleviating much of the work associated with relocating. You can, however, maximise your move by putting together an agenda of how you plan to use the work to benefit your business. Your plan will help you use your space more effectively for building a platform for business success.

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Tenants

Auction Site For Renters

New Zealand will soon see the rise of a new auction site for renters. Just in on stuff.co.nz Rentberry has confirmed they will be launching here and in Australia. The online service offers renters the opportunity to bid for rental properties. Landlords set the ‘reserve’ or rent level they hope will generate lots of prospective tenants interest and then the bidding war takes off.

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New Zealand  will soon see the rise of a new auction site for renters.  Just in on stuff.co.nz Rentberry has confirmed they will be launching here and in Australia.  The online service offers renters the opportunity to bid for rental properties.   Landlords set the ‘reserve’ or rent level they hope will generate lots of prospective tenants interest and then the bidding war takes off.   Landlords get the final say on whom is the successful applicant and while they may review the highest bids first, they won’t be choosing the tenant just based on what they’re prepared to pay.

An Auckland property management company spokesperson said common-sense will prevail among Landlords.  Securing long term tenancies with tenants that have good credit histories and references will remain the top priority.  Prospective tenants information is available to the Landlord in the service so they can select the tenant without delay.

Rentberry will provide more transparency of the selection process with prospective tenants and Landlords learning what the true market value is for their property.  This is a positive move for investors especially those who are new to the rental market and Landlords whom self manage their rental properties and may currently be charging more or less rent.

There has been some healthy criticism of the service even in it’s infancy.  In America affordable housing advocates are angered by the service and tenant groups in Australia are wary that the service will push up prices.

Rentberry has been operating in the USA since 2016 and is currently expanding into 1000 cities there. It’s focus is on renting Apartments and this is where we see the service take off in our neck of the woods in our main centres in New Zealand.


This blog article was written for PropertyBlogs by Mobilize Mail.

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Tenants

Tenants Let Off With 4.8% Increase

Weekly rents rose just 4.8 percent in the twelve months to July 2016 according to Trade Me Rent Price Index. Tenants will be relieved Landlords are being realistic and not keen on hiking rents arbitrarily. Property sales have slowed and the average asking price has dropped significantly up ten percent since July 2015.

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Weekly rents rose just 4.8 percent in the twelve months to July 2016 according to Trade Me Rent Price Index.  Tenants will be relieved Landlords are being realistic and not keen on hiking rents arbitrarily

Property sales have slowed and the average asking price has dropped significantly up ten percent since July 2015.   Of particular interest is the slow down in property asking prices in Auckland where a typical property listed in June was just $3,750 less than the asking price in July.   According to this article Investors are buying most of the houses.

In Auckland City and on the North Shore investors have purchased 50 percent of the properties on the market.  A North Shore and Auckland City property management company spokesperson said investors are listing new properties with them.  In Auckland City it’s mostly apartments and there’s high demand for quality living quarters downtown.

“In July 2011 New  Zealand’s median weekly rent was $350 a week, that has risen by $90 a week over the past 5 years, while at the same time the increase in the average asking price of a typical New Zealand property has risen by $200,000 an increase of 51 per cent.”

Trade Me Rent Price Index

While there’s the odd sensational article on ‘greedy landlords’ hiking rents to unprecedented levels evidence proves otherwise and tenants are the winners.

In the regions there has been some catch up with rents rising by double digit percentages in Northland, Manawatu, and Marlborough.  However urban average rents have remained stagnant.


This blog article was written for PropertyBlogs by Mobilize Mail.

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