Soon to be landlord.

bee78

motherofstudents wrote: »

Bee 78 I feel like I can empathise with you as I had all the same worries when letting my mum's flat. One prospective tenant worked in Liverpool and was going to commute (to Bury), ok not a million miles but I imagined him getting fed up with the commute, losing his job and having to claim benefits.

I'm sure it will be fine. We have a tenant now and I'm not too worried as he wants it long term and when he moves out, we will just strip everything. Just remember that even if, shock horror, the tenants don't use the extractor - it can be fixed !! Good luck.

thanks motherof student, that is very reasurring, how long did you take find a good tenant.... my first viewing is later on today, not had a call from the agent for any other viewings yet.
i just have to take it as it is....thanks though.;)

bee78

Hello everyone,

Viewing over. Brilliant couple, who have 4 kids between them.

They liked the house, but I think,since one of our rooms in converted to a home office with fitted study furniture, they need a proper fourth bedroom. They asked us wheather we could move study downstairs,I said it is something which we will think about. Otherwise they liked the house and location, and it fitted in with their work and lifestyle.

Now the problem is moving the study, the furniture is bespoke and we paid quite a bit of money to get the whole thing done...so I am not so sure. Maybe if they come with positive reply..we could ask them to rent for a year, and then when they know for sure, they can move the study themselves downstairs, and make the other room as a bedroom.

I am sure this going to be an issue now, with families with more then two kids coming to view the house. And I am not so sure how to deal with it effectively. I want to be nicest landlord, but I can't agree to everything a tenant ask........:o

DuckEggGingham

Is it listed as a four bedroomed house but only 3 can be used as actual bedrooms?

tbs624

You're advertising it as 4 bedroomed, rather than as 3 bedrooms plus fitted study so the majority of potential Ts would probably similarly expect all those rooms to be able to accomodate bedroom furniture.

If letting to a family with 4 kids I think I'd remove that study furniture, particularly if it was expensive. As a compromise , you could maybe simply remove the desk part of the fitment if that leaves enough room for a bed and the cupboards can be utilised for clothes etc? Obviously if Ts have own furniture which they wanted to be able to fit in there that's not a goer.

bee78

DuckEggGingham wrote: »

Is it listed as a four bedroomed house but only 3 can be used as actual bedrooms?

Well it does have 4 bedrooms, the description does say we are using the 4 th bedroom as a study. But I didn't anticipate that someone would actually want to use the 4 th room as a bedroom. I thought the study was the selling point as far as letting goes.....I guess I am wrong here. and I haven't a got clue on what to do.

Maybe this couple will not come back to us at all..might just pick the other property which is going at £900. In that case problem is solved for me......well not quite..I still need to find some tenants:D

GDB2222

bee78 wrote: »

Well it does have 4 bedrooms, the description does say we are using the 4 th bedroom as a study. But I didn't anticipate that someone would actually want to use the 4 th room as a bedroom. I thought the study was the selling point as far as letting goes.....I guess I am wrong here. and I haven't a got clue on what to do.

Maybe this couple will not come back to us at all..might just pick the other property which is going at £900. In that case problem is solved for me......well not quite..I still need to find some tenants:D

1. I don't think you are being paranoid. You are being quite open here about what you think, and you don't want to share that with potential renters.

2. It's quite a lot of rent for Lancashire.

3. You ought to be flexible - offer to put the study furniture in storage and redecorate the study as a bedroom - in order to get it let to decent tenants. I'd grab hold of them now and offer to do that. After all, you are asking top dollar for the area. Storage would be expensive, so maybe it's better to offer to move the study stuff downstairs.

4. 4 beds means 4 beds, I'm afraid. Or market it as 3 beds.

bee78

GDB2222 wrote: »

1. I don't think you are being paranoid. You are being quite open here about what you think, and you don't want to share that with potential renters.

2. It's quite a lot of rent for Lancashire.

3. You ought to be flexible - offer to put the study furniture in storage and redecorate the study as a bedroom - in order to get it let to decent tenants. I'd grab hold of them now and offer to do that. After all, you are asking top dollar for the area. Storage would be expensive, so maybe it's better to offer to move the study stuff downstairs.

4. 4 beds means 4 beds, I'm afraid. Or market it as 3 beds.

I did think initially that rent was a bit high, but when I looked at price comparison report by the agent, i think it is just below market value. I guess if this couple comes back, I could maybe reduce some££, off the rent in exchange of the study being where it is....oh I don't know, I suppose I can't have it all...lower rent or move study.....I know which one my hubby would choose though...:cool:


I am worried now about not finding a good tenant at all.....on top of all my other fears of being a landlord....:(


I will update soon, if there is any news......

casualwalks

I would not leave any furniture in the house that you are attached to. Tenants (even good ones) can have accidents.

miss_marsters

i echo the points above - if the tenants want the 4th room as a bedrtoom and your otherwise happy with everything else, i'd strip the room

otherwise you could find the tenants trying to strip out the bespoke furniture! :eek:


i'd also try and detach yourself from your house because accidents happen all the time! i have a 4yr and 2yr old and a dog in a private rent and things happen! - of course the tennant should put things right when they leave ( i know we will!) but if they dont you may get a massive shock....

ognum

I echo the removal of study furniture to storage if you like it and paid a lot for it.

I have removed the built in study furniture from a house I let in order to make it four bedrooms and achieve maximum rent.

I know you are anxious but truly you are making me anxious about how much you care about this house.

No one wants there house damaged but things do get broken and damaged and it sounds like your deposit is never going to be enough to cover what might happen

I would suggest you get a storage unit for anything that you care about or else sell the house.