If you've purchased a property to let, then the next part of the process will be to ponder how to decorate it. As tempting as it may be, it's crucial not to decorate the property based solely on your own tastes, but instead to pick colours and styles that will appeal to the largest potential number of prospective tenants.

Thinking about the tenants and the property

The first thing to think about is the location and kind of property, in addition to the kind of tenants who are likely to stay in the property. Is it an apartment or a house? Is it in the suburbs or a city centre? Are the tenants going to be students, a professional couple or a large family? A landlord has to think about decorating their property depending on many of these issues.

Decorating a house might be majorly different to decorating a flat, as a house is just so much bigger and so there's more that could be done to it.

The size of a property might also fluctuate depending on its location, with a suburbs house likely to be bigger than a property nearer to a city or town centre - it might also determine the style, as houses in the suburbs are more likely to be more traditional and old-fashioned when compared to potentially contemporary and modern city centre apartments, and admittedly the decor will have to complement this.

When thinking of people, you may have to think about the intentions of the rooms. For example, for a property intended for students, most of the rooms will probably have to be bedrooms, with just one alternate room (aside from the bathrooms and kitchen, of course) to be lounge and dining room. A professional couple on the other hand might only require just the one bedroom, with a second as a bedroom for guests.

Colour? Style? Neutral and simple

When it comes to decorating the property, it's best to ensure everything neutral and simple. That way it will agree with the majority of people's preferences and shouldn't clash with their furniture.

A nice colour for walls is a cream or off-white, such as magnolia. White's a great and sensible ceiling colour. For flooring, contemplate a carpet that is medium pile (not too shaggy yet not too thin) and stay away from a colour that is too light - a cream or white could show dirt and stains more than a mink or beige colour.

Should it be unfurnished or furnished?

An unfurnished property allows tenants to bring their own furniture. However, for some types of tenants, it may be more sensible to furnish the property for them, for example, for students who might only be letting the property for a year.

If you decide to furnish it, make sure that all the furniture is compliant with legislation such as fire regulations - this is very important. Just in case items get broken or go missing, it is also essential to have an inventory. Of course, if you're furnishing a property for your tenants then brace yourself for possible breakages, in addition to frequent repair work and maintenance that goes with it.

The type of furniture may depend on the kind of tenant too. For example, students will probably like to have fitted bedroom furniture so that they can fit as much into their room as possible. A professional couple or family might not require this type of furniture as solution for storage; although, depending on the overall size of the property, they may still welcome it, particularly if the property's quite small.

A happy tenant is less likely to move away

A well-decorated property should result in happier tenants, which of course is especially important factor to keep on top of as a landlord. If they're satisfied with the living arrangements then they are much more likely to stay at the property for a longer period of time. If they do have to move on, a nicely decorated property will appear to be more appealing to possible replacement tenants, which'll lower the probability of the property being vacant for longer than it needs to be, and will in turn reduce the amount of rental money lost during this time.