You can usually tell within a few minutes whether somebody cares about a property.
It isn't necessarily the kitchen.
It isn't expensive furniture.
And it definitely isn't whether someone has put three decorative cushions on the sofa before taking the listing photographs.
It's the little things.
The front door works properly
It sounds ridiculous until you've lived somewhere where it doesn't.
Locks should work smoothly. Handles shouldn't be hanging off. Communal entrances shouldn't feel forgotten.
The experience of a home begins before somebody reaches the living room.
The bathroom doesn't feel tired
Bathrooms work hard.
Silicone deteriorates. Grout discolors. Extractor fans collect dust. Taps start dripping.
Individually, these are minor things.
Together, they can make an otherwise good property feel neglected.
A proper clean and a few small repairs can sometimes achieve more than an expensive cosmetic upgrade.
The heating makes sense
Nobody should need an engineering degree to understand how to heat their bedroom.
Clear controls and properly maintained heating matter both for comfort and for how efficiently a home operates.
And from the landlord's perspective, gas equipment supplied at the property must be safely installed and maintained, with required annual gas-safety checks carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Storage has actually been considered
London homes aren't famous for unlimited space.
That makes sensible storage even more valuable.
A shelf in the right place.
Hooks near the entrance.
Useful kitchen cupboards.
Space under a bed.
Somewhere to put a vacuum cleaner.
None of these will make the cover of an interiors magazine.
People living in the property will appreciate them every day.
Small repairs don't stay small forever
That slow leak under the sink?
The window that doesn't quite close?
The loose bathroom tile?
They have a habit of becoming considerably more expensive if ignored.
There's a financial argument for preventative maintenance, but there's a human one too.
Tenants shouldn't have to repeatedly chase obvious repairs.
Clean means actually clean
Between tenancies, cleaning should go further than vacuuming the middle of each room.
Inside cupboards.
Behind furniture.
Around appliances.
Windows.
Bathroom fittings.
Skirting boards.
These are exactly the places someone notices when they're unpacking into an empty property.
You don't need to make everything new
This might be the most important point.
A good rental doesn't need to look like a newly built show home.
Older properties have character.
Furniture doesn't need replacing simply because it isn't this year's style.
A home can feel extremely well cared for while containing older features.
The difference is condition.
Clean it. Maintain it. Repair it. Replace things when they genuinely need replacing.
That's a much more sensible approach than constantly trying to make an ordinary rental property look brand new.
And, conveniently, it's a more sustainable one too.
DISCLAIMER- THIS PICTURE HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM PINTEREST (TAKEN BY AAKASH NAIR)