How should you prepare a house for rent?

We are placing our home for rent in a nice neighborhood. Last year when we were living in it we placed an ad and got immediate results and offers to rent. Our home was nicely decorated, maintained and well lit during the open house.

After a year of having a tenant-which are leaving in a month, we placed an ad again with the same photos from a year ago. We received immediate interest again. We had appointments set while the home was still occupied and the showing received 1 offer. (Would like to see other offers) The house was opposite from how we showed it a year ago. No blinds open, no lights on. Furniture and home not decorated. The paint is in need of retouch and is also owner specific with colors in every room (done by us blues, reds, greens). And the carpet is okay but worn in some places.

In summary these may be the drawbacks:
Painting needs to be done
Flooring can maybe get by one more year
Outdated light fixtures (builder grade)
Construction is happening on the main road coming into neighborhood.
Grass is no longer green with patches
Hedges were not maintained

I know these things are easy to fix but here is the thing. My husband (sole owner) doesn't feel that these are issues and is against painting and possibly refreshing the flooring. Partly because of money and partly because of stubborness. I feel that if you are renting in a nice area and asking for rent that is above average, you should spruce things up in almost the condition that you would sell your home.

Are these things necessary to draw tenants or would people be wiling to rent anyway?
By swflmami 14 years ago :: General
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