Salisbury letting agents Piccolo - advice on flooring in a rental property

Choosing the right flooring for a rental property is very important. Appearance, longevity, maintenance and cost are all factors that must be considered to help achieve a successful, hassle free let.

The colour of the carpets can be a deciding factor when a prospective tenant is viewing a property. It is therefore important to select neutral colours and, where possible continue with the same colour throughout the property. This will give the impression of space and cleanliness, neutral colours also mean the tenant won’t be worried about his sofa clashing with the carpet! A mid beige is the most suitable being a warm and inviting colour, but remember too light and it will show all the marks, too dark and it will show every bit of fluff and will also make the rooms feel smaller.

Wool carpet will generally last much longer than a man made ‘polyprop’ carpet. Wool carpet also responds much better to professional cleaning and any marks left by previous tenants are more likely to come out. The same cannot be said for the man made fibre carpets, even if they are ‘stain protected’ they are much harder to keep clean in the long term. Although the initial outlay on a wool carpet will be slightly more, over a period of time it will be much more cost effective. Where possible, a coir entrance mat fitted into the carpet is also a good idea, the larger the better as this encourages tenants and visitors to use it and not just step over it!

Bathrooms, cloakrooms and kitchens should always be fitted with vinyl floor covering and never carpet. There are thousands of design choices with vinyls but it is best to stick to either a mottled beige, a simple tile effect or maybe a wood effect. Make sure it’s non-slip too as these cost no more than standard vinyls.

Finally, avoid using laminates as they will be ruined if too much water gets onto them, the same also applies to natural floor coverings such a sisal and seagrass. They may look great when first fitted but 6 months later they will look awful, they cannot be professionally cleaned and will soon need to be replaced!

If you need any further information please don’t hesitate to contact www.floors-to-you.co.uk who will be pleased to advise on all aspects of flooring. Floors to You will meet landlords at their home or rental property to show a wide range of samples and quote extremely competitive prices. Quote ‘Piccolo’ to receive a 10% discount when placing an order.