Keep a photographic record of your property

Could you close your eyes and describe in exact detail every tiny detail of your investment property?   Sure, you could probably tell me where the rooms are and whether you have vertical blinds or curtains.   But I’m talking about the exact colours, brands and condition of your property.

Hi, Kylie from Welcome Home Rentals here and one of the most important things you can ever do in protecting your asset is to begin the tenancy with the end in mind.

Entry condition reports are very important but without photographs to back up the text, you and your property might be left in the hands of a cranky magistrate to make a decision on whether your tenants really did steal your $2000 curtains and replace them with a cheap $50 set from Target.

The written word is too open to interpretation and what I might consider a small scratch, one of our tenants might call a deep gouge.   That’s why at Welcome Home Rentals we take sooooo many photos.

When leasing out your property, make sure that you, or your property manager go crazy with the camera.   Between 600 and 1000 is ideal, being sure to take pics in all different lights and from different angles and don’t forget the outside – photos of gardens and lawns will help tenants to know exactly how weed-free your property was before they moved in.

Be sure to happy-snap everything, not just any damage.   If your walls are newly painted, a photo as proof will really help if there’s a dispute at the end of the tenancy.   Photos never lie!

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