- Experienced property manager Ashleigh Goodchild provides tips on renting
- 3 pieces of advice: what are your 'must haves' and your 'nice to haves'?
- What's your budget, with some wiggle room, and what lifestyle are you after?
Is there such thing as the perfect rental property?
In this current market, when there is not a lot to choose from, it would be best to do some planning behind what is important to you.
1. Minimum Viable Rental
First of all, set out your minimum standards. This might be the number of bedrooms bathrooms and other non-negotiables. It could include air conditioning or a bathtub.
Then you will have flexible requirements. These are the ones that you would like to have but not a deal-breaker.
2. Budget
Secondly, work out your budget. It is always good to have some flexibility with this.
Depending on the market, when you are searching online, always search for properties that are $25 per week above your budget in case there is a chance you can put an offer in.
This is not possible in all markets though, so if it is a hot market, my tip would be to go to the very last page of the online portal. These properties have been advertised for the longest and the owner may be more flexible to accept offers. Often, you can also search by listed date, so you can gauge which ones have been hanging around the longest, and may be open to a deal.
3. Lifestyle
Finally, make sure the property suits your lifestyle. If you don’t have a lot of time to spend at home in the garden, make sure the garden is small or reticulated.
If you have young children or entertain a lot, you may want to consider something with hard flooring instead of carpet.
Apply!
When you have found your “nearly perfect rental”, it will be time to put in an application. To help your application stand out, I recommend including a cover letter that tells the property manager a bit more about yourself and a photo.
Also ensuring that you complete the application in full and provide all the extra information the agent requires makes it easier to be checked and will give you the strongest opportunity to secure that new home.
Good luck and happy house hunting!
