For years landlords have been advised to keep the interiors of their rental properties simple. And that is still the case but now, rather than magnolia walls and matching curtains, tenants are showing a preference for more modern properties that are in keeping with current trends.

As far as renters are concerned, the most popular interior trend at the moment is a little bit of grey. For example, we recently let a property which had been on the market for a number of months and although it generated some interest, there had been no agreeable offers. The landlord decided to repaint all the external woodwork and the garage door grey and fitted a new grey master en-suite bathroom. Once the work was completed we had a number of new interested tenants, and even some renewed interest from people who had already viewed.

Similarly, another landlord decided to replace the floor tiles in the reception areas of his house and repainted the kitchen units and walls throughout a light shade of grey. Immediately we saw an increase in enquiries from tenants who had been looking for a while, including some who had previously overlooked the property.

What does this tell us about what tenants are looking for? Firstly it suggests they want homes, rather than just thinking of a rental property as a temporary move. If they are planning to rent long term then they will often be looking for something with more originality – tenants are definitely more style conscious than they have been previously and the properties need to be ready-made as they can’t make any cosmetic changes themselves.

Tenants may well view five to 10 properties and if they all look predominantly the same and haven’t been modernised in a few years, then a new lick of paint in a subtle grey can help to transform a room and pique their interest. Sometimes this is all it takes to set a property apart from the competition and appeal to the more discerning renters.

So if you’re a landlord who is finding it difficult to let your property, going grey could be the answer.

Further information

Contact Savills Residential Lettings or view all available properties to let