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Property/DIY

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Original poster

all renters out there would this be a deal breaker for you.

48 replies

pippala · 12/12/2011 10:52

Just trying to poll renters wish list!
We have recently bought a 2 bed semi and putting in a new kitchen before we rent it out.
Would it be a deal breaker if there was not a dishwasher?
There would be room for a slimline washer but at the expense of a cupboard(small kitchen)
Most of my friends however say they would not consider a property renting or buying without a dishwasher.
Your opinion please!

OP posts:

SardineJam · 12/12/2011 11:43

I too would view a dishwasher as a luxury! I have lived in a big 4 bed house before and not even had one then. Now live in a modest 3 bed terrace and even paying £750 a month, there is no dishwasher. It really wouldn't be a dealbreaker for me, whereas not having a washing machine would. I have viewed some houses which didn't even have a washing machine, or fridge, for that matter. DP is my dishwasher

nailak · 12/12/2011 11:47

i pay more then £900 for my 2 bed in east london! so £800 is cheap! and we have no dishwasher, none of the properties round here in that price range would have, we have a half working washing machine, no working shower, low standard of house tbh!

Original poster

pippala · 12/12/2011 12:26

yes we are in SE.
The rental market is very much in demand here hence us investing in four properties. There are far more let by signs than to let!!!
The house is a small 2 up 2 down semi in a road of terraces.
EA say we should expect £800pcm and I hope to attract good tenants ie a couple or small family not students so feel that a dishwasher will"sell" the house. My DH is not so keen as we will have to replace it when it breaks etc.

OP posts:

fapl · 12/12/2011 12:33

I think people who think £800 is expensive for a 2 bed in London have not rented for a good few years, a 2 bed mid terrace would go for around £1250 in South East London where I am, I hate to think how much it would cost in North London or a more expensive area. And for that, I would not necessarily expect a dishwasher.

I feel sorry for my friends still renting.

steamedtreaclesponge · 12/12/2011 12:38

I definitely wouldn't expect a dishwasher in a two-bed rental - the only place I've ever lived that did have one was a house shared by 7 people with a massive kitchen. I own a one-bed flat with no dishwasher which fetches £900 per month (London) so it obviously doesn't put people off. If it's only a small kitchen, cupboard space is probably more important.

MoreBeta · 12/12/2011 14:03

If other flats in the area on at £800 have dishwashers in then put one in. If it is not normal to have one in that price category then consider it a selling point and emphasise it in the advert.

Dishwashers dont break that easily and dont cost much.

londonlottie · 12/12/2011 15:49

Whether or not a dishwasher will be expected by prospective renters has nothing to do with how many beds the place has - more to do with your target market and what they'll be expecting for the price. I rented out a studio flat once which didn't have a dishwasher and had comments about that by a couple of people looking around.

befuzzled · 12/12/2011 23:16

we rented one bedroom flats in London 10+ years ago and they were more that that!

I say dishwasher if doesnt make much difference to you price-wise - better than an extra cupboard, can find extra storage spcae elsewhere to make up (shelves etc)

PurplePidjInAPearTree · 12/12/2011 23:24

If you're letting Unfurnished then white goods don't need to be there - but space and plumbing for both dishwasher and washing machine are good "selling points"

Says the poster who's been a Letting Agent on the South Coast for about amonth now...

scaryteacher · 13/12/2011 07:35

My letting agent advised me to let without white goods as the hassle of repairing /replacing them wasn't worth it.

MoreBeta · 13/12/2011 09:02

On the other hand, I have always rented 'unfurnished' where white goods were built in and included (except that one flat I mentioned where they didnt have a dishwasher but had left a gap for one and a washing machine built in).

It depends on what the market expects.

Deberny · 13/12/2011 09:11

Higher rent means dishwasher.
It is obvious.

goingtoofast · 13/12/2011 09:15

Before buying 10 years ago I lived in rented flats. My rent at the time was between £700 and £800. We didn't have or expect a dishwasher.

londonlottie · 13/12/2011 10:31

I can't believe people rent places out without white goods - I would be massively put off by this if I was renting... what a huge extra expense if you don't happen to have a set of white good floating around which coincidentally fit perfectly into the space available.

When renting out houses/flats I've always bought new white goods with 5 yr guarantees, left a copy of the service agreement with the tenants and leave them to get on with it!

NotJustForClassic · 13/12/2011 10:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ninedragons · 13/12/2011 11:46

It wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me, more a deal-clincher if I were looking at several similar places.

Just make sure you buy a good one. Our last rental flat had a Haier washing machine, and the money our landlady spent having it repaired would have paid for a Bosch one to be flown out from Germany in a First Class seat on Lufthansa and personally installed by Angela Merkel.

HappyCamel · 13/12/2011 11:54

Put it in. You can squeeze an extra shelf in most cupboards. A replacement would be tax deductible.

DelGirlsRingAreYouListening · 13/12/2011 11:59

Dishwasher is great but a luxury in a 2 bed I think, well not a luxury as such but not the norm. I rent out a 2 bed and a 4 bed, the 4 bed has one. I don't even have one now but can't wait for the day that I do lol.

Firawla · 13/12/2011 12:51

we have rented without dishwasher before, most places didnt have them when we were last looking and that was for 3 bed. is so much nicer to have one though! and 800 is cheap, if it was in london it would be crazily cheap

Mandy21 · 14/12/2011 17:09

I would also agree that its not to do with the size of the property, but the market you are trying to attract. A "2 bed place" in a popular suburb of London say is completely different to a "2 bed place" in Manchester surburbia (have lived in both!).

If you're looking to attract "professionals" then yes, I'd expect a dishwasher - have rented 5 or 6 different properties, most recently 18 months ago - and without exception, whether the properties were flats or houses, they all had dishwashers.

If don't think providing plumbing makes any difference - tenants (particularly if they're only signing up for a 6 month AST and its only a slimline cupboard so not likely to fit in other properties) are unlikely to buy one.

scaryteacher · 14/12/2011 18:22

'I can't believe people rent places out without white goods' I do, as I needed my white goods when we moved to our Married Quarter abroad.

My tenants had their own white goods, so no problem.

PurplePidjInAPearTree · 15/12/2011 08:47

I mostly rent to families, and fully unfurnished is always popular. Most families already have their own sofa, dishwasher, beds, dining table and don't really want to pay storage fees so will only consider properties they can make home-y.

I don't blame them, I like the comfort of my own possessions around me too!

OP, I think it depends who you want to attract and how much effort you're putting in. If you want families (check catchment for local schools and the demographic of the neighbours!) and have a mate who fixes dishwashers for a living, put one in. If you're a bit out of catchment and would have no idea who to call if it broke, have a cupboard.

If you're going for Let & Managed through an agent, they should have contacts with reputable tradesmen and will deduct the money from the next month's rent if anything goes wrong (I always contact the LL first to check, though)

phyllisdiller · 17/12/2011 11:17

No dishwasher wouldn't put me off renting short term if I needed somewhere to live by a deadline, it would put me off staying for a long time though, eventually I'd want a dishwasher and I would move to a house with a larger kitchen so that I could have one.

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