Would-be-landlords keen to cash in on the unprecedented popularity of private rentals have been warned that they need to be prepared to upgrade their homes sooner rather than later if they are to find suitable tenants ahead of the competition. Kitchen Door Workshop, which supplies made to measure replacement kitchen doors and draw fronts has seen the popularity of its products surge in recent months – an increase which ties in with the overwhelming demand for rental property.

Robert Clark, managing director of the East Sussex firm said, “The kitchen is arguably the most important room in the house when it comes to selling or renting a property. A well-presented kitchen that is clean, tidy, modern and functional is a very strong selling point and one of the key things prospective tenants will be looking out for.

“We’ve experienced a 50% increase in sales over the last six months. With the majority of orders placed for modern styles such as our Cambio range of coloured replacement kitchen doors, we estimate that a large percentage of sales have come from landlords eager to edge out the competition with a modern kitchen designed to sway prospective tenants.”

This confidence in the power of the kitchen is nothing new, with estate agents long since advising clients to freshen up the kitchen when competition for sales is tough. But, as Britain has now become a nation of renters with two in three non-homeowners admitting they are unlikely to ever buy a property, this same advice is also being applied to the lettings market.

The latest round of housing market data from both the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the Association of Residential Letting Agents suggests rental demand shows no sign of slowing down. At the same time, the number of buy to let mortgage products available from high street banks and the number of buy to let mortgage approvals has also shot up say the National Landlords Association. In fact, they estimate that around 14% of all UK households now sit within the private rental sector.

To get on the market as a landlord and compete with this abundance of rental property, a modern, welcoming kitchen is absolutely essential. But landlords need to be smart about how the invest in property development when a property has been purchased specifically to let. Rather than invest thousands in a brand new fitted kitchen and see the rental income swallowed up by instalment payments, opting to keep the existing units and give them a fresh new look courtesy of replacement kitchen doors is a savvy move.

Kitchen Door Workshop offers around 800 replacement kitchen door styles, all of which are made to measure. With prices starting from just £5.50 and free delivery on orders over £300, replacement kitchen doors are a cost-effective way to give the look and feel of a new kitchen without the costly final bill. A choice of wood and gloss finishes as well as a range of colours and traditional styles mean a new kitchen can be created on a budget to fit any style and size of space.

With full how to guides and step-by-step videos available online at KitchenDoorWorkshop.co.uk, fitting the new additions is also quick and easy, removing the need for costly expert labour, which can also push up the price of renovation and knock down the profit from the rental income.

The entire range Kitchen Door Workshop range can be viewed online at https://www.kitchendoorworkshop.co.uk or call 01825 765041 for more information