Wow. You're planning on knocking down that house? I love it. Could you keep the facade and build an extension at the back instead of completely demolishing it?

I'm no expert, but I'm not sure doing anything to the front yard would increase the rental value. From a renter's perspective, I would only care about the yard if I had a pet (i.e. the yard would need to be fenced and have room for the animal) or maybe if I had children (i.e. the yard would need to be fenced to prevent them running onto the road if they're younger and there should be enough room for them to run around or to have a trampoline or swing set).

If you don't have a backyard, then you may want to think about enclosing the front yard, although it looks like that would require a bit of side fencing and a gate across the driveway. But, even that is only going to be attractive to a limited number of potential renters. A spruce-up inside with fresh paint and carpet might give you better rental value.

I'd love to see inside the house too. Sounds like it must be pretty bad and it may not be well placed on the block either. Does it have many original art deco features? Curved brick facades are becoming quite a rarity.

Thanks for your comments, much appreciated!

The photos, I've realized, look a great deal better than the house actually looks - probably poor choice by me. It's a cute little house with the curved walls and I do realise they are not very common anymore. I'm not very knowledgeable about Art Deco styles but I think the curved walls and parapet are the only real Art Deco features. Inside is just normal cornices and walls. The roof is a pitched roof behind the parapet.

Unfortunately the brickwork has some major cracking which can't really be seen in the photos. There has been substantial water damage to the ceiling and walls inside which would basically mean completely gutting the inside down to the frames and replacing the roof completely. The cost looks just too much but we will see as we get further into the planning process - there may be a possibility of keeping the facade :)

I will find and post some pics of the inside and backyard :)

Thanks Hephaestus, wuff and Luke.

Here are a couple of pics of inside and the backyard

The backyard is pretty dire - basically terraced, damp and not particularly child friendly. It is fenced but we have no idea how to make it nicer without completely pulling everything out and landscaping it.

The inside has a relatively new kitchen and bathroom. The floorboards are terrible - very uneven and a patchy staining job. We think probably too bad to even resand. We plan to put down floating floorboards or carpet. Which would be best? Are there any other flooring options to improve the feel of the home?

Thanks again :)

The inside of the house is lovely for a rental. classic tones, lovely floor. If you have a fairly new stove etc and other relevant appliances it will help too. Maybe some storage in the bedrooms. Street appeal is less of an issue for renters. But for bang for your buck consider rearranging the plants you already have. Dig up all those yuccas or agaves or whatever they are and plant them in a row along the path to the house. You have an art deco house, so it should be classy and have that poirot holiday vibe. Symmetry is important. Rows of identical plants along the path. You need a couple of showy big palms for the front too. Palms would look really nice, with some soft feathery bushes for contrast. Then if you invest in a good truckload of mulch it will really look nice even if there are gaps in the beds. Bulbs are good value too for lovely colour and no fuss. Consider hypeastrums and day lilies. You may be able to source these plants cheap from other gardeners who are dividing their bulbs or want some crowded palms removed. The back garden is okay, I would recommend removing the rock edging to soften the edges a bit. Encourage your tenants to plant a veggie or herb garden and it will look nice. Plant some nasturtiums out the back and let them ramble. They are cheap and cheerful and spread without being too invasive.
Its actually a really gorgeous house and would come up lovely. Reconsider tearing it down. Art deco is a wonderful style when done right. They don't really pop or sing until you have all the right elements in place. The furniture is really important, slick lines, symmetry, elegance and opulence.

Thanks, obviously it is your home to do what you love, but I would save it. I love it....it is actually not too dissimilar to my own house we are doing up, but yours is actually nicer. Plus has more original features.

Floors, front, bathroom ensuite and back. Front still not completed, need to finish the steps and currently working on the garden and bathroom ensuite was not styled in that pic, only just finished. Can do lots with old houses, extend out back for more room and light etc

Wow, wuff!

Your place looks great! You've done a beautiful job. Definitely food for thought!

Thanks fianou! Some great and very helpful advice, we appreciate it!

This might give you some inspiration for if you decide to keep it and fix it up! Art deco was a lovely era where modern lines met old world craftmanship.
http://archinspire.org/spanish-art-deco-house-virtual-rebuild-design-nautical-theme/

http://www.houzz.com.au/art-deco

This looks great!

Dear mlepke

Please please please do not knock this house down.

It is so rare to find art deco gems like this one.

Look at the work of Owen and Vokes (now separated as a partnership, but you can look at Vokes in particular) if you want some ideas about how to modernise it. Link is here, and I've included a photo of the front facade.

http://vokesandpeters.com/residential/newmarket-house/

Regards
Amelia Lee
Undercover Architect
www.undercoverarchitect.com
amelia@undercoverarchitect.com

Just to agree with everyone else here... It's a gorgeous house full of character and interest, this would catch your eye walking down the street instead of the bland mass-built boxes today. You are lucky to have this gem!! :)

Agree it is a lovely house! From the photos it looks perfect to rent out as-is, new-ish bathroom and kitchen will be a big plus already for renters. If the water damage you mentioned is still visible or causing damp problems that needs to be addressed but the floors look fine and it's not worth the expense or effort to do anything radical with the yard - you may be better off to use that money to pay for regular yard maintenance. If the backyard is fenced that should be adequate, as pp mentioned fencing in the front yard could be an advantage but only if it's not too expensive or you want that area to be fenced for yourself anyway. Only thing I would do is install decent new blinds. Best of luck!

For a rental, I would look at creating a car park where the front lawn is. off street parking is a bonus in most area, it might also be used as a turn in so you don't have to reverse out of that driveway. And maybe set it up as somewhere to store the wheelie bins too. Also I would take a good hard look at that massive tree in the front corner, and any other trees near the house. The roots may have caused the existing structural problems, and if so would create issues with a new build.
Finding a decent property manager and excellent tenant would be my priority though. If you are in a popular location and asking fair money then you may not need to do much. While a buyer cares about cracking brickwork, a tenant won't care as long as it doesn't leak. Maybe defer spending on the home until you have a tenant, in case you can claim the expenditure on your tax- seek professional advice on this one.

I would be tempted to remove the front fence and replace it with a black tubular metal which echoes the curves of the front facade increases the visual of the front area

I love the house too and think it's a shame to knock it down but you know all of its problems and we don't . As a former landlord I can say renters don't garden. Only plant the toughest plants and don't spend lots of money on them. Renters need a robust not a pretty environment.

Do you mind me asking which area the house is in? I live on Sydney's northern beaches and there are a few of these houses or similar, around.

I agree with pp regarding tenants not gardening.
The house is great.
I wouldn't do anything in preparation for leasing, except for tidying up the kerb appeal by consolidating the gave and yuccas.

I would paint the paling fence a dark grey. You could paint the side fence to the property the same color too.

I agree with the recent posts. we tend to be knocking down some very cool houses and replacing them with lifeless, soulless magazine 3d printing outs..... if we keep going, in the near future we will wonder what happened to our post war architecture..... I have a house framed in hardwood and hand nailed. I couldn't knock it down out of respect and rebuilding it instead, hopefully keeping its character. either way, good luck with it