We decorate rented homes between tenancies in Overstone, a village of 741 people at the 2011 census, roughly 5 miles north-east of Northampton. We found no published rental data for the village, so landlord work here is likely to be a one-off cottage or family house rather than a portfolio.
A village of single lets
Overstone is a small, linear village along Sywell Road, and we could not find published figures on how many of its homes are rented. With a small, mixed housing stock, a let here is likely to be a single cottage or family house rather than a block of flats. That shapes the job. You don’t need a standard white-box spec rolled out across dozens of flats. You need one house turned round properly between tenants, with a record of the paints used so touch-ups at the next changeover match.
Our main landlord and letting agent decorating page explains how we work with agents on keys, check-out reports and photographs. This page covers what is particular to letting a property in Overstone.
Letting one of the listed cottages
Several of the village’s oldest homes are Grade II listed, including the early 18th-century thatched row on Sywell Road and the mid-19th-century estate cottages. A tenancy changeover on one of these is not a quick coat of magnolia vinyl throughout:
- Walls: lime plaster on coursed lias needs breathable paint. Vinyl emulsion traps damp and leads to flaking, which shows up as damage at the next check-out.
- Colour: changing colours or stripping historic finishes can need listed building consent from West Northamptonshire Council, so the usual approach is to repaint like for like.
- Doors: the listed Sywell Road cottages are used from the back, which makes the rear door, frame and threshold the hardest-worn joinery at check-out.
- Old paint: joinery on buildings this age may carry lead in lower layers, so it is tested before any sanding.
Outside, the same cottages have small leaded casements and thatch eaves low over the upper windows. If a changeover includes the rear door or window frames, old paint comes off by hand or with chemical strippers, never with heat, and that takes longer than tenants and agents usually expect. We build it into the schedule from the start so the move-in date holds.
Family houses on the newer roads
Lets on Woodland Avenue and in the lakeside streets such as Woodside, Cherrytree Walk and Kingfisher Court are not under conservation controls, since Overstone has no conservation area. Those houses can be specified for easy maintenance:
| Area | Suggested finish | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Living rooms and bedrooms | Washable matt in one stock colour | Marks wipe off and patches blend in |
| Kitchens and bathrooms | Moisture-resistant emulsion | Copes with steam and cooking |
| Skirtings and doors | Water-based satin | Stays white and is quick to recoat |
| Hall and stairs | Durable, scrubbable finish | Takes the most wear |
Damp, shade and the changeover window
Much of Overstone sits among mature trees beside the park, lakes and spinneys. North-facing walls stay cool and shaded, and when a property stands empty between tenants, black mould can appear on window reveals and in the corners of rooms. We clean it off with a fungicidal wash, let the surface dry, and use a mould-resistant paint where it suits. We will also tell you if the cause looks like a ventilation or damp problem that paint alone will not fix.
Parking for vans and ladders near front elevations on Sywell Road, the village’s through-route, needs some planning, so we agree access with you or the agent before the start date. For budgeting, see our painter and decorator cost guide, and for more on the village itself, our Overstone area page.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
