Dean decorates rental properties in Roade between tenancies for landlords and letting agents, working from our Northampton base about 5.4 miles north up the A508. Most turnover work suits the 20th-century houses west of the main road, and older cottages in the conservation area get finishes chosen to protect their stone and lime.
What a Roade rental is likely to be
We don’t have published figures on how many Roade homes are let, so this page won’t guess. What we do know is the housing. The 2001 census counted 962 dwellings, and most of the western half of the village, across the A508 from the stone core, is 20th-century housing. The village sits about 2 miles south of M1 junction 15 and on the road between Northampton and Milton Keynes, which puts it within easy reach of both. Any rental home here will most likely be either one of those estate houses or, less often, a cottage in the older eastern side.
Both kinds of property need the same thing between tenants: a sound, neutral finish that can be done quickly. The materials and amount of preparation are different, though, and that affects how a turnover repaint is planned.
Turnover repaints for the estate houses
A typical rental in the closes and ways off the A508, such as Hyde Close or Bailey Brooks Close, needs walls filled, ceilings refreshed and woodwork touched in or repainted. For these properties we suggest:
- A scrubbable matt or soft sheen on walls, so the next tenant’s marks can be wiped off and small repairs blend in.
- One consistent neutral colour throughout. Write it down and keep it, so touch-ups at the next turnover match.
- Waterborne satin on skirtings and doors. It stays white better than gloss and dries quickly, which helps when the next viewing is close.
- Stain-block primer over any water marks or smoke staining before the emulsion goes on.
We’ll tell you which rooms really need a full repaint and which only need patching. Rooms that came through a tenancy well don’t need full coats. Kitchens and hallways usually wear first, with greasy patches by the cooker and scuffs at bag height along the hall, while spare bedrooms often only need holes filled from pictures and shelves. Ceilings in bathrooms without good extraction may show mould spotting, which we treat with a fungicidal wash before painting so it doesn’t come back through the new coat. For a rough idea of what affects the cost, see the painter and decorator cost guide. Our main landlord and letting agent decorating page explains how we handle inventories, photos and agent instructions.
If the property is an older cottage
Letting a period house in the Roade Conservation Area brings extra considerations. Many of these cottages are coursed limestone rubble, and inside they may have lime plaster and exposed beams. A quick vinyl emulsion over lime walls can trap moisture and leave flaking patches by the next turnover, so we use a breathable paint there even on a tight schedule. If the building is listed, repainting like for like keeps you on the safe side. Changing colours on the outside, or stripping historic finishes, may need consent from West Northamptonshire Council.
Exterior maintenance comes up too. A house facing Northampton Road or Stratford Road, the A508 through the village, gets road grime on doors and frames. Washing and repainting the outside joinery every few years keeps it from weathering.
Keys, access and timing from Northampton
Roade is a short drive south of Northampton, so collecting keys from an agent in town and getting to the property the same morning is easy. Away from the main road, the closes on the west side are quieter for unloading. On the A508 itself, and in the cottage rows where some doors are only at the back, we plan where the van goes before the day. For a wider picture of the village, see our Roade area page.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
