Does size matter? The types of property that get the best rental returns and are easiest to let

Size really does matter when it comes to rental flats.

I was advertising two one-bedroom properties in the same area, one of which was of a much higher spec than the other and had the added bonus of a private balcony. Yet it was the larger — if somewhat shabbier — of the two flats that let the fastest.

In fact I was swamped with enquiries for the larger flat, even though the rent was higher. It was snapped up by the first couple to view it. They told me they had seen lots of smaller new builds with smart kitchens and stylish bathrooms, but it was space they were after.

This was backed up by a letting agent I spoke to who said that period properties with large rooms and lots of character are far more popular with tenants than more modern properties, which tend to be pretty cramped.

I have also noticed that tenants have become obsessed with how many square feet they are getting for their money. It was one of the first things potential tenants wanted to know when I began advertising these two flats.

I had to confess that I hadn’t a clue. I don’t think in square footage — I think only in small, medium and large.

“The living room and bedroom are small to medium, the shower room is very small and the kitchen is sort of average,” I told the first person to inquire about the smaller of the two flats.

Using this information, she managed to deduce that the flat was too small for her needs and she wouldn’t bother to come to look at it, thanks very much.

Maybe it’s time I invested in professional floor plans to use in my adverts.

The online letting agents I use to advertise on Rightmove and another website sell floor plans and a set of professional photos of your property for just over £100, which isn’t bad, but I suppose I could just adopt my usual cheapskate approach and invest in a £5 tape measure, take a note of the room measurements myself and use my school maths to work out the square footage.

If I did go the whole hog and buy a professional floor plan, I’d specify the height as well as the length and width of each room. I had a viewer who was so tall he bashed his head on the shower room ceiling. If I’d included the height of the rooms in the advert, I could have prevented him wasting his time — and spared him the bruise.

I thought I’d got rid of the smaller flat on the second day of viewings when a Dutch couple, who were both quite short and therefore able to stand in the shower with no risk of injury, said they wanted to take it the moment they stepped over the threshold. However, mine was the last in a long line of flats they’d seen that day and I realised when I looked closely at them, they were becoming delirious. The guy had a slightly manic look in his eye and I was worried his girlfriend was going to be toppled by the weight of her backpack.

I wasn’t at all surprised when they messaged me from Amsterdam the following day to say they’d found “a more interesting” flat, by which I think they meant “bigger”.

Eventually it was rented by a lovely couple, but it took three weeks and six viewings to get an offer. If I were to invest in another one-bedroom flat, I’d definitely go for size rather than style.

Victoria Whitlock lets four properties in south London. To contact Victoria with your ideas and views, tweet @vicwhitlock