How to pick furniture for your short-term lettings property
Long before you can think about building a short-term lettings operator, there is one important hurdle to cross: furnishing your vacation rental.
Many are unsure about how to pick the best furniture for their rental property. While a blank slate of an empty property is the dream for some homeowners, it fills others with dread to even think about the potential mammoth task of searching for suitable home furniture that their guests would like.
As the short-term lettings industry grows and becomes increasingly competitive, ensuring your property stands out boils down to one key factor – how it looks!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and have no idea where to begin, don’t worry – we’re here to help. Our guide will walk you through the key steps for furnishing your rental property to make it pop and attract bookings.
1. Create a “furnishing a rental property” checklist
As a first step, you should write down all the furnishings that you already own – unless you are starting out entirely from scratch, of course! However, most of the time you’ll already have some bits and pieces that are pre-owned.
As soon as you have this overview, you can create a basic checklist for furnishing a rental property. First, mark down their short-term let furniture which you definitely still need to purchase to adequately equip your accommodation for future guests.
Make a must have list for each room and it’s a great idea to measure the spaces in each room so you can be sure that the furniture you have your eye on will fit!
Once the must have list is complete, you can move on to more decorative pieces, the pieces that will add character to your property. This can be your ongoing wishlist.
2. Know your target guests
Establishing who your target market is from the outset will make your furnishing decisions that bit easier. Depending on the size and layout of your property, it may be a suitable destination for families with young children. In that case it would be useful to choose short term rental furniture that is also kid-friendly.
Though if yours is a smaller, cozier abode, you may find yourself marketing it as a romantic retreat for honeymooners and other couples or depending on location, you could market the property for corporate use, professionals travelling for business meetings or those taking advantage of the remote working visa in Dubai.
No matter who you identify as your ideal group of guests, you’ll want to bear them in mind throughout the entire process of furnishing your property as it will determine your choices for some furniture over others.
3. Decide your budget
Furniture can be expensive so you must think of a realistic budget. We would advise you to be generous with your budget, that way you have a cushion for any extras that will give your rental a special touch.
While you can find a lot of reasonably priced, good condition items from second-hand stores or private sellers, there is no guarantee you’ll find exactly what you’re after. So, plan your budget according to retail prices and you may be pleasantly surprised if you find a bargain elsewhere.
In addition to this, think about any duplicate items you need to buy. It’s unlikely you need to store spare mattresses at home, but plenty of towels, sheets, tableware and cutlery are a given!
4. Find inspiration online
The internet is full of interior design ideas – especially social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest. Follow all the home stores, interior magazines and design studios you can think of on social media. Then you can begin saving, pinning or favoriting all the images that can serve as inspiration for your own vacation home furniture.
You can even check out what your competitors’ properties look like on these channels, and make it your goal to ensure your rental looks even better!
5. Invest in good quality, durable furniture
In general, furniture in a short-term let will wear more quickly than in a regular home due to the stream of incoming guests. Some items of furniture, such as mattresses, are easier and cheaper to protect than others.
But for those large pieces which are more at risk of accidental damage (such as dining tables, sofas and so on), investing in practical, durable furniture which is harder to stain, scratch or break is a wise move which will save you money in the long run.