And one way to furnish buy-to-let property effortlessly
To maximise your rental income and keep void periods to a minimum, the furniture you choose for your buy-to-let property must have a top-of-the-range look. Let’s be honest, if you fit out an apartment with a mish-mash of second-hand furniture, you won’t attract the tenants you desire. Nor will you be able to charge a premium rental.
In this article, you’ll learn a few tips about how to pick the best furniture for your buy-to-let property. These will help you to maximise your property’s rental income and minimise the work and effort you do. You’ll also learn how I furnish my buy-to-let properties with next to no effort.
1. How do you know what furniture your property needs?
Furnishing a property is not as simple as it sounds. While you may be able to identify what pieces of furniture you require, it is style that sells. You must first establish what type of tenant your property is likely to attract. Once you’ve done this, you can begin to explore your furniture options.
For example, if you are targeting the young professional market, they will probably prefer a clean, minimalist style. Perhaps white furniture, plain walls, laminate flooring, and modern pictures. The silver-haired renter is more likely to appreciate warm wood finishes, with traditional artwork hanging above carpeted floors. You get the picture: tailor the look and style to the audience.
2. High-end and hard-wearing
The furniture you choose must not only look high-end, it must also be hard-wearing. You want it to last a long time. The longer it lasts, the better your return on investment.
3. Don’t forget ‘cleanability’
OK, we’ve got a high-end look and hard-wearing. You should also ensure that the furniture is easy to clean. For example, sofas and armchairs are best with removable covers or wipe-clean material. Hardwood, laminate or vinyl flooring are stylish and easy-clean options.
4. Think ‘storage’
Everyone needs storage, and the more you can provide, the better. Ensure that there is enough wardrobe, cupboard, and cabinet space. In smaller bedrooms, you might consider wardrobes with sliding doors.
Be creative with storage options. Purchase quality divan beds with built-in drawers or lift-top storage. Provide coffee tables with drawers or shelves. Ensure that kitchen units benefit from the largest range of modern space-saving features possible.
5. Think ‘safety’
All the furniture you purchase must be fire resistant, with the appropriate safety labels attached.
6. Avoid electrical equipment
The more electrical equipment you supply, the bigger your headache will be. If your tenant electrocutes himself using a toaster you supplied, you could be held liable. So, leave toasters, kettles, sandwich makers, lamps, microwaves, and so on for the tenant to supply.
7. Be inspired
Create a theme that runs through your property. Don’t try to make the living area one thing and the bedrooms another. You’ll confuse tenants. Look at the property with your target tenants’ eyes. The furnishing, fittings and fixtures that you adore are probably not those that prospective tenants will love. The more your tenants fall in love with your property, the more care they will take of it. Complement your colour scheme with your furniture choices.
8. Don’t skimp on decoration
It may be tempting to paint every wall a magnolia shade of magnolia, but it probably won’t win you many tenants today. Yes, you should remain neutral in your colour choice, but you should also consider feature walls to create extra appeal. Instead of a boring matte finish, go for more luxurious (and easily cleaned) silk finishes.
9. Don’t lighten up on flooring
Maybe you’ve decided on the carpet in the bedrooms. It’s warm underfoot and gives a cosy feel to the place. Now, think about the colour. That light-coloured carpet is asking for trouble. Mid-range tones are much better, especially if it is easy to clean. If you do decide to carpet your property rather than other flooring options, make sure that you avoid laying carpet in wet areas.
10. Got all that? Now think cost vs quality
You get what you pay for, especially where furniture is concerned. You should have some idea of budget, and to stick within it you will probably need to do a lot of shopping around. You’ll need to visit different stores, maybe in different locations. You’ll need to negotiate, too. Whatever you do, don’t forego on quality to save a few pounds. One poor piece will ruin the entire look of your property – and that will hurt both its rentable value and its rentability.
11. Make time to shop, take delivery, and assemble
Shopping for furniture takes time. Then you must wait for it to be delivered. And when it is delivered, you’ll probably have to assemble it yourself. More time. That wardrobe that IKEA promised would take one person an hour to assemble? Yep, you got it: three hours later, with four friends helping, you realise you’re missing a screw.
Could furniture packs be the solution?
Make one misstep in your furniture choice, and you’ll pay for it in more ways than one. Furnishing an apartment or other buy-to-let property can be fun, providing you are:
- An interior designer
- Someone who loves shopping for hours… and hours… and hours…
- A good negotiator
- A furniture assembly expert
- A person with heaps of time on their hands
Personally, I’m only one of the above! Thus, I love furniture packs – providing they are picked by professional designers with furniture selected to suit the property and the target tenant.
For those luxury apartments, I want high-end, handpicked pieces designed around a central theme.
I want the option to add feature walls and a choice of flooring and curtains or blinds.
I want furniture that will create living spaces for tenants to unwind, relax, and feel at home.
And I want all of this effortlessly – with the decoration done and furniture assembled by professionals. I’m an investor, not an interior designer, shopper, or carpenter. And I value my time. Which is why I choose furniture packs to suit.
To discuss how furnishing your property could provide you with thousands of pounds of additional profit on your buy-to-let investment, with minimum effort, contact Gladfish today on +44 207 923 6100
Live with passion
Brett Alegre-Wood