Furniture Hire For the Garden

Just a thought really for this blog post: I recently had some work done on the garden of the house I rent as organised by my landlord. It was a state when I moved in so I was very open to some decking and redesign which came out looking really impressive and just in time for the Summer finale! The Garden Design Company have done a really good job in this instance and I'm pleased that my landlord selected them.


The situation got me thinking about furniture hire for the garden. This is something I hadn't previously given thought to but it's something that I am definitely going to look into now. I plan to have a nice table and chairs in the very least ready for a garden party next summer. Garden furniture hire may very well be the way forwards as it solves the problem of having to lug around lots of furniture between rental properties or, worse still, the fine for leaving it behind where you can't take it to your next property!

The Appeal of Furniture Hire

I was recently reading an article in Wired Magazine about how ideas of ownership are changing.

The article Is This the End of Ownership? discussed how we are seeing a shift from owning a product to a "Subscription Economy." Thanks to Spotify my music library has more than doubled. And remember actual libraries? The bricks and mortar place with actual books? Well they've had this whole lending over ownership thing down pat for years- they're even moving into the 21st Century by lending ebooks.

"The way in which we buy and consume products is rapidly changing. The world we once knew -- where we owned physical products...is rapidly coming to a close."

Ok so the article was discussing the leasing of cds, dvds and computer software but the same logic can be applied to furniture hire.

There is a definite appeal to leasing, renting, pay-as-you-go and subscriptions. As someone who is quiet transient (like most people living in London), moving from property to property, city to city, country to country, I try to keep my ownership and accumulation of things to a minimum. Not only does it make it easier for me to pick up and go, it means that I can experience the best of everything without having to work out if I'll be able to cart it to my next destination or what the resale value of the product is (not very high in today's mass market).

For renters there are not many options when looking at buying furniture. Do I buy flat packed furniture that I know will probably break in the next 6 months or do I run the risk of buying nice furniture that I may not be able to take with me to the next property? Or even if you do purchase nice furniture then there's the hassle of hiring a van and moving your furniture and what if it doesn't fit in your next property? All these questions are enough to give a renter a hernia.

For a first time renter looking to fully kit out their property they can look at spending well over £1000. A quick online shop at Ikea tells me that even their low cost, low budget furniture range would set me back £700 and that's without many essentials including a dining table, TV, lamps, curtains or any kind of personality. Furniture hire on the other hand gives renters access to high quality furnishings with the freedom to choose whether they want short term or long term furniture hire, a bespoke package or a few select items.

For landlords too, furniture pack rental can be appealing. Leasing a property that has high quality furnishings will help you attract the best possible rent for your property.  And as an added bonus furniture hire is a business tax deductible for landlords.

The next time you think about buying something, look at the rental alternative.

Who Is Generation Rent And Why Are They The Ideal Tenant?

As a landlord, following property related news and blogs you’ll probably have heard of the term ‘generation rent’ but who does it refer to? Generation rent refers to anyone who, due to large deposits and high interest mortgages, is looking to rent for life. Although it most typically refers to young professionals, who are on a decent salary but cannot afford to buy a home.

In London, where 40% of the nation’s graduates flock to, there is higher spending on food, shopping and rent.  In an article that appeared a recent issue of the Stylist, writer Amy Grier likened this phenomenon to Peter Pan where ‘the capital’s mature adolescent shuns the major markers of responsible adulthood – most notably in spending habits.” According to Ricky Burdett, professor of urban studies at LSE, the majority of Londoners are aged 25-45.

A recent study found that renters spend 71% of their pay after tax goes towards paying the rent. Whilst this generation may be willing to sacrifice a large part of their rent for a property in a good location, they also expect more bang for their buck.

Without a mortgage or big debts to pay off these renters have a more disposable income and as such live with higher expectations of the property they rent. They buy iPads, 3D TVs and go on luxury holidays abroad. They like to live in nice areas but don’t want the burden of a home owner and all that in entails, including furniture.

By offering a fully furnished rental property that meets the needs of the ideal renter you can not only achieve the best market price but hopefully also get good tenants that will treat your property with respect and plan to stay in their property for a few years to come.

Whether you are furnishing the whole property, including an entertainment unit and kitchen supplies, or offering just essential items of furniture, furniture hire providers can help to create a stylish property to rent. Most landlordfurniture hire providers offer to help find the right furniture hire package to suit your property with the help of an in-house interior design team.

A stylish property that is furnished is appealing to the generation of renters in London who are willing to pay for a decent property in a good location.  

Increasing Profits with a Buy-to-let Property

As the Telegraph reported this month, buy-to-let loans are more appealing for banks than first time buyers. This means that buy-to-let investors are filling the gap in the market where first time buyers would usually be.

With decreasing house prices, increasing rent prices, and better mortgage loan opportunities buy-to-lets can be a great income investment.

Investors looking to invest in buy-to-lets should have knowledge of the property market, particularly if they intend to manage their own properties. Having ideal tenants and a comprehensive landlord insurance in place can help to maximise profits and ease any troubles that may arise.

Find an area and a property that both matches your price tag and that has the most potential. Areas that have good transport links are always appealing for renters. Does the area have a good community atmosphere? Is it close to shops, restaurants and bars? And most importantly what kind of tenant are you looking to attract; students, families or young professionals?

To attract tenants that will treat your property with respect you need to make your house or flat aesthetically appealing. For landlords with rental properties in London, a furnished property may be more appealing for the large Diaspora and professional community. Short term or long term furniture hire packages for buy-to-let  properties that means your flat will have stylish interior furniture that will give your property the wow-factor that will appeal to professional couples.

Furniture hire companies can help to improve the appeal of your interior with minimal fuss, furnishing your property as much or as little as you need. Be it a couple of couches, lounge and bedroom furniture or a full furniture hire package with home entertainment. A furnished apartment can help to maximise your profits by helping you reach a higher rent bracket.

A full documented inventory of any wear and tear, as well as list of any items in the flat will help to address any problems that may occur. Make sure you have money set aside for maintenance costs that can arise.

A buy-to-let is a long-term investment that can provide a good return if marketed correctly. A well-managed property that has a polished finish with appealing furniture in a good location will help to increase your profit margin in a buy-to-let.

Buy to Let Mortgages up by a Third

Buy to let mortgages in the UK are on the rise according to the Telegraph today and a re playing a crucial part in the property market as first time buyers can no longer afford to enter the property ladder.

Read the article here

Top Tips for Relocating to London

As someone who has relocated a number of times I think I’ve got it down to a fine art. Of course that is until I have to move again and spend ages agonising over scraps of paper and ribbons, books I’ll never read again and clothes with holes and stains. I am an absolute hoarder.

I have moved cities 4 times and moved houses an extra 5 but the biggest move of all was when I relocated to London a move that big takes lots of planning, packing and tears. 

1. Packing is by far the worst part of the process. Trying to decide what you want to take with you, what you want to put in storage, what you want to sell and what you want to throw out can cause plenty of arguments and stress. Start by creating a pile of things that you want to take with you and then try to reduce it by half. If it’s got a hole in it, it’s a definite no go. With the power of the internet it’s very easy to get your favourite brands and cosmetics online so don’t bring excess amounts of anything. You might also find new brands that you like in London.


2. Get all of your documents in order well in advance and make sure to have scanned copies of everything uploaded to a cloud a based system. Dropbox is a great system to use that allows you to access all your documents in an instance and you’ll really understand the need for this if you ever lose or have your passport or other documents stolen. It’s also great to have a scanned copy available for when you are signing a lease.


3.  If you are planning on buying and driving a car overseas get records of your driving history from your insurance company and find out which companies accept international driving records. This will help you save money as some companies treat overseas drivers as first time drivers and will charge a pretty high premium. Admiral accepts international driving records and offers a good premium.  On a side note, it will cost £50 to have your driving licence swapped over to a UK one and the DVLA require you to hand in your international licence.


4. If you are relocating on a visa that has an end date or if you’re not sure how permanent you want the move to be you can “stage” a move by putting your furniture into storage or selling it as overseas shipping cost can be expensive. Furniture hire helps to give you a bit more flexibility if you decide that London isn’t the right place for you.


5. Keep at least one bank account open in your home country. After your move you will still probably have some outstanding bills that are required to be paid off and it will be easier for when (or if) you do move back to your home country.


6. Have an unlocked phone handy so you can get a new sim when you land. Even if it’s just a pay as you go sim whilst you’re waiting to set up your banking accounts.


7. When looking for a place to rent be wary of any apartments that seem too good to be true. London is a hot spot for property scams. And never rent somewhere without viewing the place first.


8.  Expect a cultural shock. It is very easy to imagine coming from one English speaking country to another that there won’t be many if any cultural shocks
9.  Stand on the right hand side of an escalator. The locals hate anyone that takes up the whole escalator and even if they drive on the left they still stand to the right like many of their European counterparts.


10.  Embrace your new life. It’s not always going to be easy and there will be times when you miss your old home but if you dwell on all the things that you are missing out on you’ll miss all the good things that London has to offer. I always have a standby packet of tim tams available for when I’m feeling homesick. Be social and active. Go for after work drinks with your friends and join a sports or social club. It’ll help you assimilate into your new life in London.

Advice for Landlords: Furnishing Olympic Lets

The 2012 Olympics are set to see a massive boost to our economy, with anything up to £10-12 billion pounds generated by the games. With an expected 4 billion people around the world expected to watch the opening ceremony alone, it’s easy to see why the attention the Olympics receives has led to a lot of excited landlords.

Demand for houses and apartments in areas close to Olympic sites is already incredibly high, and the potential charges could make those willing to let their properties a tidy profit; very tidy indeed. Agents are suggesting that landlords could charge anything from £2-10,000 per week depending on the size and location of their property, with popularity for those nearby to stadiums and Olympic venues the most popular.

The short term Olympic lets have lead to a great deal of debate in some quarters, and accusations of unscrupulous landlords turfing out tenants just to cash in for 16 days are rife. On the other side of this are honest landlords, letting agents and in some cases, homeowners who are looking to rent out empty properties legitimately during the games.

Potential tenants for these short lets are looking for a hassle free solution to housing during the games, and this means a fully furnished property with all the modern conveniences. Whilst many of these properties will be furnished, landlords looking to let empty properties need a furnishing service that doesn’t cost them an arm and a leg and won’t take time and effort; namely, furniture hire.

Furniture hire is incredibly good value for short term lets, giving landlords and agents access to a wide range of high quality, durable furniture at a fraction of the cost of an all out purchase. When you're letting out a property at such high prices, you need furniture that doesn't just have the looks, but also has the quality. Whilst scraping together a bit of furniture and purchasing what's missing might seem like a solution initially, don't forget that potential tenants are likely to be weighing up whether or not to rent the property based on the look of the place. 

Furnishing a property can take a good deal of time, and whilst a hire company can't provide you with everything you need, they can certainly provide you with almost everything you need, from the white goods all the way down to the cutlery in the kitchen draw. Totting up the individual costs of miscellaneous furnishings, fittings and anything in between, the costs quickly mount up and profits go quickly down. 

Many hire companies also offer furniture packages; sets of furniture pre-compiled for certain rooms or in some cases, for the whole property. These really can take the hassle out of furnishing, allowing you to choose from furniture sets that are handpicked and compiled by interior design teams and furniture professionals.   

If you're a landlord considering a short term let during the olympics, or a homeowner looking to make the most of a great opportunity, you need to make sure that your property is going to attract the right kind of attention from potential tenants. Being lucky enough to live or own a property in a certain area might not be enough; you've got to make sure your place is really well furnished too.