Furniture Solutions For Landlords

Being a landlord isn’t easy. If it isn’t the constant fears of a difficult tenant, rent not paid on time, damage to the property, something to fix, getting in the sparkys to deal with the lights or the chippys to fix a broken door – the list of responsibilities is endless and it really is a lot for anybody to take on by themselves. Ditto this and times by four if you’re landlord with multiple properties to look after. So is it fair that landlords are expected to be expert interior designers as well?

The way a property is furnished can absolutely make or break its earning potential. Unfurnished, you can expect to charge lower rent and fully furnished, you’ll be able to charge more but it’s going to cost a fair amount of money to get the place kitted out. Somewhere in the middle is always an option but somewhere in the middle means flexibility, and because (the majority of) landlords can’t learn the furnishing requirements of their future tenants through palm reading, crystal balling or messages from the spirit world, pre-empting the furnishing requirements of your future tenants can be incredibly difficult.

Understanding the kind of tenants that a property will attract is crucial. There’s no way of guaranteeing every tenant is going to want the same thing, but a general idea of the average demand should set you on the right path. What kind of area is your property in? Quiet suburbs tend to attract families and professional couples, whereas inner city apartments and house shares tend to attract young professionals. Properties near universities are of course perfect for students. Once you understand what kind of tenant your property is going to attract, you’ll find it a little easier to start planning how to furnish it.

Families and professional couples tend to have accrued furnishings over time and from previous properties, so fully furnishing the property may result in costs from removals and storage. Providing the essential white goods may be the best solution for this type of tenant and the only real requirement.

Young professionals and students tend to require a little more in the way of furnishing, so along with the white goods; sofas, beds and storage should be included.

Good quality furnishings and white good should be top of the list, as quality pays out in the end. Poor quality, cheap furniture will only require replacing regularly. A solid set of furniture that’s built to last will cost you less in the long run, and can be reused through various tenancies.

Furniture packages are a solid solution to furnishing a property and even more useful for furnishing multiple properties and plots. Many are designed by professional interior designers, and the size and scope of the package can be tailored to fit the particular requirements of the property, making the most out of the space. Landlord furniturepackages cut a good deal of the hassle of furnishing a property out of the equation, and with a good company able to turn around your order within 24-48 hours, including delivery and installation, you can get your property kitted out quickly, effectively and generally a lot cheaper.

Self furnishing can really be hard work. Picking and choosing furniture item by item is one thing, but waiting for deliveries from multiple sources with multiple delivery dates can eat up a lot of time and resources.

Furniture hire is another solution, and it allows the greatest degree of flexibility. Like furniture packages, hire companies use interior designers to source and buy their furnishings. Quality tends to be very high as well, as the costs of replacement on the part of the hire company for furniture that doesn’t last would cost a hire company a good amount of money. The major benefit with hire is that returning furniture that’s not required between tenancies is an incredibly simple process, and the company will come and collect and remove the furniture, leaving you with no further costs (like storing your own furniture would).

If you’re determined to get things done on your own, then remember that quality pays off in the long term. We’re not talking hand cut marble dressers here, but that extra bit of money will go a long way. Go neutral with your colours, and try and keep the furnishings practical rather than showy, as flashy will put off a lot more tenants than practical and elegant.

As we said, furnishing a property is tough. Heed our advice, understand your market and work out what it is your property needs to appeal to the widest amount of potential tenants.