Monday, 06 October 2008 04:56 pm

Furnishing Your Property

When you first venture into the furnished rental business, it can be tempting to try and limit your initial set-up costs by providing the bare minimum of furniture and equipment.  But the advice from seasoned property owners is...don't try and cut corners! Furnish and equip your property as well as you can possibly afford.  Obviously you're worried about getting a good return on your investment.  And the fear that some visitor from hell will wreak havoc with your possessions might deter you from you equipping your property to a high standard.  Those who've been in the business for years have found that most visitors take greater care with furniture and other more personal items if they can see these are things which the owner obviously cares about...it's human nature.  Generally speaking people prefer - and expect - their vacation accommodation to be superior to their own homes.  They are more likely to look after your property if they feel you have taken a lot of trouble to make them feel welcome and comfortable.  Ensuring all the beds are comfortable is an absolute must.  A lack of sleep is enough to ruin anyone's trip.  One owner advises: "Sleep in every bed in the place! I had several complaints about a bed during my first year of renting out - and when I next visited my property I realized the complaints were entirely justified".  Bear in mind that many visitors regard certain items - such as a microwave, cable/satellite TV and washer & dryer - as essential in a vacation property, even though they might not have them at home.  If you store personal things in the property which are not for the use of your tenants, it's not a good idea to keep them in a locked cupboard...it just makes people curious and they may try to wrench the door open! Many owners find a polite notice, asking visitors not to use particular items, works better.  Generally, tenants will respect the owner's wishes.  A better solution, if possible, is to store personal items with friends during rental periods.

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