Investment: Furnishing a holiday home - Holiday Lettings.co.uk

Top tips for furnishing a holiday home

Furnishing your holiday home is a crucial part of the letting process and can be a deciding factor when it comes to your occupancy rates. It doesn’t matter how good your property looks on the outside and how well located it is, if potential guests don’t like the look of the interiors there’s a fair chance they won’t want to spend their holiday there. So how can you get the interiors for a holiday rental property just right? And how can you give it that personal touch while ensuring mass appeal? Here are some top tips from holidaylettings.co.uk.

  • Before hitting furniture shops, spend some time planning – do your research, decide on a style (retro, classic, modern?) and colour scheme, and make sure it’s consistent across the whole property.

  • It might be tempting to buy cut-price furniture, but in the long-run you’re better off investing in durable, quality furnishings that won’t break or chip in the first year and will look more attractive to holidaymakers.

  • In the interest of mass appeal it’s generally better to stick to neutrals, light or dark, for the main furnishings. That’s not to say you can’t play with strong colours, but keep them for accessories such as rugs, cushions, lamps, knick knacks, throws, picture frames and the like.

  • Think about the type of guest you’re targeting and what will appeal to them – for example, if it’s young couples you’ll want to up the design and tech factor, while with families it’s all about being child-friendly and having cots and high chairs available.

  • Be practical – provide coasters to avoid table marks, put washable throws on sofas and don’t be afraid to use some dark colours as they can hide a multitude of sins. Take a good look at how the locals live - there’s probably a good reason why the neighbours all have tiles in their beach house living rooms instead of carpets, for example.

  • There’s a reason people will choose to stay in your home rather than a hotel, and it's the little personal touches that make all the difference. Hit the local markets and shops for a selection of accessories, pictures and knick knacks that will help bring the home to life and make it fit with its surroundings.

  • But while it’s nice to include personal touches, remove anything too personal like family portraits and avoid clutter. If needed, designate a lockable cupboard where you can store your personal belongings while letting your holiday home to guests.

  • Consider your surroundings - if your holiday home is near the beach or in a rural area, place doormats and boot scrapers by the doors to minimise potential dirt damage. And think about providing little extras like beach accessories and wellies for guests to borrow during their stay.

  • Treat the garden like another room, especially if the home is in a warm climate, and equip it with sun loungers and outdoor dining furniture that are consistent with the overall style of the house.

  • Update the property regularly with a fresh lick of paint, to keep it looking clean, fresh and attractive to holidaymakers.

    Emilie Lien

    Emilie Lien is media relations manager for holidaylettings.co.uk. Emilie has lived in Germany and Switzerland, has a thing for aeroplane food and her favourite travel destination is the colourful town of Paraty in Brazil.


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