FURNISHING YOUR PROPERTY ABROAD
Congratulations, you have bought or are buying a holiday property!! Did it come fully furnished, partly-furnished or unfurnished? Are you going to just use the property yourself, partly yourself plus some rental income or is it just an investment property which will be rented out on a long-term or a succession of holiday lets? All these will have a bearing on the way you should tackle furnishing your property.
If you are buying a property that is “fully furnished” make sure it is that!! You should be able to move in and live with at least a basic standard of furnishings. Be aware that being furnished, unless it is to a luxury standard, should not mean that this has significantly raised the asking price over a similar property The furniture may not be to your taste but will allow you to use the property straight away without any extra cost. Then as and when you have the means you can gradually replace things with your preferences. To start with you may wish to replace more personal furnishings e.g. mattresses straight away.
Many developers can offer you furniture packages. Even in some instances they will not agree to let out your property under their scheme unless you agree to a certain standard within those packages.
If you are buying for your own use then how and when you furnish the property is entirely up to you. ENJOY!!
However if you intend to let out the property when you are not using it, you need to think about other peoples likes and dislikes by keeping the furnishings and style simple and uncluttered. More and more people do not want to rent a property with old-styled traditional furniture unless it is in keeping with an old Finca styled property.
Peoples expectations of a holiday rental are high. It is useful if you have a garage, storage room or even a lockable cupboard. With any of these you can store personal items etc when you are not in residence. If you have an apartment with a communal pool then, depending on what the community provides, it may not be necessary to provide outside items. If you have a villa with or without a pool, it would be expected that enough garden seating, sunbeds etc would be available for the maximum number the villa can sleep. Any “extras” are up to you. Providing toys etc may seem like a nice idea but be aware that some might “walk”, unintentionally or otherwise!! Pool toys are a bit of a minefield as to who will check their safety.
Whether partially or fully-renting your property out, people will be looking for Satellite TV, Wi fi etc even if you wouldn’t use them yourself. A fully-fitted kitchen with dishwasher, microwave, coffee maker, washing machine etc all add to the desirability of your property. People do compare what is on offer!! Many people will eat out for most of their holiday rental period but be aware that others may want to in-house cater. Make sure there are sufficient pots, pans, plates, glasses, cutlery etc to allow people to do just that. It may seem silly but even a small thing like “There were only six teaspoons for six of us, so that when they were in the dishwasher we couldn’t make another tea or coffee” ….silly but true!! Could affect return booking or recommendations.You need to make your furnishings commensurate with property type.
If you are renting out your property all the time, however much you spend on furnishings, you will need to have a budget to update and replace from time to time.The more the use, the more the wear and tear.
Unless you are moving permanently to the property it is rarely cost-effective to ship any furnishings from your home. Better to visit the local shops or there are even branches of Ikea!!
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