Transforming HMO's into Homes: The Art of Furnishing Your Property

You’ve found an investment property, refurbished it to the best it can be, but now it’s time to add some furniture to give the rooms some life. Furniture and interior design are such important elements when it comes to marketing your property and making it an attractive space for tenants. A key tip here is to see the property through the eyes of the tenant, would they want to spend 6+ months living in that space, and is it homely enough for them to feel comfortable in their room and the rest of the property?

It helps to have an overarching theme running throughout the property, as this ties all the rooms together and makes the property feel more like a home than individual, lifeless units. Of course, this is all based on budget and how much you intend to spend, but if you are financially able to invest in some home furnishings, it will help to attract tenants as well as achieving maximum rental income.

Let’s begin with basic furniture, items required for every bedroom:

• Bed – This should be the first thing to think about. A large and comfortable double bed is generally the chosen option if the room space allows it (the tenant will be spending 1/3 of their life there, after all!)
• Chest of Drawers – Adequate storage is essential, not just for clothes but for other possessions too – tenants may have brought a lot of items from their previous home and it’s better to avoid them leaving personal items in the communal areas.
• Wardrobe – Not all rooms will allow for a large wardrobe and thus another set of drawers may have to be the solution, but a wardrobe allows tenants to store larger articles of clothing like coats and shoes out of the way to keep their room tidy.
• Bedside Table – Just a small table next to the bed will make a huge difference, allowing tenants a surface to charge their phone on and keep other valuables off the floor.

These are what we deem to be ‘basics’, and enough to make the room rentable and homely. Many tenants are happy with this, especially if they work long hours outside of the home and are just looking for a comfortable place to relax in. However, in this day and age and with working patterns and lifestyles changing so much in current years, a desk and chair is also a common addition to a bedroom and we do find a lot of tenants are very keen to have this. Where previously, this was mainly expected by students, in recent years with a rise on working from home, it’s a popular preference for working professionals too.

In addition, if you have large rooms that feel empty with little furniture, or you want to give the rooms more of a luxury feel, you may want to invest in some ‘premium’ items. Some suggestions could include:

• TV – Tenants may decide to bring their own TV, but many will avoid it if they can. A TV adds value to a room and allows tenants to relax with films or games in their spare time without having to take up the communal TV. Many landlords choose to mount the TV to the wall to save space.
• Sofa – If the room is big enough, a small sofa can help tremendously when it comes to selling a room, giving the tenant a place to relax aside from their bed. In a large room, this combined with the TV, helps to create a mini private living area for tenants.
• Lamp – A small lamp to go on the bedside table will give the room some ambience and warm feel at night and during the winter months.
• Shelves – Great for tenants that have a lot of stuff, students with the need for book storage, or those that just enjoy decorating their room with ornaments & plants.
• Artificial Plants – these go a long way when it comes to marketing images, and can add a bit of life and colour to any room.
• Mirrors – A stylish, standing mirror can be a really classy element to a room, it also gives tenant a space to get ready whilst adding light and helping room to feel larger.
• Artwork – If you are aiming for a more luxurious and stylish look, a canvas or framed artwork can really help draw colour themes together, or add a bit of life to the walls of your property. Having a curated selection from one artist placed around the property is an option to help tie the whole house decor together.

These are just the general furniture selections that we tend to see in most HMOs. Of course, you can get a little more creative and include additional items, based on your budget and how much you are willing to invest in to the rooms. We do tend to find that giving bedrooms a makeover or adding some stylish elements throughout the property can enhance the appeal, and even lead to potentially higher rental figures being achieved. At Now Rooms, we are always happy to discuss ideas and assist with decorating or adding new furniture items, as well as overseeing full refurbishment projects. If this is something you would like to discuss further with our team, do get in touch with us at info@nowroomsliverpool.co.uk