Furnished or unfurnished?

[brown_a]

Is it better to let furnished or unfurnished with an assured shorthold tenancy?

[Trenners]

Hi,

It depends what type of property you have and who you think will most likely rent it from you. Furnished / Unfurnished will affect the marketing of your property and will also determine how quickly you find a tenant. Get it wrong and you could have long void periods.

Here are some example answers:

1) Any type of accomodation aimded at students will need to be furnished (because students don't possess furniture).

2) A 1 bed flat (aimed at singles) should probably be furnished because it is most likely that the tenant will be moving from other furnished properties - eg: parents - to set up home.

3) A two bed property aimed at young couples should, in my experience, be unfurnished (as they probably want to nest for the future).

4) A 3 or 4 bedroom house aimed at families will probably be best unfurnished (because unless the family is relocating from abroad they will probably have their own stuff).

5) A property aimed at foreign nationals (relocating into the UK) should be furnished (because they won't have their own stuff).

Hope that helps,

Mark

[vodkawoman1]

It also depends on where your property is (ie area of the country). I also find in my experience that my one bedroom flats are taken by singles or couples and they like to furnish them with the latest style furniture etc. I would look in your local newspaper and see how properties are advertised and also seek the advice of a local letting agent. Hope this helps

[brown_a]

Thank you Mark and Vodkawoman - they both help.

AB

[mindstep]

As both a landlord and MD of a company conducting inventories on properties nationwide, all previous advice is good, if you do let the property unfurnished however, I recommend you install necessary white goods, fridge/freezer and washing machine etc. Allowing tenants to install such items creates an opportunity for tenants to inadvertantly damage floorings and etc.

[platelady]

If you do want to furnish, consider the time taken to shop for all the stuff! I run a business in the Sussex area supplying kitchen & furnishing packs for rented accommodation ... no need to queue in Ikea and find they don't have it all when you get there ... then you have to unpack it, install it and get rid of the packaging! But not if you use our service as we do all that for you. Check out www.furnishwithpl8.co.uk for some ideas. And Good luck!

[klwmogs]

I would suggest you let it unfurnished. As I also work as a freelance inventory clerk, I can see that there is much lessle hassle with tenant and less for you to worry about, the less there is for them to damage. Many tenants have their own funiture anyway if they are regular renters. If you find a very nice potential tenant with no furniture, who references have checked out, you could then rent some furniture from the nice person who replied before I did.

[george]

I think the above writer mis-read the previous response. She sells furniture.

For furniture rental throughout England you need Bradbeers Furniture Rental

This service is operated by the long established Bradbeers Furnishing Solutions who also provide a furnishing sales service to the property trade.

[Melboy]

I used to always furnish my properties for years but now they are all unfurnished with minimal white goods.

It has made no difference to the empty letting periods at all.... in fact, generally speaking, unfurnished tend to rent quicker. People like to have their own furniture around them I reckon..... especially beds.