If you rent your property here we give you a lot and the best advice to furnish and make a smart investment. Over the past ten years, my team and I have helped provide comfortable and durable furniture to hundreds of homes in Mexico.
Many of those clients rent out their properties when they are not here. In order for you to get the best value for your investment, there are a few things we recommend for rental properties. Our goal is to make sure you get the highest ratings, so your property is always in demand.
How to furnish
Just because it’s a rental property doesn’t mean you should buy cheap furniture. Inexpensive items will go bad quickly because they are not for commercial use. That means you end up spending more money because parts need to be replaced more often. Instead, invest in mid-priced furniture that is of better quality and can withstand wear and tear.
Consider additional sleeping space for additional income. If you have a den or one bedroom, adding a sofa bed or murphy (wall) bed can increase the amount you rent your unit for. These space-saving solutions cost only a little more, but allow you to open up your property to a wider audience.
You will quickly see the return on your investment on any of these items. Trundle beds are also available here, which are perfect if you rent to couples with small children. When you own a rental unit, keep in mind that each additional person you sleep in is incremental income.
Also, invest in well-made outdoor furniture. Buy commercial grade outdoor furniture, not residential grade. Residential grade items are not good in this climate. Although there is a higher initial cost, it will save you from having to replace residential-grade furniture three or four times over the same period.
The best materials for outdoor furniture are teak, concrete, plastic, and heavy-duty fabric. These items will last longer in our harsh environment. Direct sunlight and salty ocean air are harsh. The beautiful synthetic rattan outdoor furniture you see in big box stores doesn’t last more than two to three years when exposed to the elements. Metal can also be a problem even if it is powder coated. Hotels invest in commercial quality to get the best return on their financial investment.
Speaking of great outdoor furniture, renters love a good barbecue. We recommend our clients who rent their houses in Mexico to invest in a barbecue at a medium price. A good grill is a huge plus when renters are looking for a temporary vacation home. The best brand that seems to last the longest is Weber. Remember that a good barbecue is a feature that will get your vacation rental booked fast.
Less is more when it comes to decorating. Don’t overdo your condo with knick-knacks. Your rental should be more like a hotel. Make sure you have a locked area in your condo like a closet or storage room where you can store personal items like pictures, bedding, and anything you want to keep for your use. Tenants are interested in places to stay that are clean and new. The more you have, the more it looks cluttered and the less attractive it becomes as a rental.
Performance fabric
There is nothing worse in a rental unit than a stained sofa. Fortunately, there is a new option for upholstered products that costs the same as regular fabric and is stain resistant. It’s called performance fabric. If you have a rental property, this is a must.
The fabric is soft, comes in hundreds of patterns and colors, and is durable. Here’s an example of what this revolutionary fabric can do. Imagine spilling red wine on a sofa covered in soft white fabric and letting the wine sit overnight. For any other cover, the sofa is probably ruined. With performance fabric, you only need to brush the liquid off the sofa – no staining! If you want your items to look new for as long as possible, this is the only fabric you can get.
Protect your furniture
Protect surfaces with glass tops. Wooden furniture can easily be stained by sweaty glass. Water rings and stains quickly make your property look old. Adding a glass top not only makes your furniture look elegant, but also makes it last longer.
After the dressers, nightstands, and dining table are in place, contact a local glass supplier to come to your condo and measure each piece. In a couple of weeks they will deliver and place this protective surface on your items. For the small cost of glass, you will get a much longer life out of your wooden furniture.
Things that make a difference
With the change in the way we watch television, it is no longer mandatory to provide satellite television, a VCR, or a DVD player. Instead, it’s essential to make sure your flat-screen TV in your rental house has Wi-Fi connectivity or a port for an external TV service like ROKU. If you are renting a two bedroom, having a flat screen TV in the second bedroom is a plus.
Buy some luggage racks. Hotel owners know how to keep their places looking new for longer. Suitcase racks are inexpensive and ensure less damage to the room. If you don’t offer them, your guests are more likely to use and damage your other furniture.
For interior painting, especially in the kitchen, hallways, and bathroom, use a glossy, easy-to-clean paint, such as a brand of matte paints. Please remember that renters will be coming in and out of your unit with their luggage and beach gear. It’s much easier to remove smudges and streaks from glossy paint and keep your home looking new.
Offer security. Opt for the laptop-sized safe instead of the regular size. Many people travel with their electronic devices and will require a secure place to store them when outside the condo. If your condominium development allows it, install a peephole or viewer on the exterior door. Although they cost more than a standard lock, electronic or digital keypads are great for rental units. Your tenants don’t need to worry about carrying a key with them and potentially losing it. Your property manager can change the code for each tenant.
Invest in a professional photographer. Take pictures of your condo during the day and at sunset. Although it costs more than doing it yourself, a professional photographer knows how to capture images that will make your place look like a million dollars. By scrolling through hundreds of options on rental sites, this will make your condo stand out from all the rest. It is worth the additional cost.
To furnish your rental property so that you get the best value for your investment, work with a company that offers properly assembled furniture packages for a rental home. They have the expertise, experience and knowledge to provide you with the right solution.
If you have a new condo that needs furniture and decoration, contact me at sa.novak@solutionsmexico.com or visit SOLutions Mexico.
Sheryl Novak
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