10 Reasons why you should consider interior design for your rental property

1.     Because who want’s to put out a less-than perfect product? The ‘it’ll do’ approach to property investing has had its day. There’s far too many ‘it’ll do’ properties out there – believe me you’ll get lost in that sea of mediocrity if you don’t change your thoughts on this one. People are expecting more from their rental property, and this demand has to be taken seriously, otherwise you will drop by the wayside while every other landlord scales the heights of interior design magic.

2.     It really is like magic! Put a bit of interior design effort up your sleeve, and out pops a bunny rabbit, holding a wodge of cash and a ticket to your profitable dreams.

3.     You will stand out from the crowd, in the best possible way. When so much of what you do boils down to how your property LOOKS in a photograph, you’d be dumb not to put a bit of effort into making that photograph be the one image that makes your dream client stop in their tracks and look further. Once you have them hooked, you’re half-way there.

4.     Giving the wow-factor means they’re more likely to tell their friends. We all want to pass on info when we’ve stayed somewhere amazing  – or may be we just want to brag – either way, free publicity from word-of-mouth reviews can be a God-send for your business. If something’s amazing, you’re gonna want to tell the world right?! Encourage those social media tags by providing something for your guests to ‘show off’ about!

5.     Money money money. Let’s not beat about the bush here, if you’re gonna make more profit, its surely worth the effort. Investing in interior design will cost money, but you will reap this back with your increased occupancy and elevated nightly rate, I am certain. ‘Do the math’, as they say, and you’ll come out smiling.

6.     You’ve made the cake, now ice it! There is A LOT that goes into a property that doesn’t get seen by your end-user, and there’s a lot that isn’t appreciated. But what IS appreciated is how it functions and how it looks – and this IS interior design. It’s the icing on the cake, the cherry on top, and what will actually make the difference to getting those perfect guests; those increased occupancy rates and that increased revenue. Don’t let all your effort in the baking of the cake be neglected – that would just be a waste of cake!

7.     Planning this kind of stuff really does save you pennies! Putting the time into planning what interior you’d like, as early on in your project as you can, will eliminate all the frantic time you’ll no doubt encounter having to make decisions later on. And time is money, yeah? You’ll be focused, with a design concept in hand, batting away anything that doesn’t fit in your chosen style and honing in expertly on everything that does. Fast, swift decisions, ahead of time = money saved. Boom.

8.     Longevity. I honestly believe that providing something ‘nice’ for your guests, in turn means that they instinctively want to look after it more. OK, there may be exceptions, but generally speaking, people give more respect to properties where effort has obviously been made to create a welcoming interior; properties that ooze something special will be treated as such. As a result, you’ll need to replace items less often, saving you money and time.

9.     You can prove those ‘make everything neutral to appeal to everyone’ believers that they’re just plain and simply WRONG!  By ‘appealing to everyone’ you’re actually ‘appealing to no one’. You’re inviting people to flick past you, to lump you in the ‘same as all the rest’ category and once again you’ll drown in that sea of mediocrity. [NB: It’s not a pleasant place. I wouldn’t recommend it!] By focusing on your ideal client, by really thinking about WHO your property will appeal to, you are able to direct your attention to the specific interior design that they will be drawn to – what style do they like, what feel do they want from the property, is it a romantic city break or a cosy cabin – use this to create the perfect ambience FOR THEM, not for ‘everyone’ and you’ll be on that lifeboat away from the bland ‘appeal to all’ army of believers forever. Amen.

10.     Because life’s too short to not feel the fear and do it anyway! If you’re scared you can’t do it, you’re ‘not creative’, or you just don’t want to take ‘the risk’, then think long and hard about what it is that actually scares you? Fear of the unknown? Fear of ‘getting it wrong’? Fear of losing money? OK, I get it – its not easy for everyone, but I can assure you it will reward you financially, and if its only a tin of paint to start you on your merry way, its easy to rectify if you do ‘get it wrong’. If it’s the unknown, and the shear prospect of going it alone, then I for one am here to help. There are many many resources, advice and tips out there which can help you, guide you, hold your hand along the way. The reward is great when you’re on the other side. Let’s do it together. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Go on, Be Brave!