Furniture ideas

Hi All,

I am trying to fill a living room that has an open kitchen which has polished black fitted kitchen with oak colored floor and white wall.

I am having some trouble with what combination of colors to choose from for the living room area. First thought would be everything black or shades of black as kitchen is black then it will look too dull.

Any thoughts guys on colour combinations on curtain, sofa, table light etc? I am sure you guys are more of an expert than me :slight_smile:

Any suggestion helps!

I’d always go unfurnished, save yourself a lot of hassle and most tenants have their own furniture.

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go unfurnished then if something breaks you do not have to sort it

I am not too sure though. it is pretty much a high end new build flat near London with shinny kitchen etc. I’d thought tenant probably will expect some furniture? I mean if they chose a nice flat probably means they want things to be complete and served like in a long term hotel?

Also sofa and table don’t come cheaply and they probably want to be flexible given they are renting for the most likely reason of working nearby temporarily? e.g. you are a renter pay for lets say 1000 to rent, but you need to buy furniture which ended up paying 1000 more. I am not sure if people are willing or have the liquidity to do that?

So, base on that logic, in comparison with neighbor landlords it could get your flat let out quicker? I mean if you see the rent at same price or slightly higher by 50 pounds per month let’s say they save their trouble for buying a sofa and also the trouble or cost of moving it when they leave?

So, see it this way. Do you want long-term tenants? Then no furniture. If they buy themselves they’re more committed.

If you provide furniture your price needs to reflect that (higher) as you would otherwise lose money. You are likely to have to replace at least one piece a year (=money).

Also think ahead, when the furniture is a couple of year’s old - is it still something tenants see as a positive or off-putting (sleeping in someone else’s bed etc.)

The only time I would furnish a flat is student lets, cheap transitional living and HMOs. For flats, especially nicer one’s, tenants must get their own.

Also, do you think it only costs £1000 to furnish a flat? Then you’re going for cheap stuff that will attract no one.

I’ve never had an issue with letting out an unfurnished flat quickly. Going furnished means you will effectively be excluding your property from the majority of tenants who have their own furniture (vast majority of rental properties are unfurnished) which is unlikely to mean you let it quicker.

If you are still happy to provide furnishings ( I wouldn’t for the reasons stated by Per) you could put furnishings at tenants choice with furnished at higher price. That would mean your property would be open to all so should result in a quicker let.

well I am talking about renter to spend 1000 pounds + on top of their rent, whether they will consider to actually buying it or comprise to stay in a furnished one.

But after all, what matters to me is the likelihood of having a void period and how long it would be is the key concern.

Would it be one week one month one quarter? if it would cost you a month of rent that equates to the cost of the furniture, might as well get the furniture?

Correct me if i am wrong, people generally don’t mind wardrobes, table, tv or tv unit. If they do at most mattress or sofa i guess?

I agree with the others and advise to stick to unfurnished. You can also state in your ad that you are flexible with providing furniture should the tenant require it, so you are still appealing to various tenant groups. If you buy some furniture and not all, you rarely find a tenant who will have the exact opposite so be prepared to quickly sell/dispose of duplicate furniture or put them in storage, both are costly. I’d possibly provide wardrobes although I usually have these built in to maximise space. Definitely no TV or any electrical items that they can break - this is asking for trouble, and not all tenants want a TV anyway. And definitely no mattress, the number of mattresses I’ve had to throw away between tenancies because tenants do not want to sleep in a used mattress, no matter how “orthopedic, pocket sprung, etc etc” the mattress is. Same goes for sofas. All my properties are all unfurnished and I don’t have any issues finding tenants, and no void periods. If you find good tenants who do want furniture, it is possible to quickly source furniture anyway.

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Hi, I have always thought some basic furniture is ideal. It saves tenants either treating it like a squat (cardboard boxes etc) or furniture deliveries causing scuffs to skirting boards, walls etc. Plus, it looks nice from day 1 when they move in! With your black and white kitchen i would go for a light brown leather … leather is easier to clean, can be covered with blankets/cushions for colour, and lasts for ages - looks better with some wear and tear. As for curtains - try Dunhelm or Argos and just get something neutral. Leave the rest of the soft decor to them!

Thanks for your suggestion, i would of thought leather would be too much of a luxury for the tenant?

I mean i don’t buy leather myself even, it will crack eventually when dried by sun or age, it can get scratched easily and not easily fixed not to mention the cost of buying it.

generally i am thinking white as most people will like white looking clean etc. but then it would be weird too much of a contrast to black shiny kitchen. So, if i am getting some furniture I am thinking getting a grey fabric sofa standard size and maybe a light grey rug to protect the floor.

Although, like what others said no need to get furniture, but what i find strange is the landlord in London tends to put furniture in comparing with other cities. Not sure why though.

Regards,