8 Tips for Furnishing a Vacation Rental

To increase bookings for your vacation rental, you want your listing to look its best. You can make sure your rental stands out by commissioning professional photos. However, there is an important hurdle to cross before you spend money on photography, and that is furnishing the property.

Furnishing a vacation rental is a bit different from furnishing your home. If you are staring at an empty vacation property, filled with dread because you are unsure where to start, this article is for you. It will give you tips that will help you furnish your vacation rental to not only attract potential guests but also maximize bookings.

1. Know Your Potential Guests

Knowing who your targets are—that is, your ideal customers—will make furnishing the property much easier. For example, if you are targeting parents vacationing with young children, you will need to think about durable, kid-friendly furniture.

If you are advertising your rental to businesspeople who will be in town for a few days, you may prefer to prioritize functionality and comfort.

And if you have a smaller, cozier property in a romantic or picturesque location, you might want to tailor your rental for honeymooners and other couples.

Once you identify your ideal guest or target segment, you should keep them in mind as you shop for furnishings for the vacation rental. Imagining your ideal guest will help you when it’s time to select one piece of furniture over another.

2. Pick a Style

Now that you have your ideal guest in mind, it is time to pick a style or theme for the property. You can find a lot of inspiration for this online, including on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest and on vacation rental blogs.

One thing to remember is that you are doing the furnishing not for yourself, but for your guests. This means you need to put your personal tastes aside and instead try to think of what your ideal guest would like.

If you have a hard time finding a style that suits your guests exactly, try going with one that suits your property and its location. For example, rustic furniture works well for vacation rental properties located in the mountains.

3. Furnish the Living Room for Conversations

Unless your vacation rental only accommodates one guest, you should furnish the living room to help facilitate conversions and spending time together. Doing so requires two things: comfortable seating and a table on which to place beverages.

Start by choosing seats you can position away from the wall without making the room look awkward or feel cramped. Next, position your furniture so people can keep eye contact and hear each other without having to yell or strain.

Next, ensure every seat has a place to set down a drink that will stay within their reach. For this, you will need a coffee table such as the VidaXL coffee table or an end table or an end table. Place the tables so that no one has to lean or stretch at weird angles to reach their beverages.

4. Consider Guests’ Downtime

Some of your guests will want to relax in the living room alone or have some space away from other guests. For such situations, you should have a designated relaxation area with a single focal point.

The usual focal point is a TV where guests can enjoy movies and shows. Pair that with a TV chair recliner, and you have a comfortable space where people can relax. Also, consider providing a table where they can set things down as they read, watch TV or listen to music.

5. Furnish the Bedroom for Comfort

It is not enough to provide a comfortable bed. At the very least, you should also provide a nightstand and a lamp on each side of the bed. This is especially important for those guests vacationing with a significant other.

Also consider getting some cabinets or a dresser that your guests can use to store some of their items. Many people do not like living out of their suitcases, especially if they are staying for more than a day or two. Having storage space for clothing and other belongings will make your vacation rental more appealing to these guests.

6. Choose Durable Furniture

Your vacation rental will have a lot more traffic than your home does, which means you will need furniture that is more durable than what you have at home. Also, while many people will respect the property, others will not understand rental etiquette and may put your furniture through a lot of wear before leaving. Accidents happen, too, and your furniture will get damaged if it is not durable enough.

7. Add Good Lighting

Many hosts overlook the value of good lighting. Strategic thinking and careful arrangement can help create a good ambiance and mood in the property, making it more comfortable for your guests. Avoid direct, harsh and bright single lights. Instead, opt for multiple sources of light placed strategically around the room. In addition to looking better, such groupings minimize shadows.

You should also ensure that all areas that will see a lot of traffic, such as the entryways, kitchen, living room and hallways, have adequate light. Remember that guests are not familiar with your rental property, so accidents are bound to happen if they cannot see where they are going.

Lastly, opt for LED lightbulbs. These bulbs use little power, which will keep your energy bills low. Also, your guests will appreciate your effort to do something good for the environment.

8. Quick DIY Hacks

Here are a few quick tips to make the most of your rental.

1. Plants—both indoor and outdoor—are a great addition to a vacation rental, but they can be a hassle to take care of. Use hardy and native plants that will tolerate the environment and weather better.
2. Have a small space? Use different hues of the same color to make the space seem larger.
3. If you have a large room, break it up into smaller sitting areas.

How you furnish your vacation rental will determine whether you can attract the right kinds of guests. Fortunately, getting it right is not difficult if you follow the tips above.