Furnished or unfurnished? The decision that shapes everything else
It changes the tenant profile, the average length of stay and how much work it gives you. How to decide it on merit rather than on what is in your storeroom.
Most landlords decide by elimination: they furnish with whatever they have spare, or leave it empty because they do not want to spend. It is worth thinking about, because it shapes the rest.
Furnished
- Slightly higher rent and it lets faster.
- It attracts shorter stays: relocations, studies, transitional periods.
- More turnover, more admin and more wear to replace.
- Every appliance you put in is an appliance you will have to repair.
Unfurnished
- Fewer candidates, but they tend to stay for more years.
- Someone who brings their own furniture looks after the place more: it is theirs for that time.
- Far less admin for you and fewer arguments over damage.
- It takes longer to let, especially out of season.
The middle ground is usually the most profitable: a full kitchen with appliances, wardrobes and little else. It covers what genuinely puts tenants off without filling the place with furniture nobody wants.
The usual mistake
Furnishing with leftovers. An old sofa or an inherited bed add no value and do create a problem: when they break you will have to replace them, and in the meantime they make the property look neglected. If you are going to furnish, do it with things you would use yourself; if not, leave the space clear.
And in either case, do an **inventory with photos** before handing over the keys. It is what separates a calm deposit return from an argument.
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