Furnishing a holiday let: 10 common mistakes

I have seen hundreds of holiday let properties over the years and as you would expect they come in all different shapes and sizes. They differ in terms of location, quality, and themes that the homeowners are seeking to achieve.  Having seen so many properties, I also have come across some common mistakes that Homeowners fall into when furnishing a holiday let. It must be said the majority of the time this is through being given incorrect, or no advice from their original holiday letting agent on how to furnish their holiday let property.

Here at Cottages On The Coast, we aim to guide your through the setting up of your holiday let; ensuring everything is in place before you even begin to start inviting guests into your property.

What not to do when furnishing a holiday let

Investing in your holiday home doesn’t always mean spending vast sums of money. Whilst having fire pits, hot tubs and EV charging points are great features, there are often smaller ‘quick wins’ that we can look at. Considering the more basic furnishing of your holiday let can improve the impact it can achieve and help to improve the level of overall satisfaction from your guests.

So here are, what are in my opinion, the top 10 common mistakes (in no particular order) that Homeowners can make when furnishing their holiday let property.

1. Poor quality pillows

The humble pillow can be one of the most important items on your bed.  A good pillow can go unnoticed, but a bad pillow will not.

Pillows can have a considerable impact on your quality of rest and your overall well-being. A good pillow will not only improve the overall quality of your sleep but it can also help you avoid neck and back problems. The last thing we want is grumpy guests because they have a stiff neck from a bad pillow.

You will know if your pillows need replacing if they are flat or can be folded together and do not return back to their normal shape quickly.   There should be 2 pillows per person/ bed space. I would also recommend pillow protectors on all of your pillows to protect your pillows from staining and help to provide a healthier pillow environment.

2. Duck-down duvets

The immediate reaction with duvets is to purchase the quality of a goose or duck-down duvet. Whilst these duvets do provide a luxurious feel, they may not be the best option for a holiday let. Over the years there have been increased requests from guests for anti-allergy duvets and pillows. Also, over the long term, feather duvets hold far more dust and dirt than their man-made alternatives.

We would recommend a micro fibre alternative, which can provide the luxury feel of a down duvet but without the worry of setting off allergies.

3. Forgetting the importance of a good quality mattress

A commonly neglected furnishing – and yet your guests will probably spend more time using the bed than any other feature or facility in the property. With this in mind, it is important that you provide a mattress of sufficient quality and comfort to do the job.

There are so many options out there that choosing a mattress can be a minefield – having spent many years in a previous job in this industry I should know! A good rule of thumb though is to choose a pocket-sprung mattress with a minimum of 1000 spring count. I would advise to keep away from memory foam mattresses, not because they are not comfortable or of high enough quality, but because they provide a unique feel, and this might not suit all of your guests. You are never going to satisfy the needs of every guest, but as a safe bet, go for a medium–firm mattress feel and this will cater to the majority of your guests.

4. Mis-matched bedding

Having crisp, good-quality matching bed linen is an effective way to create a hotel-quality finish. This is definitely an ‘easy win’ when it comes to furnishing your holiday let bedroom.

Look to purchase linen that is pure cotton, with a high thread count.  As a rule, try to and keep to neutral colours and then add bolder colours around the room to complement – through items such as throws, cushions and curtains. However, do remember that these will need to be checked and cleaned as needed; so sometimes less is more (I’m sure your housekeeper will agree!).

An added benefit of using a single neutral colour for your bedding is that you can easily replace individual items in the future if you need to.  Try to avoid using bedding with multiple colours, as it can all look a bit too ‘busy’ when viewing it online.  I would also steer clear of floral bedding unless you are going for a specific country cottage theme. Room themes are a good option, as it allows you to bring colour, fun and individuality to your bedrooms.

5. Poor quality towels

Is there anything more disappointing than a thin, hard, greying towel that acts more like a loofah than an instrument to aid drying?

It is important that your towels are soft to the touch and without staining on them. We would recommend providing one bath sheet and one hand towel per person, a bath mat for each bathroom and a hand towel for each basin. In order to allow for a smooth changeover, at least two sets are required. For longevity, white is always best. Your housekeeper can wash these to a higher temperature than coloured towels to remove stains and finding a matching replacement is far easier in the longer term.

6. A lack of wall furnishings

This is one thing that often gets overlooked. So much time, effort and money goes into getting a holiday let furnished ready to welcome guests, there can be a sense of job done when all of the big ticket items are completed.

Having an appropriate amount of wall coverings (pictures, paintings, wall-mounted surfboards, etc) can be just as important in giving the property colour and character. It can also help in selling the property online to prospective guests.  If you have a property with white walls and white bedding, then you will often need a splash of colour to draw the guest’s eye to the online photograph they are viewing.  If they are just met with a ‘wall of white’ then they may click off your property and look elsewhere.

There are many low-cost wall furnishing options from the likes of Dunelm. Alternatively, North Devon has a wealth of talent in the form of local artists & photographers. There are many that we would be happy to recommend depending on the style you ate looking for, but they include Aluna Collective in Ilfracombe and Jackson & Young in Barnstaple.

7. Not enough seating

I can’t remember the number of times I have walked into a property and been immediately impressed with the style and furnishings, only to walk into the living room to see there isn’t enough comfortable ‘soft seating’ for the maximum number of guests accommodated.

It is really important that your property has comfortable soft seating for the maximum number of guests that can stay in the property.  Expecting guests to sit on beanbags, doesn’t count either. Remember, don’t always assume that it will be adults and children staying in the property.  It could be a party of all adults and they won’t want to ‘make do’ with makeshift seating.

8. The TV – remember bigger is better!

We’ve seen it all at Cottages On The Coast, but one thing we have never seen is a TV that is too big! One thing that can irk guests is a TV that is too small.

“Get out and see the countryside!” I hear you cry. Well, guests want the best of both worlds.  They want to spend their days at the beach or rambling in the countryside, but when they get back to the property they want to unwind by watching TV, or a much-needed distraction for the kids so parents can have 5 minutes of peace!

We would recommend a minimum of a 32-inch television for most living rooms. If your budget can stretch to a Smart TV and additional subscription packages such as Netflix and/or Disney+, then this will always prove popular with guests. TVs in bedrooms are also a good option if you have the space to do so.

9. A poorly equipped kitchen

A common trap Homeowners can fall into with Kitchens is a tendency to mirror their own experiences of staying in self-catering holiday let properties with that of their guests’ behaviour.  For example, if a Homeowner rarely cooks a meal when self-catering, then the level of equipment in their holiday let kitchen can often reflect this.  The best advice is to set your kitchen up to cater for each end of the spectrum. Your kitchen should be ready to cater for the guests who eat out at local restaurants every night, through ease of use and functionality, to the guests who want to cook a three-course meal or bake a cake.

You should ensure that you provide plenty of cutlery, crockery, glasses, and mugs for the number of guests staying in the property. The last thing you want to be doing is washing up a mug each time you want to make yourself another mug of tea.  We would recommend good quality, white tableware for your holiday cottage. It will stand the test of time and will be easy to replace if breakages occur.  If you want to personalise your tableware then consider a themed set of cups or mugs that be coordinated with other crockery and can be easily replaced.

A few more tips and hints are to have a good range of pots and pans and look to replace any of these when they show signs of heavy use or rust.  Providing Champagne flutes can add an element of luxury and is a better option than just having wine glasses when celebrating a special occasion.  Including a coffee machine can be a nice little extra for guests to enjoy.  There are many options on the market, from bean-to-cup options to coffee pod machines.  If you go for the latter, then try to choose the coffee pod machine with the least environmental impact.

We have put together our own essential kitchen equipment inventory list, so please feel free to contact us and we can send you a copy today.

10. Forgetting that the little extras make a difference

Enhancing the customer experience has a direct correlation to your overall return on investment.  It can be very easy NOT to put in a coffee machine, enhanced welcome pack, dog treats in your welcome pack, etc. as these are not considered essential furnishings such as a bed or sofa. However, they do make a real difference to your guests and thus your repeat custom.  Of course, the overall quality of your holiday let is key, but all those little extras are those marginal gains that make a difference.  When combined with the overall quality of your holiday let it may mean that guests decide to stay at your property more than once and become a loyal customer there onwards.

Most importantly don’t forget that this is your project/ business. You need to have fun with it and put your own stamp on it but what is equally important is that you have guidance and advice from established holiday let professionals.

Here at Cottages On The Coast, we have over 10 years of experience in the self-catering holiday market. We are local, so we are on hand to meet you at your property to discuss at your leisure. We also have a wealth of local contacts to call upon should you require a specific tradesperson, interior designer, or landscape gardener. If you’re considering buying a property to let or already have one and want a local, experienced agent to support you then get in touch.