Owning a holiday let comes with many responsibilities, including furnishing and decorating the property. Unlike a normal residential let, you can’t choose to offer it unfurnished. It’s up to you to select the style of the decor and install anything guests might need during their stay. There’s much to think about when you’re planning, from what sort of atmosphere you want to create to the amenities that your guests will require to make everything as convenient as possible. Looking at design trends can be helpful if you’re not sure where to start. It can show you some of the popular moves in holiday let decor and help you to get inspiration for your own property.
Before you start looking at design trends for holiday let properties, you will want to think about some of the fundamentals. What essentials are required, and how will you tie them into the design style you choose?
Key Points to Consider When Deciding the Layout and Furnishings
It can be fun to think about the specifics and details, but the first thing you should do is consider your layout and main furnishings. You might already be thinking about style, but you also need to start by considering size, comfort, and other practicalities. Here are some of the key points you can consider when you’re planning your basic layout and making a list of what you need.
Number of guests
It is crucial to consider the number of guests your holiday let can sleep. There’s nothing worse than a holiday let that sleeps five but only has enough seating for three. This is something to keep in mind throughout the process of not just buying furniture but also selecting things like kitchen and dining sets, towels, and other conveniences.
Use of space
Whether you have a large space to fill or only a small amount of space, using it wisely is a must. It’s particularly important in a smaller property, where you don’t want all the space to be taken up by furniture. One of the key rules for how to furnish a holiday let is to balance the space, ensuring your guests have enough space to move around but the place also doesn’t look too empty.
Accessibility
Another factor to consider when thinking about the use of space is accessibility. If you want to create a wheelchair-friendly space, more space is required between furnishings. You might also need to think about things such as choosing beds or tables that are the right height. Of course, creating an accessible space can be about a lot more than just furniture. A bathroom should be designed around accessibility, for example.
Durability
In holiday lets, everything is going to experience wear and tear. As guests come in and out, and everything is cleaned each time, you can even expect some light damage. So, durability is definitely something to look for when choosing furnishings and designing your holiday let interiors.
Comfort
Comfort is key for your holiday home guests. They want to be comfortable during their break, whether they’re in bed or at the dining table. When you’re choosing furniture, be sure to test it out yourself to check it has that comfort factor. However, don’t mistake comfort for extreme softness. When it comes to things like mattresses or sofas, a medium firmness is usually best.
Family-friendly Holiday Homes
Something to think about for the design of your holiday let is how to make it family-friendly. Of course, not all holiday lets are designed for families. Some are best for couples’ getaways or for groups of friends. But if you intend to market your holiday home for families, it needs to provide for them.
Some of the factors to think about for a family-friendly holiday home include:
- Safety: this is paramount for families and might include things like installing baby gates, or covering plug sockets
- Amenities for babies/toddlers: offering items such as a highchair or cot means families have to bring less with them
- Family fun and things to do: stocking up your holiday let with games, toys, and even sports equipment will keep families entertained
Holiday Let Interior Design and Style
Once you’ve thought about the practicalities of your holiday let design, you also need to consider the overall style. There are plenty of different styles you might consider for the interior design of your holiday let. What you choose could depend on your location, your target market, the property itself, and whether you want to stand out.
You might want to consider a classic holiday cottage style, full of British charm. Or maybe you want something modern and trendy that’s suitable for younger guests. If you want to do something different, you could consider an eclectic style that combines various elements, colours, and design motifs.
Whatever style you choose, whether it’s cosy and comfy or clean and sophisticated, try to keep everything tidy and uncluttered. You want your guests to be able to use the space as they want to.
Design Trends for Holiday Lets
When you’re furnishing and decorating a holiday let, one thing you don’t want to do is follow the latest trends too closely. Getting inspiration from other holiday homes is a good idea, but you don’t want to do anything that could quickly look outdated. Decorating your holiday home is very time-consuming and costly so you wouldn’t want to redecorate your holiday let every year, so it makes sense to go for something more timeless. That’s not to say your design can’t be both modern and timeless. You can incorporate modern elements with timeless design that has been proven to standard the test of time.
Investing without the hassle of decorating
If you are looking to invest in a buy-to-let holiday lodge, but don’t want the burden of decorating then a hands-off, low maintenance investment could be a better option for you.
A particular style of holiday lodge investment that reaps all the rewards through a more hands-off approach, and one that is becoming increasingly popular, are lodges in parks such as Landal Belvedere and Landal Barnsoul.
Finding an investment with a reputable management company is important when looking for a well-managed, armchair investment. At GladePark Investments, we work closely with our management company Landal GreenParks who handle all of the interior design, sourcing and management of the holiday lets, so you can oversee your investment without sacrificing time, money and resource into decorating the property.
Our holiday resorts offer hassle-free investment opportunities from the plot of land, right through to the finished product, producing a reliable income without the need for consistent customer admin, furnishing and property maintenance.
Get in touch today to find out how you can start your investment property journey.