Furnishing your own home is an exciting and relatively easy task, but focusing on a vacation rental home is entirely different. Explore the top 10 tips for furnishing your vacation rental property here.

Tip #1. Think Durable

Vacation rentals go through a lot of wear, especially if you have a popular property, such as Folly Beach homes for sale. Select furnishings that have sturdy builds, including thick wood legs and tabletops for the dining room.

Avoid any furniture that appears rickety or antique. The furniture must be practical as it’s moved, bumped, and used for heavy items through the seasons. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable placing your full grocery bags onto a piece of furniture, that furniture shouldn’t go into your vacation rental.

Tip #2. Select Bright Pieces

Vacations conjure up thoughts of excitement, fun, family, and childhood. Regardless of the vacation property’s location, it should have an open and airy feel.

Furnish and accessorize with bright colors, including white, light blue, beige, and light gray. You want the incoming light to brighten up the spaces any time of day. Achieve this bright appearance with fabrics, pillows, and even books stacked along a bookcase. Book spines offer unique colors and textures, which can add personality to a vacation rental.

Tip #3. Give Everyone a Good View

Proper furnishings also include artwork on the wall. Don’t leave the vacationers with bare walls. Add neutral artwork that can reflect the property’s personality.

If the home is in a big city, some urban or abstract art might be a good choice. Rural properties can benefit from artwork showing off animals or landscapes. A smaller property could use a few mirrors hung in strategic areas. The mirrors give the rental a larger appearance, making them feel like they’ve received a great deal on the property.

Tip #4. Show Off Some Creative Accessories

It’s not necessary to furnish expensive items. You might splurge on a few key items, such as a sofa bed, but be creative with other purchases.

Go online, and buy a few thrifty items with personality. Driftwood, unfinished wood trinkets, and other items can be repurposed as accents in your vacation rental home. They don’t cost much but can create conversations among your guests. This strategy makes your property memorable, which can lead to repeat business.

Tip #5. Add Rugs in the Right Places

To protect your Sullivans Island real estate investment, you may have added laminate floors to the property. This material offers durability when foot traffic gets busy during vacation time. However, the hard floors may need some rugs to enhance their appearance.

Lay rugs where people congregate in the home, such as under a coffee table and sofa grouping. Large rugs in the bedrooms also soften the appearance and warm the space.

These floor coverings can also designate spaces where you want people to sit and relax. A small rug under a table with a chair placed by the window is a great spot to sit and calmly read on a summer day, for instance.

Tip #6. Stick With a Theme

Remember that your vacation rental should have a theme, such as the beach, rustic, or another genre. Stick with that theme throughout the home. It might be reflected in the color choices, artwork, or fixtures. This theme strategy can bring guests back year after year.

If you have a beach theme, be sure to put towel hangers near doors so beachgoers can hang their wet towels as soon as they walk in. Place a shoe holder in this area so that sandy flip-flops stay out of the main home.

Tip #7. Choose Storage-friendly Furniture

A clever way to furnish your rental is by selecting items with storage options. For example, a table or sofa might have a section that opens up for storage. Add a wood chest to a bedroom for extra storage that complements the closet’s space and overall decor.

Many furnishings today can come with storage sections. Simply refine your search online, or ask a local retailer about storage options. This furnishing perk thrills most visitors.

Tip #8. Remember To Conserve Space

As you get into the groove of furnishing a rental, avoid adding too many accessories. Remember that vacationers need space on countertops and tables for their personal belongings.

Consider your visitors’ needs as you add or remove furnishings or accessories from the property. Leave decorative items on bookcases and other out-of-the-way areas, which frees up tables for the visitors. They’ll need places for luggage placement.

Tip #9. Arrange Furnishings With Care

Remember, there should be a flow to the home. For instance, there should be an obvious pathway between rooms. Try to put yourself in the vacationers’ shoes as you walk through the entryway. Move any furnishings that might trip someone along this pathway.

The walkway should be wide enough to accommodate people with bags and other belongings. With this strategy, your furnishings will also avoid being struck by items brought in and out of the property.

Tip #10. Consider Stain-proof Sealants

Successfully furnishing a vacation rental home includes steps to protect it through the various visits from clients. Accidents, spills, and stains will occur with even the most attentive vacationers.

Ideally, treat your upholstery, rugs, and carpets with a sealant or protector. With a sealant in place, any stains found after the clients have left will be easy to remove.

Maintaining a clean and neat rental tells your clients that you care about their health and wellness. No one wants to stay in a rental that feels as if the previous occupants are still there.

Be Your Own Vacation Rental Interior Designer

If you’re renting out a vacation home, you can take steps to protect your property. Choosing the right furnishings can help. Once you follow these tips and think like your potential vacationers, furnishing that rental property will come easily.