7 Tips for Owners: What You Should Pay Attention to When Furnishing a Temporary Apartment

Owners, who want to rent out a furnished apartment, often ask the same questions:
How should the apartment be furnished, what is the quality standard and which furnishing style is in demand popular with tenants?

How to Furnish an Apartment so it is Suitable for Temporary Rentals

The furnishing style of a temporary apartment should be modern and clean, but not cool and uncomfortable. Currently, the Scandinavian living style is very much in demand. A homely feeling is very important for tenants. Much more than years ago when minimalism was the trend. Above all, the apartment should meet the requirements oft he tenant.

Our recommendation:
It is worth the effort. Apartments that are furnished with attention to details will always find good tenants. It is best to go for clarity, muted colours and some colourful highlights. The apartments should neither be to coulourful, nor too bland.

Equipment

Furnished apartments should be fully equipped. Everything the tenant needs, like internet, towels, bed sheets, dishes, kitchen equipment should all be in the apartment.

Target Group – Who Will Rent Your Furnished Apartment?

Before you plan the interior of your furnished apartment in detail, you should determine the target group. Who would want to live in your apartment? All owners would like to have a CEO, or weekend commuter with an unlimited budget as a tenant. It is much better to set up the apartment for a target group for whom your apartment is their first choice.

Location:

Apartments in Wedding are also easy to rent out, but there is a different target group than Prenzlauer Berg or Mitte: younger, early in their careers, a student at the VLB Brewery Berlin or a PhD student. This target group often moves to Wedding, since the rents are lower than in the surrounding districts. A high-end design apartment in Wedding therefore would not make sense.

With a newly built apartment in Prenzlauer Berg you are addressing a different target group – who are better earning and more demanding. For such an apartment you will achieve a higher rental price and the furniture should be of higher quality.

Number of Rooms:

For apartments with at least 3 rooms, it is possible to set up 2 bedrooms. You can choose between a combination of a bedroom and study with a sofa bed and desk – or simply for a second bedroom, either with single or double bed. Furnished multi-bedroom apartments are in high demand in virtually all of the neighborhoods in Berlin. If you want to rent to a family or two colleagues sharing an apartment, two bedrooms with proper beds is a better alternative. Having two bedrooms is more suitable for tenants who want to rent for a longer period, because sleeping on a sofa bed is not very suitable for several months.

Quality of the Apartment

If your apartment is high-quality, with a modern and stylish bathroom and a fitted kitchen etc. it would make no sense to furnish the apartment with very cheap and simple furniture.

What Should You Consider when Choosing Individual Pieces of Furniture?

Bedroom:

• The bed is the most important piece of furniture in an apartment. Of course, it does not necessarily have to be a designer bed. A simple bed of good quality will suffice. You should pay particular attention to the quality of the mattress. Your tenant will thank you at a later date.

Wardrobe and Storage Space:

• Even if the apartment is small, it is imperative that you put a wardrobe or closet where your tenant can store clothes. A clothing rail is not a good alternative. Clothes hanging open on a pole never look tidy.

Blocking out the Light:

• It is important that the tenant has the opportunity to block out all outside light. The best options are ‘blackout curtains’ that do not let through any light. Persian blinds, rolling blinds, and normal curtains are other options.

Living Room:

• Television: a TV is still part of the basic equipment required in a furnished apartment. Make sure the TV is not too small.
• Sofa: choose a sofa in a muted colour. The cover should be as non-sensitive as possible.
• Side Table: a sofa without a side table looks lost. Side tables, often several, are more modern, space-saving and flexible than coffee tables.
• A rug should be placed in front of the sofa.

Kitchen:

• Fitted kitchens that are low-maintenance are best suited for temporary furnished apartments. How the kitchen is equipped also depends on your target group. Families have different needs than individuals who mostly eat out. The latter appreciate microwaves (ideally with an oven function if no oven is available).
• A washing machine should be present in each apartment, a dryer would be good if the apartment is large, or aimed towards a family.

Atmosphere and Comfort: How to create a home from home for your tenant

A temporary furnished apartment should be functional and easy to clean and maintain. But it also has to be homely. After all, your tenant should feel comfortable there.

Tenants are not just looking for an apartment, but a temporary home. Furnished apartments may only be rented to persons who come to Berlin to work here – or who are here for educational or training purposes. Many have stressful jobs. The apartment is their retreat, where they can relax and recharge their batteries. Therefore, when furnishing your apartment, you should not only think about the practical but also the emotional needs of the tenant. Create a home in which your tenant feels comfortable.

Rug:

A rug in the living room – in front of the sofa – is an essential item. Rugs/carpets divide individual areas, improve the room acoustics (less reverberation) like all other textiles, and make the room feel more comfortable. Parquets or floorboards without rugs often look barren.

Curtains and Blinds:

Curtains and blinds are important for some tenants. They do not want people to be able to see inside when the apartment is lit up during the evening. Curtains also improve the room acoustics and help to make the apartment feel more comfortable. When choosing curtains, pay attention to the color. Hard contrasts to the colour of the walls should be avoided. Curtains that are too long should be shortened, because bulging curtains do not look good and will get dirty quickly.

Cushions:

You should decorate the sofa with cushions of a contrasting colour.

Lighting:

Many landlords pay too little attention to lighting. This is a pity, because light is extremely important when it comes to creating atmosphere.
Instead of just one light per room – usually on the ceiling and almost always in the middle of the room – you should opt for a concept with different light sources and light types: a work light on the desk, a reading light by the sofa or armchair, and several table and floor lamps for mood lighting will create an altogether better atmosphere.

Decoration:

It is also advisable to select a few different decorative items. These small details go a long way in making a difference in the apartment.

Pictures/Art:

Pictures with views of Berlin should be avoided. This style of cheap photography bought at general furniture stores can be seen in countless apartments. The target group of furnished apartments is not tourists. Views of Berlin look less high quality.
Examples of more beautiful pictures and posters can be found here

You can also make mistakes when hanging pictures. Take the time to read this article written by interior design experts, to better inform yourself on the subject.

Invest in Quality

It pays to invest in the quality right from the start.

After all, you want your furniture and appliances to last for many years and give joy to many tenants. Therefore, it makes no sense to save on the initial investment and buy cheap furniture and the cheapest electrical equipment. Good tenants have certain expectations. It does not always have to be high-end, but it should be quality and in our experience, tenants handle furniture with care when it comes to quality products.

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