Letting out your property in Leicester can be the key to great financial rewards and more personal freedom, but one of the big decisions you will have to make is whether you should rent it out as furnished or unfurnished.

The lettings specialists at Keywest are always on hand to offer advice to help you make this sort of big decision and to ensure that your rental decisions are the most profitable and convenient. Here is a basic guide to factors you should consider, whether you are thinking about leaving your furniture in or taking it out and need help deciding if it is worth the time, effort and effort needed to furnish a newly acquired buy-to-let.

To furnish or not will largely depend on the type of property you have and the kind of tenants you want to attract. People starting out on the property chain may well be looking for a furnished property, as will those seeking a home during the working week, and so this may be the best option if you are looking to tap into the first-home market or attract professional commuters who plan to return to their family homes when not working. Tenants looking at larger family homes, however, are likely to have their own furniture and may well to want to live somewhere surrounded by their own belongings.

The length of the tenancy you want will also help guide you in your furnishings decision-making. A short-term let will often benefit from being furnished to allow people the freedom of using your property as a stop-gap home without having the cost and inconvenience of having to move or buy furniture. However, people looking for long-term rental properties are more likely to want to use their own furniture or buy the items they want to turn your property into their home.

There are some benefits to furnishing a rental property, however, not least because it can add to its appeal in marketing material. Of course, this will always depend on the type of furnishings you include, but furniture can help prospective tenants to better visualise living in your property. This can lead to tenants being secured in a shorter time-frame, but this will also depend on other factors, such as the type of tenants you want and the quality of the letting agent you have chosen to market your property.

Other advantages of furnishing a property are that the money you spend can be offset when it comes to your tax accounting, and you can usually achieve a marginally higher rent – usually between five and ten per cent more than for an unfurnished property.

If you have a rental property in Leicester, speak to Keywest. Our expert property managers will help you decide on the best approach when letting your property, and ensure you achieve the best return fro your investment. Call us today on 0116 254 4555.