If you are planning to buy a rental home, or you're thinking about what to do with one you have just acquired, this is the place for any questions about starting out in the rentals business.
Good luck with it Rainy! Don't be put off by tax advice seeming complicated - if accountants made it look easy they wouldn't be able to charge us 3 million quid an hour.
You'll get endless advice on here, my tip FWIW is to get family and friends to work for their rental (no doubt they're getting a good price!) and make sure they give you honest feedback and suggestions on everything possible, warts and all. If they didn't have enough teaspoons, you want to hear that before it makes a paying guest grumpy. If they would have found it useful to have a sewing kit or some item you just hadn't thought of, it's useful for you to know; it's then up to you to dismiss ("a 56" telly in the bedroom would be nice") or prioritise the suggestions, but they're all valuable (apart from the 56" telly in the bedroom) and food for thought. They need to realise they're helping you, not criticising.
Rainy wrote:
Just starting my e bay spree in an attempt to kit it out. Already bought a sofa and some bedroom stuff just to get started
I thought 2nd hand in good condition would be fine as it will be let anyway.
Second hand in good condition MAY be ok (and indeed often is) but this is a fairly fine line: if you wouldn't have it in your own house or ask your mother in law to sleep on it then it won't do for people who are paying. I know it is an expensive business kitting out a rental but don't spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar as my granny would say. A good guide is to ask yourself honestly what you would think about it if you were the customer
For true domestic harmony it is essential that dogs know their place, which is below all cats
Rainy wrote:: I thought 2nd hand in good condition would be fine as it will be let anyway.
If you head down this route you will be on a hiding from hell, and good money after bad. If it's not good enough to grace your home, it has no place in your rental property.
'fraid I have to agree with Paul and Peps Rainy...you are selling the dream don't forget and that shouldn't involve other peoples cast offs.
Mixing in good quality seconds with new, quality furnishings is fine and could add charm and ambiance...but it is a very fine line.
Having said that I remember TP kitting out her place in Gozo with some wonderful bargains from Ebay (not secondhand though)...leading to a fabulously tasteful and aspirationally furnished place.
For me good decor can be an easy way of setting you apart form the rest of your competition.
Who said i wouldn't have it in my house. What i bought so far are excellent quality items in very good condition that i would be more than happy to have in my house I bought bedroom furniture from Next that has been in someones spare room so barely used and a sofa from Habitat again in fab condition.
Just because its second hand doesn't mean its rubbish
"May you always have a shell in your pocket and sand in your shoes"
Hi Rainy and congratulations on your purchase. I hope you will enjoy investing in the Norfolk coast as much as I have!
You are quite right to go down the ebay route - with a good eye and the right piece I'm sure you will do fine. I bought a show home complete with furniture, but I needed more to supplement it. I found some beautiful solid pine drawers, bedside tables etc on ebay, which blend with what's there but at a fraction of the new retail price. The bedside drawers had to be a particular size to fit the available space and I hunted for weeks before finding a perfect set on ebay.
A few well chosen accessories and I bet your place will put some others around it to shame (having looked at many not very inspiring examples around our area!)
Deb20 wrote:Hi Rainy and congratulations on your purchase. I hope you will enjoy investing in the Norfolk coast as much as I have!
You are quite right to go down the ebay route - with a good eye and the right piece I'm sure you will do fine. I bought a show home complete with furniture, but I needed more to supplement it. I found some beautiful solid pine drawers, bedside tables etc on ebay, which blend with what's there but at a fraction of the new retail price. The bedside drawers had to be a particular size to fit the available space and I hunted for weeks before finding a perfect set on ebay.
A few well chosen accessories and I bet your place will put some others around it to shame (having looked at many not very inspiring examples around our area!)
Thanks Deb, we are really excited, it should all go through the end of this month so just looking forward to getting in there to be honest. We will just make it clean and comfortable this season then refurb over the winter. Going to strip it out and go for a beach hutty feel with a strong emphasis on "family" time. Think we are going to call her "Bliss"
The bedroom stuff i bought had been in someones spare room. Next still do a similar version and charge £125 for the bedside table EACH and i got 2 in immaculate condition for £51 plus a matching bedhead for £16. The person was moving abroad.
Been researching the area and we are really pleased with our choice It has everything we are looking for as a retreat therefore we are hoping it will appeal to other families like us. I have had lots of requests for letting already which is encouraging.
"May you always have a shell in your pocket and sand in your shoes"
Exciting times, I was born and Bred in Norfolk..Gorleston-on sea
Its a lovely place to live, and holiday, Im sure youll do well.
Mundleseys a lovely place
I went to East Runton recently We did have a LMHatter 'Cromer Crab', who rented out in......... well I think you can guess, but he sold up a few years back.
Take Care, Rosxx
Last edited by Big Sis.. on Tue Jul 20, 2010 2:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
OMG sooooooo confusing but i am sure we will get to grips with it all.
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I bought bedroom furniture from Next that has been in someones spare room so barely used and a sofa from Habitat again in fab condition. 
