Lay My Hat

Hi,

I’m furnishing my first rental from scratch and I’m looking for good quality but low cost furniture - isn't everyone?!

I’ve come across a company called HLF or Holiday Letting Furniture. Most ranges are solid wood and it looks similar to furniture in a hotel managed lodge that I stayed in recently.

Because it’s online/ brochure ordering I can’t see the furniture before purchasing. I wonder if anyone on this helpful forum might have any experience of HLF and its quality?

https://thehlfgroup.com/

I’ve seen lots of great info on beds on this forum so planning to use Hotel Contract Beds zip links as they come highly recommended.

Many thanks in advance

We furnished from eBay and carboot sales! 2 solid, carved single beds at £25 each, a 6 ft refectory table and benches for £15 from car boots. Ebay supplied the rest. Because our cottage is 18th century, we couldn't go too modern and wanted to retain a cottagey feel. It also let us develop our own style

We have 2 properties and we approached them as if we were furnishing our own home. Our cottages have a mix of items from antique shops, auction houses, charity shops, Sofa Workshop, Ikea and even Argos.

I wish I'd known then that it's worth looking long and hard at your competition before you commit to any particular style. You'll need to be able to take photos that stand out and stick in people's memories when they're flicking through the hundreds of properties on offer. It helps if most of the rooms have something unique about them - whether that's a piece of furniture with character, a beautiful wall covering, an unusual mirror, etc.

Thanks Mike, Chrissy & Joanna,
Think HLF might be too corporate then, will try to turn the shopping for more bespoke items into a positive experience!
Claire

It really depends on your market. If you are looking to attract businesses then a modern clean look will be ideal. If you're looking to attract couples with small children, then you don't want anything that looks fragile or valuable.

Having said that, if the exterior is not photogenic, then it is important that the interior stands out to attract the type of guest you want, as you will be showing these as your main photo on the listing sites. If the exterior is beautiful, then it's less important.

One thing I would say is that I wouldn't buy an antique bed as people think they will be uncomfortable - from experience I can say this is generally the case.

I agree. We were told at the beginning that comfortable beds were crucial. Ours have wooden slats but we have invested in good mattresses and 100% cotton sheets and nearly every guest comments on the comfy beds.

Having experience of sofas with washable covers at home, we chose leather for the cottage, as it is easily wiped clean