Estate agent discussion

[Lou898]

I’m looking to rent out a property ( mum recently passed away). The estate agent came round to look a property and said it would be best to rent out unfurnished and I should paint same colour throughout and same colour carpets throughout. I was hoping to rent out furnished, mum had good taste (Ercol dining suite, sofa hardly used etc) and although the rooms are different colours they are all neutral think hint of green, magnolia, very pale lemon. The carpets are all plain colours but different in each room.
I want to ask AIBU in thinking people wouldn’t have an issue with the decor and AIBU in thinking there are people out there looking for furnished rented property.
For information it’s a 3 bed semi in a good area of Leeds.

The decor doesn't sound like an issue, people are desperate to rent at the moment so I'm sure it'll be snapped up regardless of the colours.

The furniture would put me off though. Especially in a three bed. That sounds like what a family may rent in which case they will probably have their own furniture. Also it makes you liable to replace anything if it breaks.

I think its more of a case that people wanting to rent your property will have their own stuff they want to bring into the house.

Renting out furnished is a pain in the arse and more hassle than it's worth.

All furniture needs to confirm to fire regs, needs all the fire regs labels still attached etc. You end up replacing things more often.

Honestly it's a nightmare. Don't do it

I'm sure your mum had great taste, but no-one wants to worry about leaving mug rings on the surface or breaking things. People want their own stuff around them generally.
And the same colour carpet all the way through will make it feel larger, ditto the paint.
Unless hugely constrained financially I'd freshen it up and remove the furniture.

In a furnished property, anything breaks and you need to replace it. Are you a bit sentimental because it’s your mum’s stuff? I would sell/do a house clearance. Renters often want the white goods but nothing more.

They will trash her good furniture keep what you like sell the rest and your decor sounds fine

I would not rent out a furnished property, some people do think they have 'taste' but they really don't 😂 I've visited furnished ones for a viewing and the landlords have come across really attached to their stuff and a bit weird about it. We went to view a house that had the most hideous old electric fire, we asked if it could be removed or we would be happy to replace it at our own cost (for them to keep) and she got really weird about it.

I also prefer plainly decorated houses, preferably all white. Then I can put whatever I want up and paint it back white when I leave. I wouldn't mind colours on the walls as long as it was agreed we could redecorate

In our current property I even agreed that they'd remove the fridge as I had my own I wanted to bring. Most people prefer their own things.

Decor not an issue but definitely remove the furniture

Sorry OP no one wants your mum’s old furniture. Plus it could get damaged etc by tenants.

I am picturing this house with its pastel coloured walls right now and mentally painting it all white!

Ercol goes for £££ these days. I wouldn't leave valuable vintage furniture in a rented house, it'll get trashed.

The only people who want furnished are students and they (generally) don't treat furnishings well.

Most people have their own furnishings that they want to use.

The decor sounds OK. What will you say if someone wants to redecorate?

Honestly OP paint it white and don’t agree to any tenants wanting to paint it.

Possibly you are letting the fact that it was your mother cloud your judgement.

The EA is right (on this occasion!).

Sell the furniture , paint the house neutral colours and detach from it totally. Not sure it is worth replacing all the carpets.

Do the sums with all the insurances and costs you will have. Many single property landlords are getting out.

Naaa just paint it all white, put some nice new plain carpet in and remove the furniture. I wouldn’t allow anyone to paint the walls if I were you.

Unfurnished is the way to go! Everyone i know wants unfurnished at the moment ! Its crap being stuck with someone else’s stuff, never being able to change things, get your own comfy bed, have it how you like !

Also it’s just less stuff to have to worry about getting damaged

There's a huge demand for rentals at the moment. The decor and carpets will.not be an issue if they are clean and in good condition.
Renting furnished properties is much harder than unfurnished however, as most people already have their own things. Also if you rent it furnished then you are responsible for it, so if the sofa breaks you have to buy them a new one. It also needs to comply with fire regs. I'd get the furniture out and then have a good look at the place. The agents were maybe really saying that it's ready for a refresh.

If the furniture gets damaged then you may be liable to replace it - and tenants can be very tricky so I'd go unfurnished if you can. EA have been recommending magnolia since the dawn of time and fuck knows why because it looks like absolute shite. Did they also recommend that absolutely rank grey/silver carpet that every flipper/landlord uses and no one would ever actually choose for a property they were living in?
I'd go with the unfurnished suggestion but they can fuck right off with the bloody magnolia and shit grey carpets.

Please don't leave Ercol on a rental property. It is not fair on the tenants, as you will be attached to it & it is just furniture to them. It might not end well. Unless they are Ercol fans, of which there are a lot. I covet my in-laws' Ercol. 😁

Are you renting to students? If not I can't imagine anyone wanting to rent furnished. They might not want 3 bedrooms as bedrooms, or they may need it as 3 bedrooms but with different configurations of beds.

A 3 bed is tricky, families wont want a long term let furnished, it's rare to get 3 friends sharing a 3 bed unless all 3 rooms are roughly equal. Leaving you with short term let's or students.

How will you feel if they trash it? Accidentally or deliberately. What are you going to do if they say they no longer want the sofa as they need a sofa bed?

Ercol definitely shows mug rings. My pal put a mug down on my coffee table.

I won't rent furnished as I come equipped with my own furniture... lots of people are the same.

I also don't want the worry of damaging and being charged for someone else's items.

If you want to keep it all then you should pack and store - and not in the garage if the house comes with one of those...

I don't particularly care about wall colours or carpets but if I would expect it to be neutral and uniform through. Not a dealbreaker though.

I think only university students want to rent furnished places. So unless you want three university students doing a house share and god knows what with your mums old furniture, rent it unfurnished.

Even university students don't always want to rent furnished tbh - I know plenty who'd rather spend £300 in IKEA than have furniture that doesn't match or where the drawers don't open properly or that has stains and marks all over it etc (especially considering that furnished rentals often try to charge more so it costs just as much to buy your own and sell it on FB marketplace at the end of the year).