The Value of Professional Interior Design for Short-Term Rentals: Experience and Cost

OP

Charlotte, NC · Member since 2017 · 29 posts · 19 votes

2y

Thanks John for your input. This is really helpful! Especially the advice to book someone online to just help with the vision. I'll definitely take your advice on that.

John UnderwoodPro Member

Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes

2y

Look at the sucessful cabins online in this and other areas.

Just copy the great ones that appeal to you. You can copy just rooms just pieces or a whole property.

No need to reinvent the wheel.

OP

Charlotte, NC · Member since 2017 · 29 posts · 19 votes

2y

Thanks John. That's a good idea to look at surrounding well performing properties and replicate.

Zachary Cain Humphrey

Investor · KY · Member since 2022 · 204 posts · 77 votes

2y

Sotherland Designs is a good company. Brianna Michelle Interiors is another good company. I have consulted with both of them in the past on our cabin. For me to get them to offer interior design pallet with all items to buy in every room of my 1800 sq foot cabin along with color pallete, everything down to light fixtures was going to cost me around 5K for their services. I would then buy all those interior design pieces and install. Though I have not went through with either yet, I do see value in it and all the professional hosts speak very highly to its benefit in standing out... which is everything in STR.

OP

Charlotte, NC · Member since 2017 · 29 posts · 19 votes

2y

Thanks so much Zach. I really appreciate the recommendations and the cost estimate.

AJ WongBusiness Member

Real Estate Broker · Oregon & California Coast · Member since 2022 · 834 posts · 696 votes

2y

Quote from @Rob Anteau:

Hello Everyone,

I'm going to purchase a log cabin in the mountains and considering the potential impact of professional interior design. I'm hoping to get some insights and experiences from those who have done this before.

Have any of you used professional interior designers for your short-term rental properties? Did you find it valuable? Do you believe it significantly enhanced the appeal or functionality of your space?
Do you feel it was worth the price? Was there a noticeable difference in your occupancy and guest ratings that you attribute to the professional design?
What are the estimated costs for professional interior design services for short-term rentals? I realize this can vary widely, but any ballpark numbers would be incredibly helpful.

I appreciate any insights or advice you can share!

Best regards,

Rob

Hi Rob,

I primarily sell vacation rentals in OR & CA and have written previously on the value of attractive and quality furnishings as part of a successful STR. I think it's very important to differentiate and NOT be the same as your competitors. As with any hospitality service, small touches do make a big difference in guest experience and returns.

The majority of STR's were not in fact intended for that usage. Many are secondary or investment properties owned for sometime that were converted to full or part time BNB usages. There is a reason high value hotels constantly invest in upgrades and redesign, as well as high quality furnishings that can take the wear and tear of high volume usage.

My fiancé is an interior designer and recently furnished two out of state client STR's for rental. Investors often underestimate the demands of transitioning a house to a home. The decor doesn't need to be expensive, she thrifts a lot of vintage pieces and orders the majority of soft materials and bedding/mattresses from Amazon, but you can feel the difference between a professionally catered home and a less curated space.

I don't think all properties need professional design, but it should be consideration for luxury rentals. Many can probably launch and operate utilizing less initial investment and allow the revenue to pay for upgraded furniture and furnishings.

Revitalizing listings every 2-3 years for peak performance is also a capital cost to consider during evaluation. Trends, styles and amenities change, the most successful operators evolve with the hospitality marketplace.

Hope this helps :)

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OP

Charlotte, NC · Member since 2017 · 29 posts · 19 votes

2y

Thanks AJ. I agree with you that that small touches do make a big impact.

Does your finance have a website that I could visit? Once I have purchased the home, I would like to see if she would be interested in doing the interior design.

Thanks!

Michael BaumPro Member

Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes

2y

Hey @Rob Anteau. Lot's on info and opinions on this.

We didn't use a designer to do our lake house. We just chose decor that fit the idea of a nice lake house.

Sometimes a place can just design itself based on location. It is pretty easy to come up with a nice cozy decor for a mountain cabin or a woodsy lake house.

I think it becomes a bit more important for urban settings and high value properties.

2 Reply

Jon Martin

Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

2y

I did with my first property. I wasn't sure what I was doing and needed some pointers. Think I spent around $1K. It was worth it because the place looks great.

Now that I've done that, I initially didn't see the need for my next property because I understood the basic concepts. However the property I ended up with has an odd black/brown countertop pattern with an 80s style oak cabinet stain, along with brown floors and a beige backsplash, so it's brown on brown on brown. It's tough to figure out what I can do with the backsplash or peninsula to make it pop in the photos and look appealing without painting the cabinets. Therefore I'm calling on the same designer to see if she has any ideas on how to make it work, or if she also agrees that painting the cabinets is the only route.

Therefore I don't think you need a designer to do everything for you, but you may want someone to give you input, especially if you are trying to make some elements work without having to replace them.

V.G JasonPro Member

Investor · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes

2y

Quote from @Rob Anteau:

Hello Everyone,

I'm going to purchase a log cabin in the mountains and considering the potential impact of professional interior design. I'm hoping to get some insights and experiences from those who have done this before.

Have any of you used professional interior designers for your short-term rental properties? Did you find it valuable? Do you believe it significantly enhanced the appeal or functionality of your space?
Do you feel it was worth the price? Was there a noticeable difference in your occupancy and guest ratings that you attribute to the professional design?
What are the estimated costs for professional interior design services for short-term rentals? I realize this can vary widely, but any ballpark numbers would be incredibly helpful.

I appreciate any insights or advice you can share!

Best regards,

Rob

For the first few, I did. And I learned some stuff myself, and went from there. And by I, I mean my wife. Hire three different ones in a few of the cities we have STRs in, and she learned a lot. Now she can do it herself and loves it, we have a few we want to go after in Angel Fire & Smokies.

[email protected]813-563-0877

Andrew SteffensBusiness Member

Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes

2y

Hey Rob congrats on your upcoming purchase! I personally use designers, and I budget $20 a foot for everything including design fee. It is not a perfect number but it is a good rule of thumb. In today's competitive market I think a designer is well worth it for a long term investment. I am not good at design at all, but I do have some clients who basically copied top producing properties design and did a great job themselves.

My designer usually charges $2.50 per foot for furniture selection and I have my workers assemble and put everything together. There are online services that may do it cheaper, but results will vary I suppose.

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AJ WongBusiness Member

Real Estate Broker · Oregon & California Coast · Member since 2022 · 834 posts · 696 votes

2y

Quote from @Rob Anteau:

Thanks AJ. I agree with you that that small touches do make a big impact.

Does your finance have a website that I could visit? Once I have purchased the home, I would like to see if she would be interested in doing the interior design.

Thanks!

Hi Rob, our website is www.sesemirealty.com she's still getting her most recent jobs up (and her BP account!) If you DM I'll send you her email.

541-800-0455

Sesemi | STR Brokers powered by Fathom Realty 516 Reviews

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Evans WrightPro Member

Rental Property Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2014 · 101 posts · 92 votes

2y

Quote from @Rob Anteau:

Hello Everyone,

I'm going to purchase a log cabin in the mountains and considering the potential impact of professional interior design. I'm hoping to get some insights and experiences from those who have done this before.

Have any of you used professional interior designers for your short-term rental properties? Did you find it valuable? Do you believe it significantly enhanced the appeal or functionality of your space?
Do you feel it was worth the price? Was there a noticeable difference in your occupancy and guest ratings that you attribute to the professional design?
What are the estimated costs for professional interior design services for short-term rentals? I realize this can vary widely, but any ballpark numbers would be incredibly helpful.

I appreciate any insights or advice you can share!

Best regards,

Rob

I have used a professional interior designer to furnish our STR just outside of Charlotte, NC and here are my thoughts based on the questions you asked.

- Everyone's situation is different but for my wife and I we thought it was important to hire a professional designer. I am full time investor/agent and she had W2 that she put over 50 hours per week in. Our time was limited. We also identified that we do not have an eye for design and theme and it is hard for us to make something of a blank canvas. Those two choke points helped us identify that we needed a professional especially if we were going to distinguish ourselves from the competition. That is exactly what our interior designer did. We told her our theme which was lake and nature inspired due to our proximity to a big lake here and she did the rest. End result was phenomenal.

Now could we have done something similar - with enough time yes but we didn't have time so I believe it was critical to have her on our team. It was by no means not cheap but I have always been of the volition that if they can do it better and faster than you then hire it out so they can give you time to focus on the bigger picture.

I do not have previous data to compare bookings because we purchased the property and immediately hired the designer but I wholeheartedly believe that our bookings especially for longer stays are correlated to our property having amenities and design language that attracts people. It cost us over $35k to do interior and exterior of a 3bed 2bath house, 1500 sq ft and on half an acre of land. Not cheap but they did everythingggg. Hope that helps!

3 Reply

Evan Polaski

Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes

2y

@Rob Anteau, like some of the others, I cannot put a "did you find it valuable" because my wife is a designer. But, I would argue that it is 100% worth it. As other's noted, the easy way out is to copy what others are doing. That will get into probably the top 20% of listing alone, since so many seem to be "throw in there whatever you got", so you get blue and grey towel in one bathroom, orange and red in the next, different sheets, pillows, throws, etc.

As for what I would be asking of my designer: first you need a place that stops people from scrolling. While the furniture selection, and a cohesive, clean aesthetic will grab attention, it comes down to murals on walls, plate and dish selection, open shelves versus cabinets in the kitchen.

My BIL is using an interior designer to help with both some fixture, finish and furniture selection on his house in Las Vegas. His first quote was $30k. This was simply design and layout work. Did not include any actual execution with furniture, paint, various other finishes. He found another designer for $9k, same scope. Admittedly, it seems like he is needing to be a lot more hands on with the cheaper one, as she does not seem as experienced or knowing what questions to ask on front end to get a design knocked out quickly and efficiently.

Things to think about with being an Airbnb host, that sort of stem from these questions: beyond some wall color choices and furniture selection, who is picking out dishes, flat ware, towels, blankets, sheets, pillows, mattresses.

And since this all feeds into the experience, please don't be the host that ruins the experience by asking the guests to provide all their own cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc. (Off topic, yes, but you are getting into the hospitality business, and as such, need to provide the full experience, from a nicely designed place to stay, to comfortable towels, mattresses and sheets, to a fairly seamless checkout experience.

Craig Jones

Member since 2023 · 113 posts · 129 votes

2y

I will be the contrarian and say that I don't think interior design and decor in general is money well spent. Anything you can do to or put in your property which is relatively easy for others to duplicate ends up being a pretty weak moat. On that playing field, everyone's costs go up just to stay in the game, only to end up in exactly the same place competitively.

Better to spend the money on acquiring (or trading up to) properties with really defensible differentiators like a great view, great location, or lots of bedrooms.