[USER]

My family owns a small beach condo that we rent out. We’ve had it for 40+ years. It needs updating, but not quite sure the best way?

Professional designer is too expensive.

It’s a balance between buying nice things and hoping people don’t damage or steal them. We also try to do 1 upgrade a year to spread out costs.

Over the years we have replaced carpet with tile, fresh paint, new comforters, new couch and chair, replaced vertical blinds.

Anyone want to play interior decorator?

I can show pictures.

[Alexis]

When we rent a beach condo, we mainly want it to be clean and fresh looking. So maybe new bedding and up-to-date small appliances, maybe a few silk flower arrangments, nice towels.

One year we rented a place and didnt realize the amount of glass and art objects it had.

The place was nice but we had 3 little kids with us.

My daughter and I put all the glass objects away so they would not be tempted.

I guess if you are older and no kids things like that are nice but we really didnt want those items – large vases, glass art around the kids.

[Tina]

have you thought about making it ada accessible most places I rent have to have grab bars to in and out of the bathtub area
one of the places accommodated me with shower chair over the tub.
I didn’t mind

spending a little extra money for those accommodations
Paint fresh. also
find out from

the people renting if they are allergic to any cleaners or stuff might be a problem
depends on

what age range your rental is going to be and for how long.

other rentals I went to with my child wanted to make sure it was child

friendly also my child liked the idea it had a dvd player and gaming console.

pictures would be nice to see what other suggestion we can give you

[Carey]

I like white, crisp linens. Sheets, comforter etc. Leather furniture is best because it can be wiped off and seems cleaner than cloth, which traps smells and germs.

Also, a clean new bathroom is best. Again, white shower curtain and white fresh towels.

Go white and light gray in the bathroom. Outdated bathrooms gross me out and I won’t go back. No old sinks, toilets etc.

go for white dishes and clear glass items in the kitchen. No prints etc.

Skip the fake plants. They attract dust and look gross.

Beach rentals are easy to decorate. Go to TJ Maxx and Home Goods for inexpensive decor like pictures and kitchen decor.

If they get broken or stolen, no biggy. Black and white beach photos are timeless and classy.

[Lisa]

I look at the beds and couch for no visible sags. Fresh linens and towels but not the expensive stuff think Sams or Costco for sheets and towels when on sale.

Hopefully most guests are

only there to sleep and shower. Minimal decor.

Good coffee pot and clean microwave. Deck of cards, UNO, Monopoly is always nice touch.

[Jill]

Estate sales or buying things of fb marketplace or thrifting helps a lot for decor items.

Ive had luck driving through rich neighbourhoods and just last week found a brand new dehumidifier I needed on side of road.

Don’t purchase anything you aren’t willing to replace with wear/tear/accidents

[Bonnie]

Pinterest has great ideas. As does ChatGPT ask “inexpensive ideas to update a beach rental”

[Anggi]

How are the beds? When I’m looking at a place to stay, if the beds have sags, I’ll move on. Imo, for as much as rentals cost and how inexpensive memory foam mattresses are, they should be updated yearly.

I also look for a leather couch vs cloth because people are gross.

Since it’s a beach property, how are the patio chairs and outdoor space?

Do you provide sand buckets or water toys? Those are things important to me vs aesthetics.

[Lisa]

I think a very simple outdoor shower would be appropriate, if it’s a beach rental.

I’ve seen simple ones you can purchase on Amazon or at a hardware store.

[Francess]

do what needs to be done instead of what you want done. can you charge more for the place with upgrades or not?

[Ann]

Clean, comfortable and convenient. First look is bedding (hopefully, cotton), bathroom and upholstered furniture.

An extra blanket (preferably in a zippered plastic bag) for each bed, enough and immaculate towels, unstained and fresh smelling upholstery and a couple of clean throw pillows.

Convenient means basic small appliances (toaster, microwave, can opener, coffee maker, blender), tea kettle, baking sheet and pan, microwave-safe dishes, sharp knives, mixing & salad bowl, frying pan, pots, kitchen towels, sponge, pt holders, etc. If you have a grill, utensils.

It’s very frustrating, especially with kids, to attempt to make a meal and find these things are missing.

I appreciate a list of these items so I can inform the host if something is missing or broken when I arrive/leave.

I don’t mind purchasing paper products, toiletries, etc, but appreciate basic cleaning supplies provided.

[Mary]

Take pictures and you can go to a tile and cabinet design studio (bigger place) u can even email pics and use the phone to discuss and Pic colors and they will help you design whole thing(usually u need to buy something from them) You can tell them the floor stays but you could paint the walls and the Cabinets or whatever u like and get new counter tops.

or u can look at magazines for ideas or hgtv shows and get great ideas.

Coubtertops: We met someone who used giant 2×4′ Tiles For a pretty white countertop, in their rental.

– als Here we have people who sell prefab or scrap 8-9′ quartz or granite countertop for $200-400 Which is Much cheaper than home depot or the Independent countertop companies.

But you have to hire someone separately to cut it & They usually referr Someone. This is not always cheap. $600 ish plus.

Goodluck!

[Kody]

We had a beach condo for 7 years that we short term rented and also have friends that 3 of them.

Feel free to reach out to me for the tips and tricks that I figured out over the years.

[Lisa]

I think clean and fresh. Updated towels and bedspreads,fresh paint, throw pillows blankets, and a few pictures that’s it.

[Carolyn]

I agree with making the bedding comfortable and update the bathroom with plain nice white towels and washcloths.

If you can redo old tubs and tile and put hooks and towel racks.

My opinion you can’t have too many places to hang things in a bathroom.

[Natalie]

I’d make a list of all items in the rental unit. Make copies of it. Check off everything after each renter leaves.

This will tell you who took what.

[Darla]

Do you have access to a Home Goods store?
They usually offer nice decor for a reasonable price. It usually has coastal and we don’t even live near the coast!

I’m eager to get to one in Florida as I expect their selection should be larger.

Sometimes you can get canvas art for a very inexpensive price. You just have to shop the deals.

Decorating:
Less is more.
Larger scale items make an impact.
Need lamps? Make them the decor without adding anything else than a coaster for end tables.

When we vacation in beach communities (Topsail, Destin, Siesta Key, etc) we actually seek out local off the beaten path decor places because they have unique items that you will find in the local condos and rentals! Oftentimes there are local popup sales and flea market sales that offer THE BEST deals!

Last Fall my cousin and I went shopping in Ohio at Boscovs at the end of the Summer season and she got 3 comforter sets for $80 or less each.

She moved to Florida in December and she wanted to find deals because the move was pricey enough.

I will be building near my cousin in 2029. At that time, I will lean hard on the local resale decor first, then look at new.

We are only taking about 20% of our current items with us and virtually starting over in retirement.

My favorite item in a rental condo is a 3 ring guest binder where renters share their experiences.

In the rental we use in Topsail, there are folks that have recorded everything for decades.

It’s fun to look through!

[Tricia]

I used Havenly to do interior design on my living room and was pleased.

It was worth it to get a couple iterations because I sourced the furniture from cheaper places and had several ideas.

[Lucinda]

We used to rent out our lake cabin. I switched out all the clear glass with Corelle or plastic for safety. All of the kitchenware was dishwasher safe (other than the big pots/pans).

I had minimal decorations other than a few pictures and throw pillows.

You can really make bedrooms look nice by choice of comforters/bedspreads.

It meant less to clean, and no one ever stole anything.

[Wendy]

When we stay somewhere, I don’t like lots of things everywhere. I like simple. A Kcup coffeemaker, airfryer, pizza pans, muffin pans, salt, pepper, oil spray, plastic wrap, and aluminum foil are things I really appreciate.

A few beach accessories would probably be helpful.

Cleanliness is a big one. I’m not good at the decorating stuff, though.

[Author]

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