There is usually at least one small room in
each house, especially with people converting 3 bed properties into 6 and 7 bed
properties, often squeezing in en-suites wherever they can. So here are some
practical tips from HMO Furniture to help you get the best returns from your
small rooms, with just a little planning , and without having to spend much, if
any extra. 😊
Your tenants will thank you for any extra
storage you can provide to help them organise their belongings. If the room is
practical and functional, without feeling overcrowded, they are more likely to
pay higher rents, and stay longer.
By generally removing clutter, keeping the
décor bright and fresh, and maximising floor space, you will show off your
rooms in the best light and keep your tenants happy.
Here are some ways of achieving this.
Bed Hacks
11)
Storage in the beds– The bed will usually go in one of the corners
of a small room. This can often be dictated by sloping ceilings in attic rooms
and where the only possible place high enough to put a wardrobe mean options to
locate the bed are limited.
The cheapest options for
bed storage is to have drawers installed. But there’s no point having drawers
that will be pushed up against a wall, because nobody will be able to access
them anyway, so they won’t be functional. So you may choose to have 2 drawers
on the same side in a small room.
If there is a bedside
cabinet in the room, this may also obstruct the drawer from opening. But you
may consider losing the bedside cabinet altogether, and going for extra storage
options mentioned in this article to
free up valuable floor space.
The problem with drawers
is that people tend to overload them causing them to break.
22)
Space Saving Divans– Divans are a popular because there is no
overhang from side rails. They can be completely customised in terms of height,
length, width, fabric and strength. And any style and size of headboard can be
used to fit in with the room and available space.
33)
Divan bases can also be cut down into 3 or 4 pieces to get
around tight staircases. They can be cut both North to South and East to West.
4) Ottoman style storage – It works out a little more expensive than drawers, however this can work really well because the mattress simply lifts up almost effortlessly, giving you access to all the space underneath which is often just wasted!
This is the much more
preferred option if the budget allows, and can be a good upgrade just for the
smaller rooms that struggle for space, rather than splashing out on every room.
You can choose from foot
end and side opening. If you know the lay out of the room, one choice may be
much more practical than the other.
55)
Lower bed height – You can lower the
height of the bed from the standard divan size which is 12 inches, to as low as
6 inches. This can be a good idea when ordering especially deep mattresses,
because it can end up being very high to climb onto the bed.
66)
Lower headboard height – A standard
oblong headboard comes in 24 inches high. You can have smaller headboards 8 and
16 inches high to protect the walls.
77)
Have bed (and mattress)shorterned in 3
inch increments – Sometimes in odd shaped rooms, it can be beneficial to shave
3 inches of the end of the bed. This is undetectable to the untrained eye, and
gives more space around the bed making the room feel bigger.
You
can download a copy of our latest catalogue with the range of divan and ottoman
storage beds herewww.HMOFurnitureGuys.com
If
you’d like to talk to one of our experts about your requirements you can call
in on 0121 405 0091 or email us at info@HMOFurnitureGuys.com
Furniture Hacks
Here
are some more ways to save or better use space by simply making small tweaks to
standard furniture. Here are some options you may not know that HMO Furniture
can help you with!
88)
Add drawers to your wardrobe – You can
add two drawers to your wardrobe which can be extremely useful. This is very
inexpensive, and can’t be added later. It’s always better to have it and not
need it, than to need it and not have it.
99)
Shelving and double hanging rail options
– You can also get double the hanging space by having an extra hanging rail
installed.
You could also choose to
have a single wardrobe added to the double to make up a triple wardrobe, and
you could have the single wardrobe with shelving to make the most of the
internal space.
110)
Add extra drawers to the chests and bedside cabinets, so that you add height and storage, without giving up any
floorspace. A typical chest of drawers is made up of three or four drawers and
a bedside is made up of 2 or 3 drawers. However you can add extra drawers fairly inexpensively.
111)
Small Double Wardrobes (Slimwardrobes
24”) – Just like a small double bed, you can get a small double wardrobe
measuring 24 inches instead of the standard 30 inch. This can sometimes make
the difference between being able to get pre built furniture up winding
staircases in one piece. Although you can get items supplied in flat pack form
and our guys will build it for you in the room if necessary.
112)
Zip & Link beds – You probably
wouldn’t want a zip & link bed in a small room in a HMO, but it is worth
mentioning if you wanted a king size or superking in one of your larger rooms.
Because often, people don’t realize how difficult it is to get a good quality
mattress in through the stairs.
With a zip & link bed, everything is cut in half
making it possible to get the items safely into the room without pulling the
wallpaper off the walls on the way through.
113)
Lose the bedside table – If space is
limited, why not lose the bedside cabinet all
together, and take
advantage of a combination of the other available inexpensive upgrades?
114)
Have Taller Wardrobes – By making use of
taller wardrobes, you can free up floorspace. Wardrobes in our Deluxe and
Platinum ranges are 197cm tall as standard. They are designed to fit just under
standard door frames and maximise available space.
It’s also worth mentioning
that built in wardrobes can’t be included in the calculation when working out
if you can rent the room to comply with minimum room size requirements. So by
using free standing wardrobes you can use all the floor space in your
calculations (as long as it’s above minimum height) which could make the
difference between being able to rent out the room if it’s tight.
