Turn Your Mobile Home Into A Short-Term Rental | Decor Tips

Renting out a mobile home – or any home, for that matter – usually involves plenty of hard work. As with most tasks in life, however, a little bit of planning goes a long way towards less work and more results. With that in mind, we’ve chosen a few decor tips that will help you turn your mobile home into a more attractive rental. Hopefully, you’ll take away a few ideas that you can use for your future short-term rental home!

Start with something easy

A big part of making any home attractive is letting in as much natural light as possible. This is a pretty easy way to start off if you’re re-creating your home’s interior design. So, outside of installing extra windows or a skylight, what can you do to get more natural light in your home?

• Use lighter paint colors in your home interior. When you open your curtains during the day, the sunlight from outside will reflect off of lighter walls, providing excellent natural lighting. Obviously, white is a very good choice for this, but you can also use other light colors if you choose. Darker colors won’t reflect the light as much; therefore, they aren’t the best option if you’re looking to bring some light into your home.
• You can also paint the outdoor eaves of your roof a lighter color; they’ll reflect sunlight into your home as well.
• For additional reflection that causes greater natural lighting, use glossier finish paint rather than matte. (You’re not necessarily limited to using glossy finish only, however; you should choose a degree of finish that’s as close to glossy as you’re comfortable with. The glossier, the better!)

The color of the carpet also matters

It may seem like a small detail, but if you have carpet in a rental home, you should pay attention to what color it is. A darker carpet won’t show stains, dirt, or wear as quickly as a light-colored carpet will. Therefore, it’s especially beneficial to have dark carpet installed in your mobile home if you’re going to be renting it to several different tenants over a short time period. In this way, your tenants won’t feel as though they have to vacuum the carpet every day to keep it spotlessly clean, and the carpet will probably last longer as well, due to how well it hides minor stains or damage.

Practical but beautiful

With a short term rental, you will have tenants coming in and out. It’s important that your decor, appliances, and other furnishings can live up to the wear and tear. You also want to make sure your home is well-stocked so short-term tenants have all the conveniences and enjoy a comfortable stay. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to make sure your rental mobile home is both practical and beautiful.

Kitchen

Make sure the kitchen has all the necessary appliances – fridge, oven, microwave, stovetop, etc. Buy quality items that are durable and will last a long time. It’s always a good idea to register and keep the warranties on these items. There’s no need to have flashy appliances. Instead, use colorful tea towels, kitchen mats and curtains to brighten up the space.

Buy durable crockery and utensils. Consider brands like Corelle for your plates and mugs as they are nearly impossible to break. Don’t buy flimsy forks and knives that can bend or break easily. And for pots and pans, avoid glass and ceramic as they break easily. 

Bedrooms and living room

For furniture, buy solid wood pieces that will last a long time, but make sure they are painted or varnished so they’re easy to clean. Any fabrics should be machine-washable.

Keep in mind that a tenant will most likely appreciate space-saving furnishings. In light of that fact, you should consider supplying a rental mobile home with multipurpose or space-saving furnishings.

Overall, keep your basic pieces neutral. Use decorative pillows, throws, placemats, etc. that can easily (and inexpensively) be traded out if you want to change the look of the home.

Decorations

Avoid cluttering the home with sentimental decorations. You want your tenant to feel comfortable and not like they’re invading someone else’s space. When choosing decorative pieces, try to keep them practical as well. Lamps, bookends, side tables, etc. can add beauty to the room while being practical at the same time. We highly recommend choosing decorative pieces that aren’t easily breakable. Make sure to affix artwork securely to the walls.

Cleaning

Lastly, provide cleaning products (washing machine, vacuum, broom and dustpan, mop, rags, cleaners, etc.) so that tenants have the tools they need to clean up after themselves. This will help reduce the build-up of dirt. If you can afford it, or if it can be included in the rental cost, arrange to have someone come in and clean on a regular basis. It goes without saying that the rental should be cleaned in between tenants.

Good luck in your new endeavor!

Hopefully, you’ll be able to decorate your rental mobile home using some of our tips and move on to the next step – advertising your rental to potential tenants. Keep an eye out for our upcoming article that’ll give you advice on what you should and shouldn’t do when advertising a rental. And, of course, most people learn a great deal through experience, so don’t undervalue the importance of just going through the motions until you know what you’re doing. It won’t be long before your mobile home rental is ready to go! Check out how to change up the exterior of your potential mobile home rental to draw in more attention!