Designing Your Space
If you are a landlord, every empty week costs money.
Whether you own a buy-to-let apartment, a premium furnished rental, or a short-term let property listed on Airbnb, presentation matters far more than many landlords realise.
In today’s rental market, tenants often make their first decision online - based entirely on photographs.
That means your property is not simply competing on price or location. It is competing visually.
At Yuliya Forrest Interior Design, we help landlords in Aberdeen and across Scotland prepare rental properties to attract the right tenants faster - from simple home staging updates to full short-term rental transformations.
In today’s rental market, presentation can make a significant difference to how quickly a property is let — and to the type of tenant it attracts.
Most prospective tenants make their first judgement online, often within seconds of viewing listing photographs. Even a well-located property with good fundamentals can be overlooked if it feels poorly presented, tired, cluttered, or simply lacks warmth in images.
Home staging is not about unnecessary decoration. It is about presenting a property in a way that helps potential tenants immediately understand its appeal.
A thoughtfully prepared rental property often generates stronger interest, creates a better first impression, and can help reduce empty periods between tenancies. In some cases, stronger presentation can also support better pricing, particularly in competitive areas or in furnished and short-term rental markets.
The reality is simple: when tenants are comparing dozens of listings on platforms such as Rightmove, Zoopla, or Airbnb, visual presentation becomes part of the property’s competitive advantage.
“I often tell landlords that tenants may be choosing between similar properties, similar rents, and similar locations — but the one that feels more inviting in photographs usually wins the first enquiry.”
— Yuliya Forrest
Preparing a property for long-term rental requires a very different approach from styling a short-term let or an Airbnb.
The goal is not to create a highly decorated interior that looks like a boutique hotel. In most cases, long-term tenants are looking for something practical, clean, welcoming, and easy to make their own.
For this type of property, the smartest approach is usually to focus on durable finishes, neutral colours, and a layout that feels bright and well cared for without being overly personalised. Good presentation still matters enormously — especially for photography, as first impressions are often made online — but the strategy is different.
As an interior designer, we always look first at who the property is intended for. A young professional, a family, a corporate tenant, or a premium renter will all respond to different environments.
“One thing I’ve personally noticed through experience is that unfurnished properties often encourage longer stays. When tenants bring their own furniture and make the space their own, they tend to feel more settled and less temporary. Of course, this depends on the target market, but for many traditional long-term rentals, it can be a smart strategy.”
— Yuliya Forrest
That said, there is no universal formula. Every rental property should be positioned according to its location, audience, and investment strategy.
Designing a property for short-term rental is a completely different exercise from preparing a traditional long-term let.
When guests book an Airbnb or serviced apartment, they are not simply choosing somewhere to sleep. They are choosing an experience - often in just a few seconds, based entirely on photographs.
That means presentation becomes one of the most commercially important parts of the property.
A short-term let needs to feel immediately inviting, comfortable, and visually memorable. Guests compare dozens of listings at once, often within the same location and similar price range. In that environment, design becomes part of the marketing strategy.
A beautifully presented apartment is more likely to attract clicks, stronger enquiries, better reviews, and in many cases, higher nightly rates.
But attractive interiors alone are not enough.
Successful short-term rentals need to be designed with hospitality in mind - not simply decorated like a private home. Layouts need to feel intuitive, furnishings should be durable yet comfortable, lighting should create atmosphere, and every design decision should support the guest experience.
Location will always play an important role, of course. But even in a strong location, poor presentation can significantly reduce performance.
“With short-term rentals, guests often make emotional decisions very quickly. Two similar apartments in the same area can perform completely differently simply because one feels more polished, welcoming, and professionally presented.”
— Yuliya Forrest
At Yuliya Forrest Interior Design, we help landlords and property owners create attractive short-term rental interiors from scratch, reposition underperforming properties, or transform standard rentals into guest-ready accommodation designed to compete successfully in the market.
Is your rental property not attracting the right tenants - or sitting empty longer than it should?
“An empty property is not just an inconvenience - it is lost income. In many cases, a month of vacancy costs far more than professional home staging. Waiting for the ‘right tenant’ to eventually appear is often the more expensive decision.”
— Yuliya Forrest
Book a free consultation with Yuliya Forrest Interior Design, and we’ll quickly identify what can be improved to help your property perform better.
From fast home staging solutions to full Airbnb setup transformations, we help landlords present their properties professionally and attract stronger interest faster.
Call today - and let’s turn your empty property into income again.
