Your downtown apartment or charming country cottage is a perfect vacation rental home, even if it's small. You can easily furnish your cozy abode so that it feels spacious and appeals to renters looking for a getaway. All it takes is a little planning and some furniture rearranging.

Maximize Storage Capacity
• For those items in your owner lockout closet, consider tucking them away in closed cabinets or closets.
• Try furnishing the room with pieces that are sleek instead of overstuffed, and multifunctional instead of decorative. For example, a table with shelving, cabinets, or a skirt will store books, CDs, travel guides, etc and make a good spot for a reading lamp.
• Taller dressers that are less deep will open up floor space while giving you more storage room.

Open Up a Room
• Consider placing the couch so that it faces the entrance of the room
• Pull furniture away from the walls and angle them toward each other.
• Having your couches and chairs face each other is better for conversation because it brings people closer together.

Create Space in a Room—Literally
• A general rule of thumb is: try to leave at least two and half feet for major walkways in a room and for the less-trafficky areas, at least 18 inches.
• A quick solution to limited floor space in a bedroom is lofts, but that's not everybody's style nor is it appropriate for every home.
• You can try removing footboards on beds and just sticking to headboards instead.
• You get plenty of extra room by taking advantage of shelves, buckets, and closet organizers.

Trying to make an area look bigger isn't worth your trouble because, when it comes down to it, there isn't any more space in your room. Consider pulling furniture away from the wall and angling them towards each other. Instead of hanging mirrors in tiny picture frames, you can invest in closet organizers. With these simple tricks of the trade you'll get more bang for your effort.

What do you do to make the most of a small room in your vacation home? "When I put things away in cabinets, I try to put as much of it as I can in a basket or a bucket.  It not only looks nicer but it makes everything easier to find." Lisa D., Portland, Oregon.

Tips for Furnishing Your Vacation Rental Home Guide to choosing new furnishings for your vacation rental home. How to Target Large Groups Even if You Have a Small Home Tips for marketing your small vacation rental property to larger groups. Maximum Occupancy At Your Vacation Rental Some pointers for determining when to be flexible and when to enforce your maximum occupancy. Great Products for Your Vacation Rental Home Products that have been featured in the Owner Community Newsletter.

© Copyright, HomeAway, Inc. 2008, Written by Anne Frugé 10/7/2008