Mardesign Showcase: How we were able to boost ROI on our Marashlynne project

When taking on a new project, the profit you make out of your initial investment is one of the biggest concerns for any property developer.

If you’re a serial developer who want to maximise profit, you may think that you need to save and create a blank canvas that many tenants are all too familiar with seeing.

But, in fact, we’ve created a formula where you’re able to design an inspiring and motivating property without having to sacrifice any of your cash.

In one of our recent projects, Marashlynee, we were able to help our clients design a functional and aesthetic space that commanded higher rental prices and a better return on investment.

Mar Design UK - Tailored Interior Design Solutions — Bedroom 05 @ Marashlynne

Project background

For the Marashlynne project, we worked with a brother and sister investor duo to transform a dated two-bedroom terrace into a multiple occupancy building that combines both comfort and functionality.

Like any good project, it’s always good to start with a well thought-out brief where we can align our ideas with those of our clients to create a property that satisfies everyone.

For this HMO, the brief was:

To have a strong Scandi vibe
Use a range a range of natural materials
Incorporate a soothing colour palette
Focus on designing interiors that maximised mindfulness
Consider Feng Shui when it comes to layout and design

Mar Design UK - Where Design Meets Investment Vision — Kitchen & Lounge @ Marashlynne

Bringing our ideas to life

Together with our client, we had a very strong vision of what we wanted to achieve in this property, which made it much easier when it came to calling in the contractors and turning our initial ideas into a realistic and functional strategy.

When it came to carrying out the brief and getting work started, we began our work by looking into some of the following points.

Circulation and follow in the communal areas and individual rooms to make the most of the space we had to work with

Designed floors plans to optimise furniture layouts, lighting, and small power layouts so that we could make the layout as functional as possible
Produced a set of technical evaluations that went in-depth into all of the important features of the house to ensure nothing would be missed by the builder and that all our contractors could work together in harmony
Created 3D images of each of the main rooms for our investor to share with the build team which could then be used in the investor pack and marketing prior to the property going onto the rental market
Created a set of detailed furniture, art, and accessories/styling specifications to bring together the Scandinavian style and Feng Shui elements that our investors requested in the initial brief

Achieving the brief

Every property we work on is completely different, as we don’t think rental properties should have to be the boring, blank canvas that we’ve all come so used to in the industry.

This project was interesting as we were working to achieve a contemporary, minimalist, Scandinavian-inspired space that’s very on-trend at the moment.

The pillars of Scandinavian style is all about soft finishies, natural materials and a delicate colour palette. Together these features create a soothing and relaxing vibe that can help investors create a sanctuary for their tenants to retreat to after a busy day at work.

In this project we really focussed on bringing in natural materials like timber and exposed wood to bring an earthy and stripped-back feeling to the HMO. We also tried to keep everything as smooth and holistic as possible to ensure that the final product would appeal to a large range of potential tenants.

Our investors also were passionate about bringing in features of Feng Shui into the building, which we were able to achieve by building a lot of curves into our design.

The idea of Feng Shui is that there are not sharp corners or 90-degree angles that feel harsh and direct in the building. We followed this principle when it came to the soft furnishings like cushions and artwork that can really bring a place together.

The final project

By the end of the project, we were able to create a calm, oasis-like space that we were confident tenants were going to love.

The project, which took six months to complete and came in at a cost of £93,000, and has proved itself to be a wise investment for our developer duo.

As of right now, the room rates for Marshalynne property are as follows:

Bedroom 1 → £575

Bedroom 2 → £550

Bedroom 3 → £560

Bedroom 4 → £590

Bedroom 5 → £610

Total monthly rent → £2,885

Total annual rent → £34,620

Average rent → £577

To put this into context, before any work on the property, the average monthly rent for this area was around £470 PCM and the highest rented room was going for £550. Shortly after completing the project, all five of the bedrooms were quick to be let out for a much higher price, compared to other similar properties in the local area.

In fact, with the average rent being £577, that puts the property at over £100 a month more than any other similar rooms in the area.

Creating the perfect rental property

Throughout this project, we worked hard to get the very most out of our investor’s budget. By creating a functional and aesthetic property, we were able to stretch out the budget and put every penny to good use.

Ultimately, our investors were happy with their higher prices and we were proud of the design that we had come up with. Through detailed planning and expert attention detail, we’re very happy to be showcasing Marshalynne to everyone

If you’d like to get the most out of your next property development project, get in touch with our team today and let’s see what we can create together.

Check out what investors say.

“Raquel is super passion and very detailed with her work; also, Raquel is super approachable and easy to work with.

She really does listen to what her clients want!

I'd recommend Mardesign to anyone who wants to take their properties to another level.”

— Justin Lai. JCL Property