Erin:

You asked the right lady. The Rental Company will always sell you their (sometimes very) soiled pieces. If you can snag the soiled couch for approx a $100 and you have it cleaned for a $100  or  buy an expensive looking slip cover for $100, before you know it you have a great, re-usable couch. They will probably deliver to your location as well!. Rental sofa's are rarely the greatest quality, but pick something with classic lines. Hopefully you always use these expensive looking but cheaply made (and probably uncomfortable too) pieces in a vacant home. I always pick up scratched end tables, un-mated D/R chairs, etc.. and refinish or recover them. You can find great empty frames as well, you can always go by a glass shop and have a mirror put in.

A little extra work can yeild alot of good staging pieces. Other then that, there is always IKEA!!

The right lady INDEED thank you sooo much. I enjoyed your ideas. I will now look with a different eye.

I have found great buys on craigslist.org.

Erin,

Nora is right. slip covers are wonderful and the fitted ones are excellent.  Lots of the sofa you will find at good will or a thift store can be slip covered. Check the scratch and dent section in furniture stores.

Kristina has a good point to, we have found some items from craigslist that just need sprucing up.

There is also freecycle.org, you'd have to check to see if there are participants in you area.  People give away stuff they no longer need to keep it from going to a landfill. Some of that stuff is in great shape.

Also check to see if any of your national furniture stores have clearance outlets close to you. Sometimes you may have to drive a little, but it definitely can be worth it.

Happy Shopping!