For those who are looking to sell a "Vacant" or Newly Constructed House, here in New York and on Long Island, here is some pertinent information regarding Home Staging and Rental furniture vs. Purchased home furnishings:

When I visit a newly constructed or vacant house for the purpose of providing a proposal for staging with rented furniture, I begin by touring the house and taking pictures of the rooms that need to be staged.  Normally, only the impact rooms (Entry, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen and Great Room or Family Room) need to be furnished in order for buyers to see the purpose and potential of each room and have a point of reference as to what size furnishings the room can hold.  In the case of older houses, however, many times the bedrooms are very small and it is difficult to visualize the size and amount of furniture that the room can hold.  In those cases, I always suggest that at least the Master Bedroom be staged with a Queen-sized bed and dresser or chest of drawers.  As you can see in the photo below of a house that I staged in Oyster Bay, LI, a staged room actually shows larger than if left empty!

Once I return to the office, I download the photos and begin planning what each room will require in order to highlight the architecture and focal points of the space.   A lot of care and thought go into this process; not only do I need to choose unique and appropriate furnishings, but I need to be mindful of the cost for each.  I am able to ‘shop' for the most competitive pricing because I work with all three big rental companies in the tri-state area.

When all the necessary furnishings have been chosen, I present the client with a written proposal which details each piece of furniture and the monthly rental cost per item.  State tax and Damage Waiver fees are added to the overall monthly fee, as well as a one-time delivery/set up/pick up fee.  The total monthly cost to rent furniture is usually a bit of a jolt for most clients because they find it hard to believe how all those small ‘per item' monthly rental fees can add up!

I realize that the monthly furniture rental fees might have a little bit of 'sticker shock' for some people, and that is understandable. The good news is that the rental fees are paid on a monthly basis and can be charged to a major credit card. What I ask my clients to take into consideration is what the overall investment will be and then to think about how much the first, or next price reduction on the house will be (not to mention that after the first few weeks on the market, a house becomes 'market worn' and will receive fewer showings by other agents).

Then I ask them to consider this:  More than 80% of today's home buyers start their search online and if the photos depict empty rooms, or even worse show only exterior pictures of a house, chances are that the viewer will move on to the next listing.  The most memorable houses are those that make an eye-catching impression which entices buyers' interest. Staged rooms help buyers to visualize the true potential of the house.  When buyers tour the house, rooms that are strategically furnished help them to connect to the home on a personal and emotional level; they will remember that house throughout the home searching process.  Remember that once a potential buyer has toured a home and has not made the necessary connection to it, you have lost that 'audience'....they will not come back again because they have already formed a negative opinion.

The newly constructed houses of today's market offer all kinds of amenities and quality craftsmanship and yet they are difficult to sell...just look at how many there are on MLS in Nassau and Suffolk Counties here on Long Island! 

When a vacant, newly constructed house is staged, potential buyers are more apt to connect to the home on a more personal level; they can actually envision themselves living there!  As part of my staging, I always include specific 'props' for different rooms, such as an open book with a pair of reading glasses perched on top and strategically placed on a coffee table in the family room...or faux vegetables in a bowl next to an open cookbook in the 'prep' area of the kitchen...or an 'interrupted' game of Scrabble in the den.  Without being too 'viewer specific' (everyone prepares meals, plays games and reads books), I want the buyers to see that this could be 'their' room...'their' HOME!  It is that connection that will ultimately sell your house!

When it comes to the builders, if the idea of spending a few thousand dollars on rental furniture does not strike them as a good business investment, I tell them that perhaps they might want to consider doing what some other Long Island builders have done, and that is to buy the furniture and then either reuse it in other models or sell it with the house (quite often the buyer loves the way the room looks and asks if they can purchase some, or all of the furniture).  The overall cost to purchase the furnishings usually works out to be in the same ballpark as 3 months rental fees for the same amount of furniture and accessories.

Val Allocco, a certified (HSE), professional Home Stager, is the founder & owner of Staged 2 Sell NY which was established in early 2006 and serves all of Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties) as well as the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.  She is also the Metro New York Chapter President of ASHSR (American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners).

Val has taught Adult Education courses on "Staging Your Home To Sell" and has also been a featured speaker at numerous Home Selling Seminars on, and around, Long Island.  She is available for seminars and other real estate related presentations and can be reached at 516-982-2671.

Please visit www.staged2sellny.com for more information and examples of our work.