Staging FAQs: How Does Renting Furniture for Home Staging Work?

By
Home Stager with Owner, The Refreshed Home White Plains NY

Welcome back to FAQs, the series where quick and specific answers to your most-asked questions about Interior Decorating and Home Staging are the house specialty.

Selling your Westchester County house, coop or condo? Questions about renting things to make your property look its best have probably come up. Previously we looked at the IF and WHY of rental furniture, today HOW renting furniture works. .

Thanks to HGTV, many homeowners believe Home Staging must include renting furniture. This Westchester County Home Stager always seeks to work what is already owned, but with the caveat that it is the right choice, and puts the property in it's best light.

Rental companies pretty much work in the same way: contracts are a minimum number of months, and a minimum monthly dollar amount. Additional costs are delivery and pick-up, damage waivers, sales tax and a refundable security deposit. Like loans, the longer the term, the lower the monthly rate...but the more you will end up paying net, it's just in smaller, managable increments.

Most offer pre-chosen room 'packages', but also let you choose individual pieces, too, and in my experience there is no big price differential.

After 25+ years in the furniture industry, TRH knows this is a highly specialized service-inventorying, maintaining, storing and delivering-best left to other professionals, and instead facillitates the process on behalf of the homeowner: First setting a strategy: editing, and choosing what stays and goes where, then what is needed to complete the look, and will yield the best net ROI for the homeowner.

While consumers can typically rent furniture themselves, directly from most rental companies, here are a few ways this Westchester County Home Stager will make the process painless and the results stellar:

Strategy: What stays, what goes (or goes into storage)? What can be borrowed, re-worked; would buying something-that you'll take with you-be a better choice? Prioritizing rooms to be prepared that align with comps, and desired time/price benchmarks.

The Right Stuff: Considering not just what looks pretty online, but what will work with existing walls/floors/items-or coordinating new choices; what is the correct look and scale, and OHYES besides fitting in the space, will it get in the door, up the stairs, and around the corner?

Better Rates: Dealing with a known, professional Home Stager streamlines the process for the rental companies, they will pass these savings on the client.

Vetted Vendors: While the process is the same, the type and quality of furniture, the level of customer service has been road-tested.

NEXT: Why Rent When I Already Own Furniture?

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Our spaces affect us profoundly...and so many other parts in our life fall into place when our spaces and possessions serve us in the best way they can. But getting there is much more than a pursuit of pleasing aesthetics.

 

Decorating and Staging are different, but much of the skill sets overlap, and each creates unique solutions that considers the needs, goals, resources, expectations, hopes and dreams of each client.

Bettering Westchester, Putnam and lower Fairfield counties since 1981, The Refreshed Home works collaboratively, and brings a thoughtful approach to the creative process. Proud to make a difference, as well as make a living. Offering specialty services such as remote and buyer consults, listing photo/video styling, guided and accompanied shopping, and accessory rental. We get in, get out, and you get on with your life.  Talk to me TODAY about how we can better your space!

  

                    

 

Marie Graham ASP, IAHSP, IDS Your Stager With A Mission!

QUESTIONS? Don't hesitate!! 914.607.2895 

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Comments (7)

Edward & Celia Maddox
The Celtic Connection Realty - Queen Creek, AZ
EXPERIENCE & INTEGRITY - WE TAKE THE HIGH ROAD

Homes always show better and sell quicker when properly stagged.  Good suggestions on your blog.

 

Mar 30, 2013 02:21 AM
John Pusa
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Crest - Glendale, CA
Your All Time Realtor With Exceptional Service

Marie - Thank you for the very good information about staging FAQs how does renting furniture for home staging work.

Mar 30, 2013 05:52 AM
Roger D. Mucci
Shaken...with a Twist 216.633.2092 - Euclid, OH
Lets shake things up at your home today!

Great explanation of how the process of renting furniture for a vacant staging works Marie.  Even when I was still doing staging, I had never done a vacant.

Mar 30, 2013 07:00 AM
Belinda Spillman
Aspen Lane Real Estate Colorful Colorado - Aurora, CO
Colorado Living!

Hi Marie.  Great information about staging your home.  Hope you have a great Easter.

Mar 30, 2013 08:42 AM
Beverly Carlson
Carlson Properties 325-721-2429 - Abilene, TX
Abilene's Staging Realtor

Using rental furnishings us the least expensive strategy to complete vacant homes!  There really is no other viable choice for those who have to move on leaving the house behind.  One can rent for a few hundred dollars what would be a few thousand to get the same look if one were to purchase.  

Do it yourselfers can rent themselves but  the value of a stager who selects the furnishings, verifies the order is delivered is correctly and ensures furniture is correctly placed the first time is invaluable.

Mar 30, 2013 10:07 AM
Julia Maher
Nestings: Connecticut Home Staging and Model Homes - Fairfield, CT
Connecticut Home Stager

HI Marie!  I recently compared the pricing of the "room packages" to off-the-shelf selections, and found they were the same too!  This was an interesting little project, because I believe the better route is to select individual items.  Too often, the items seen in a package are not what you get:  the rental company reserves the right to trade out items like the occasional tables and lamps.  So buyer beware!

Mar 31, 2013 03:37 AM
Nick T Pappas
Assoc. Broker/Broker ABR, CRS, SFR, e-Pro, @Homes Realty Group, @HomesBirmingham & Providence Property Mgmnt, LLC Hun... - Huntsville, AL
Madison & Huntsville Alabama Real Estate Resource
Marie, I totally agree with Beverly, renting is a great option, but without the eye and knowledge of a home stager I think the seller might simply be trading furniture.
Apr 07, 2013 01:11 PM

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