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I Confess... I've used the UGLY "R" WORD on the streets of metro Chicago

By Craig Schiller

Industry Observer

March 16, 2007 12:07 AM

I happen to know among clients, home selling professionals, developers and stagers that there is controversy swirling around this very hot topic. It seems like everyone is chiming in on one side or the other, having a very strong and opinion on the subject. However, some of these negative opinions I feel are quite prejudiced. I feel all these people are misinformed and it is their ignorance that propels the myth and controversy that surrounds the "R" word.

Quite recently, we lost a client because we decided to start using the ugly "R" word. THIS got my blood boiling. NOW I am on a crusade to... Stamp out the ignorance! Stamp out the prejudice! And end, once and for all, what is been wrongfully labeled as "BORING" and "UGLY"... that is Rental Furniture!

To begin to put an end to the Rental furniture myth I am going to post a few photos from ACTUAL (NOT slick studio produced photos) stagings we did for home sellers all over metro Chicago where we used rental furniture and then added all the beautiful BLING from our own prop library.

Initially, having our own furniture in our prop library helped us get started and differentiated us. But, we began to look at what we had invested in the furniture alone and the return on the investment we were getting from THAT portion of our prop library... and we made a strategic decision. If we can't carry it (physically) we won't carry it (in our prop library)... we will rent it.

We have come to this conclusion for 2 reasons: 1.) It was getting WAY to expensive to first PURCHASE and then continuously transport, move in, move out, repair, clean, store and insure the hundreds and hundreds of furniture pieces we now are placing in homes. 2.) We found that Brook Furniture Rental, a Chicago based rental company with locations in CA, GA NV, TX, and DC, had MULTIPLE and diverse LINES of furnishings, and a willingness to work with us.

So, a few months back, we began our relationship with Brook Furniture Rental. I have to admit I have been delighted, for MANY reasons, but the first and foremost reason is we both share a common commitment to provide the best level of staging creativity and service to our clients.

So the next time we have a client that says anything bad about rental furniture... we know that we here at Real Estaging can hold our heads high with RENTAL PRIDE!

Stage It Forward...

POST SCRIPT: This is the 4th and Final blog in a series were rental furniture was "secretly" used. The other 3 blogs featuring rental furniture can reached by clicking on the links below.

Part 1 can be found here: Classic Georgian Staged in Winnetka
Part 2 can be found here: Staged Wright in Oak Park
Part 3 can be found here: Town-home sits UNSOLD for 7 months... THEN SELLS JUST 2 DAYS AFTER STAGING

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Sue Argue

Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH

NH Home Stager

Craig- my eyes were moving at the speed of light to find out what the R stood for! Hopefully once home staging is more of a household name, our region will enjoy furniture rental companies in closer proximity.

Mar 16, 2007 11:52 AM

No Longer Available

White Rock, BC

I am new to staging, and it is realtivly new here in the S.W. corner of Canada. I have yet to source anything close to what you show Craig. I have been decorating homes for years, and even with beautiful top of the line furniture, without the accessories, or props as you refer to them, no place looks like home. Keep up the good work!

Joelle Green

Mar 16, 2007 12:06 PM

Jeannene Edwards

Home Staging by Interiors Defined, Inc. - Orlando, FL

I LOVE your rule of only carrying things that you can carry! I am in total agreement. It is wayyyy too costly . . . and also a big pain in the rear to house the major pieces of furniture. I'd much rather leave that to the rental companies and deal with the fun stuff. I don't think we have Brooks Furniture Rental in Florida. Does anyone know?

Jeannene

Mar 16, 2007 12:50 PM

Melissa Marro

Keller Williams First Coast Realty - The Marro Team - Orange Park, FL

Jacksonville Real Estate and Home Staging

Craig.... let me just say you are incredibly fortunate. The only rental company we have here in Charleston that is even remotely decent to use is furniture rentals inc. I don't love their stuff. We have created some pretty nice rooms but nothing that we could consider putting in upper end homes. This has forced my company to purchase peices for anything over $500K. In the long run I feel we will make more money because of it - thanks in great part to networking I do for fabulous deals with companies like Havertys.

Jeannene, look for Cort... I've heard they are fabulous.

Mar 16, 2007 02:59 PM

Phyllis Pafumi

ReStyled to Sell Home Staging New Jersey - Old Bridge, NJ

ReStyled to Sell Staging Homes NJ

Craig

I have to agree with you all the way. The bling is what we should provide while the bigger pieces should be rental. First, it is less wear and tear on us! Today in an ice storm we were moving furniture, NUTS!! Secondly how much furniture can one person own?? My only problem is this:

Every time I get a call for a vacant home and give the Proposal including the cost of rental furniture, they NEVER want to go that route because of the expense. SO HERE I GO AGAIN, piecing stuff from everywhere, it is exhausting!!

How can we keep the costs of rental furniture down??? I heard that Brooke is excellent but we do not have one in our area. I am presently trying to get a yes for proposals I have submitted through AFR but clients still feel too high. Has that been your find on this also?

Phyllis Pafumi

Mar 16, 2007 03:08 PM

Melissa Marro

Keller Williams First Coast Realty - The Marro Team - Orange Park, FL

Jacksonville Real Estate and Home Staging

Phyllis,

Boy did the light bulb over my head just go off.... yikes! Did you say you charge LESS for your own furniture than rental? Maybe this is why I don't mind using my own as much as some of you. On average my clients pay $100-$200/mo more for my rental furniture than what I charge using someone else's rental furniture. I feel mine is nicer and I have to do more work.... that costs more money. I also make out better in the long run. My last 2 rental jobs I owned everything free and clear and made a nice pile of $$ for only a few hours work.

I don't keep anything in a warehouse or storage. While I confess to having a set in my garage currently, 98% of the time I keep things in others people's homes. The only reason I have the set in the garage is because the home it came out of went under contract in an hour and my next client for this specific furniture won't be ready for another week or so (new construction).

A good lesson, IMHO, is that you should NEVER charge less for your additional work ........

Mar 17, 2007 12:55 AM

Teri B. Clark

http://www.teribclark.com - Sanford, NC

Rental furniture has changed! It may still have a negative feel to those that haven't looked lately, but you'd be hard pressed when walking into a home with rental furniture to guess it was true! Great photos - you do a good job with that. Any pointers you'd like to share?

Mar 17, 2007 03:50 AM

Monika McGillicuddy

Prudential Verani Realty - Atkinson, NH

NH Real Estate Broker

LOL...You pulled me in with the R word and I was happy the R word wasn't REALTOR :)

I never thought about renting furniture before...

Mar 17, 2007 06:00 AM

Sheron Cardin

California Moods Inc - Selma, CA

ARTIST - A Home Stager/Sellers Best Friend!

Glad you brought rental furniture into the 21st century. They have come a long way in style and selection. I used to be very difficult to pull enough pieces together for a designer look and now it is easy. Their selections used to be black and brass, blue and floral, brown and oak. Bravo to Cort and Brooks.

Stage it forward!

Mar 17, 2007 07:26 AM

Kate Hart

Hart & Associates Staging and Design - Radnor, PA

Wow Craig I am impressed! As you know we ONLY use rental furniture so I appreciate you sharing all your gorgeous work. kh

Mar 17, 2007 10:53 AM

Debra Gould

Staging Diva / Six Elements Inc. - Toronto, ON

The Staging Diva

Gee, I didn't even know this was an issue! I've always used rental furniture, either to furnish an empty home or to add to what a homeowner already has. If there's a concern about it looking boring, add unusual accessories or mix furniture in unexpected ways. When it's all "matchy/matchy" and looks like it arrived at the same time, it is boring. But the same is true of homes where the owners have gone out and purchased the furniture for every room in sets.

debra

Mar 18, 2007 05:11 PM

Maggie Dokic /Indialantic | 321-252-8696

Magdalena Dokic - Indialantic, FL

Selling the beach in Florida's space coast

Your post has been included in the week in review.

Mar 19, 2007 02:03 AM

Kelli Fronabarger

Bend River Realty Inc. - Bend, OR

Realtor - Bend Oregon

The "R" word....hmmmmm, hadn't heard of that one before. Great job of putting your little spin on this very controversial topic. I enjoyed the post : )

Mar 19, 2007 03:48 AM

Randy L. Prothero

eXp Realty - Hollister, MO

Missouri REALTOR, (808) 384-5645

Boy I wish we they had an office by us. I am glad you mentioned the "R" word. I need to spend a little time checking out those companies here.

Mar 19, 2007 04:02 AM

Joan Whitebook

BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH

Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

Very intereting. I think that rental furniture has come a long way! It certainly is better than a bare room! I think you have opened our eyes to a new possiblity. Thanks

Mar 19, 2007 09:26 AM

Debbie DiFonzo

Debbie DiFonzo - United Country VIP Realty, SW Missouri - Lebanon, MO

Lebanon MO and Buffalo Missouri Real Estate

Craig - I am from Naperville, IL - boy do I miss Brook's Furniture! <G>

No such beast here in rural Missouri. We're lucky if we can get seller's to keep the yard clean less alone the house!

A flower "bed" takes on a whole new meaning!

Mar 19, 2007 09:41 AM

Lizette Fitzpatrick

Lizette Realty - Richmond KY - Lexington, KY

Lizette Realty, Lexington KY MLS - Kentucky Homes

THanks for the staging ideas. I have't rented furniture yet for my vacant listings. It would help to own a truck as I am always needing one.

Mar 20, 2007 03:19 PM

Judy Kincaid

Tampa, FL

Craig...If the "R" word is good enough for you, it is good enough for me! Now if only someone could talk Brook Furniture Rental into opening a store in Tampa, FL.

Mar 21, 2007 02:21 PM

Anonymous

lurkerone

Dear Craig et. al -

Are you guys familiar with the term "barrier to entry"? This term kept crashing and thundering through my mind as I read this article and the responses.

I'm so glad a sensible pro with a good reputation has addressed this subject, and that so many more of the same have commented on it. See, just as a totally hypothetical example that's completely hypothetical... when a (hypothetical!) person decides to look into staging and begins asking around in order to get a feel for the game, this hypothetical person is always asked, with a solemn frowny-face look of grave concern "But do you have all your own stuff? Because you know, ALL home stagers need HUGE warehouses FULL of furniture, and you JUST CAN'T use RENTAL."

At which point the hypothetical newbie is supposed to nod knowingly and go "Oh NOOO, of COURSE I would NEVER use rental - ugh - furniture." After which I guess she's supposed to figure out that she can't afford eighty-seven sectional sofas and an airplane hangar to store them in, so maybe she should become a dental assistant instead after all. Presto: Barrier to entry. I mean, you know, hypothetically.

Craig, what can I tell you? A posting like this isn't just about rental furniture. It's about a sure touch, mastery of composition and design, utter confidence in your own skills, and the assurance that allows you to talk about what you do not only engagingly, but honestly. A posting like this can only come from someone who knows he's good enough not to have to have a hidden agenda. No, you shouldn't rent crap, but yes, if you know what you're doing, you can rent. Takes a brave man to say it, and you just did.

I don't honestly know whether or not you can get decent results if you're using truly godawful furniture, but it seems obvious that if you don't know what you're doing, even Philippe Starck originals can't save you.

(BTW, the hypothetical staging newbie would of course build up a robust prop stash of lamps and dishes and things because, hypothetically of course, she is a total housewares addict.)

Forward indeed.

Sep 20, 2007 02:25 PM

#32

Maria Lechner

The Added Touch Home Staging - Meridian, ID

Home Stager Boise ID

Well Rent a center is all we have here and I use them is a pinch. they carry mostly ashly furniture and i hunt around in the back through boxes to see if they anything new. they are great and they have actually set up a brand new table and chairs straite out of the box for me durning stage day. I do carry my own furniture, but i like that the convince of them. i just keep checking back with them. maybe one day idaho will have cort, but iam not holding my breath so i just keep staging forward.

Sep 20, 2007 02:45 PM