One of the challenges staging businesses face is deciding how to build their staging inventory. Since I receive multiple emails from stagers about the decision to rent or own furniture I thought that I would write a blog to address this subject to hopefully assist some stagers in their decision process.
The first factor in your decision should be deciding what type of staging jobs you want. Some stagers only stage furnished homes. For them the only inventory they require may be some accent items that they rent sellers to give their home a more polished look if they cannot use what the home owner already has.
Other stagers only stage vacant homes- they do not want to move the furniture in furnished homes or use other people's things. Most stagers however do a mix of furnished and vacant stagings. For our business, vacant homes comprise about 80% of the actual hands on staging that we do. Most of our clients with furnished homes prefer the consultation and then do the hands on work themselves. We then come back and fine tune their work before the showings begin.
When we started our staging business I was faced with the decision of whether to purchase my own furniture to rent to my clients or to use furniture from a rental company. Since I did not have a lot of money to invest in the business I opted to use rental furniture and provide my own artwork, accents, bedding etc. As time went on and I realized that the rental company was making 3x the $$ I was making on a job I was tempted to purchase my own furniture. I went so far as to get a small business loan, meet with furniture wholesalers, select a warehouse and consider purchasing a moving truck.
I decided in the end however NOT to purchase my own furniture. I realized that my business was staging houses and not being a rental furniture business. I did not want the cost or the liability associated with moving furniture into peoples homes, storing that furniture in a warehouse and repairing that furniture. I had not considered the hidden costs- I would have to hire drivers, insure the drivers, have workman's comp for the drivers, have commercial drivers licenses, store the furniture, repair the furniture, and purchase the furniture. I took a look at the number of jobs we were doing in a month and realized that I would need about $75,000 worth of furniture a month to meet demands! If I got a staging job and did not have furniture in stock, then I would have to spend money out of my pocket to buy the furniture and that would be much more than I would make on the actual job.
Personally, I find that using a rental furniture company helps me to do my job better. When I work with a rental furniture company, I know that the furniture will be delivered the day I need it, the furniture will be in good condition and the movers will place the items where I need them and pick them up when the job is completed. I can then focus on the part of the job that I love the most- the actual staging of the home.
There are some downsides to rental furniture. Sometimes I envision a certain look for a home and it is difficult to create that with rental furniture since it tends to be neutral and more contemporary. I find that the accessories I add make the difference. In my business I only rent area rugs, artwork, bedding, lighting, greenery, accent items and other decorative pieces. I use the rental furniture as my blank canvas to create the look I want in a client's home. I typically select items that work with the rental furniture so I can use them again in other homes. For example we have the bird dining room, the palm tree family room, the green and gold bedroom package etc. This means that I can design one room and use it over and over again in other homes. The overhead costs for me is renting a storage space and using my vehicle to transport the items.
A lot of Realtors, home sellers and other stagers consider rental furniture unattractive and limiting. Below are some examples of homes I have staged using rental furniture to show you the different looks you can create for different priced homes. I look forward to hearing about your experiences using your own furniture vs renting furniture.
Kate,
You are good. I would have never picked out that blue shantung looking couch set w/the rug but it totally works. fab, fab fab.
You have done your homework and thought ahead. I am in the middle of just kind of going with what I need to do in order to get projects done as opposed to stopping to really assess and research. I just bought one housefull of furniture and I am terrified when the rental comes back to me, b/c now I am thinking, I need to find a warehouse!
I do have a great moving company who has their own insurance and I just pay them a $50 hourly fee which is steep, but considering not having to buy your own van, insurance, etc, it is not that bad. Not to mention extra man-power.
I wish we had a better option of rental furniture companies. I've checked a few out, and we do not have nearly the selection of some cities. WHere did you rent your furniture BTW?
Hi Kate,
I'm with you on the rental vs. owning. I, too, own numerous small accent pieces of furniture and a large stock of accessories (bedding, drapes, lamps, towels, decorative articles, prints, etc.).
Quite frankly I was willing to make the investment in the furniture, however I would need to hire movers every time I needed it delivered to a house. Then there is the 'wear and tear' issue, storage issue, insurance issue, cataloging and keeping track of what is where...it was just all too much for me!
Basically I prefer to use my own accent pieces and accessories and use the rental companies for the larger pieces.
I went down the path of buying my own furniture. And I move my own furniture (which can really take the fun out of staging :) Next came the 2200 sq. ft. warehouse and the extra overhead. I'm sure a big moving truck is in my future.
I'm just under the 10 households threshold and I still run into trying to keep up with demand. When do I stop buying? Do I tell my clients that I'm unable to assist them at this time and offer to put them on a waiting list? Or, do I use the rental companies anyway? There are so many pros and cons... I love the fact that I can offer my clients a month-to-month rental option - rather than the 3 month minimum that most rental companies require. I hate the fact that the table that would be perfect in my upcoming house is already rented out.
I advise all stagers to put a lot of thought into whether or not they are going to buy or rent... because once you start buying the furniture - a snowball effect can result!
Kate, great topic! This is a never ending discussion among my peers in Atlanta. I made the decision for my own business to focus exclusively on occupied homes. Of course, 75% of the calls I receive are for vacants, but I refer those jobs to other Stagers to handle. When they get the job, they use me as part of the Staging team.
I had been purchasing accessories, but ran out of room in my own home. That was the push I needed to make a final decision. Plus, it was too much for me to remember what I had, where it was, what it rented for, etc. You always need to buy something for the next property. Then you have to pack it, move it, unpack it, arrange it. Yikes!
We have tremendous support from Brook Furniture Rental in Atlanta. I have a tour of a home we Staged with Brook and our own accessories posted to YouTube.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for this post. This is something we sometimes forget about as we move along our day. I currently don't own furniture only accessories and I find it works find for me. The rental company is responsible for the delivery, bringing the furniture in and taking it out at the end. I love it. So I can concentrate on what I really love doing...the staging.
~Kimberly~
Jennifer- What a great problem to not have enough furniture to keep up with demand! I recommend using rental furniture to fill in the gaps. This way you will not lose any jobs and you will not have to spend $ out of pocket to buy furniture. As for the 3 month option I explain it to my clients this way- you pay the same to rent the items for 1 day or 90 days. I suggest that you take the furniture for 90 days because if your home sells and the buyer falls through then you will have the items for as long as you need them and not have to rerent the items for another time period. I hope this helps.
Val- I completely agree with you. I finally decided not to buy furniture when I saw a brand new dining room table from a rental company fall out the back of the truck and break! Thank goodness it was not mine or I would have had to replace it.
Marcyne- Thanks for your comments. The sofa is actually a sterling grey from Cort furniture rental. We do not have that many options here but I try to work with the local companies and what they offer.
I agree with renting furniture. Although I would love to go pick out my own inventory, I would HATE to move it. I have found a little bit of a happy medium. I (plan to, so far I have dining, master, kid room) keep one full set of furniture for every room of a two bedroom house. This way I have options if needed.
Would someone please start an awesome furniture rental company geared to stagers? If I didn't love staging so much, I would do it. I bet it would be huge!
Angel is right-on. Brook is an incredible rental source for us here in Atlanta and honestly, I don't know what I'd do without them. With that said, I will tell you that in addition to using Brook. I have enough furniture for two homes (which are currently placed in homes at the moment).
In summary, there are pros and cons to both (renting vs. owning). I will tell you that I won't be adding more furniture to my collection as storage would be a major issue for me.
Great post!
I wish we had a Brook locally... by everyone's good words about them I assume they rent month by month as well (and not a three month minimum requirement). We really have limited rental choices in my area that makes it very challenging.
Like Val mentioned above - I too rent the larger/heavier pieces and own the rest. That means the sofas, dining tables, and beds are rented. I have coffee/end tables, night stands, artwork, accessories, bedding, etc... That helps to control the storage issue and back aches from lifting the larger heavier pieces, especially if it's just me and one assistant. I have a smaller sized storage unit that I rent for items not in homes each month.
My question for you Kate is... for stagings that have rental items included, do you break out that expense on the clients invoice so they see how much rental is vs. your actual staging fee or is it one grand total? I've been billing as a grand total, but I'm wondering if there wouldn't be a benefit to breaking it out and making 'my staging fees' not look so large to the client. I realize the check they write will still be for the total amount at the end of the day, but by breaking it out would it seem to the client that 'wow-Sandi's services are really affordable... it's the rental fees that really make it add up'. Does that make sense... I'm not doing a very good job at explaining it I'm afraid. I know I've heard some stagers (on other networking sites) say they require the client/Realtor to hold the rental contract and they don't deal with that part of it... other than meeting them to pick out the items. But that just doesn't seem to work or be something I can get prospective clients to entertain.
Thoughts?
Thanks for your postings, I really get a lot from them.
Sandi
Kate,
Thanks for the great topic. I too agree with you on renting vs. owning. It is so much less of a hassle just to rent. Your pics are really great too, by the way.
i think these are some very valid points, but i still have decided to go with buying my own furnishings. i know it's more hassels. i know it's more troubles. but i like the quality more and the flexibility. i also love that it's not a set contract. i also think it's a better service for the sellers who can't afford to stage since i am able to make it more affordable by carrying my own furniture. hmmm. maybe when i am older in the game i will switch but right now my main client base seems to be starter home & condos so it just makes more sense to carry my own. i suppose differnt folks different strokes ;)
cheers,
cindy@staged4more
Do they have furniture rental businesses taylored specifically towards home stagers? Terms, pricing, showroom, and delivery to be in line with the specifics of a stagers business.
Anyways Kate, I liked your post and thought it worthy of a feature.
~jon
Perfect timing on the post. I am currently buying and buying and buying to keep up. But I am considering renting as well. My folks do not like the 3-month minimum though so that will be a tough sell. However, in times when they want a quick turnaround and I have nothing in inventory, at least I can offer them that. Borrks has some nice pieces but I thought they were kinda pricey. My market is still new and the Realtors here are still a little nervous about all this.
D.
Thanks for your comments. Most of the stagers that I have spoken with that own their furniture live in more urban areas where they stage smaller spaces such as condos or town-homes and thus need less furniture. Where I live I use 30-40 pieces per home and I would need an 18 wheeler to move all of it. I guess you have to do what is best for you.
Unfortunately there are no rental companies that gear towards stagers needs however I think that some companies are doing a much better job of listening to our concerns. I met with one last week and they are going to get more area rugs and have purchasedbetter lighting that is affordable to rent for staging. I too have the problem of convincing my clients to rent the items for 3 months. So instead of telling them that they have to commit to three months I tell them that the furniture costs X- for that price they can rent it for 1 day or 90 days. Since it is the same price for 1 day or 90 days they should just take it for that period of time and if they need it picked up sooner then the company will come back and get it,
Another stager I know rents the furniture herself for 6-9 months, prorates the rent for her clients, and then has the rental company moves it job to job. I do not recommend this because she is taking on the liability herself for the furniture but this is an option you could consider.
This is an issue that I still struggle with. I estimate my cost of furniture to be $60,000 per month and inventory to be $10,00 per month so using rental furniture is what is working best for me at this time Who knows what the future will bring.
Kate Kate Kate... you MIGHT say you took the words right out of my mouth when it comes to this subject.
LOL... ME
Kathleen... THERE is YOUR million $ idea of the day.
Me
Oh if only I had the million to do it - but I do know a few people who do
keep you posted groupies!!
Hi
in Canada under the CSP designation Christine Rae has developed a rental contract with " Easy Home. They have a special staging section. It has had its' birthing problems but most STAGERS who use this programme are quite pleased. The staff is being trained properly, the website is updated and the quality of the furniture is getting better. They deliver, set up, and take down They carry all insurances and the homeowner pays the fee direct. The STAGER is not responsible for the fee. All delivery, insurance costs and fees are paid for 30 days and the following months, if necessary are pro-rated down. I have not used them myself but have had several conversations with the store managers--- In my storage I have beds, small furniture pieces and accessories. Have bid on a showhome condo complex(3 bedrooms, great room ) and have given them a rental bid and a buy bid. Am anxious to see what they will choose. If the display house is up for six months it would almost be better to buy the furniture and rent the accessories from me. What advice could active rain members give me?
Marilynn Currie CSP Abbotsford/Chilliwack B.C.
Kate, great topic that is near and dear to me right now. So far I have followed the same plan you outline above. Using rental furniture takes a lot of pressure off me, I have more selection, the furniture is always available, I don't have to store it, and it comes with MOVERS!
But I always contemplate buying furniture, and my inventory of small pieces is constantly growing in number and the pieces are increasingly getting larger. The nature of the projects also make a big difference in whether you buy or rent as well- ah a post for another day...
Kate, thank you, thank you, thank you, this is so timely. I am currently struggling to build inventory too. I have been talking with furniture rental companies as well. I drive a hard bargain when I negotiate prices and this is what one company,in Richmond, told me. First I had to negotiate to get them to cover our area which is mountainous and 40 miles from anywhere(for me) and for the rental company aver 100 miles. They said they would rent the furniture to me at a discount and that I would be free to pass the discount to the client or pocket it for part of the staging fee. Yesterday, they called and said they have a "new staging line." Didn't have time to talk with them then but the company is calling back today and I will have more information. The more of us who call and require tailored service the better. I have a 10ft high crawl space in my house that I am having filled with shelves to accomodate my staging stuff. Staging is new to the Rockfish Valley and the Shennandoah Valley so It is hard to know what will be needed.
03/08/200y by Carol R. Ellis Luxury-Domain to Homestage
Hello all,
There has been such a great reponse to this post! To answer some of your questions, the way that I work with rental companies is to have the client pay the rental company directly. This way you are not liable for providing the furniture to the client or liable for what happens to the furniture when it is in the home. I have it written in my proposal that the client pays the rental company directly- Carol- this way you will not be held accountable if he skips town.
As for the lease terms, 3 months is very common but most homes destage before then, I tell my clients it is the same price to rent the items for 1 day vs 90 days so take them for 90 days as an insurance policy.
My insurance only covers my labor, my people and my inventory. The rental company and the home owner assume liablility for the furniture and the moving of it and any damage that may occur.
Guess what happened to me today??? 3 homes sold and now I have to destage them on MONDAY and find a place to store everything! Need a fake plant anyone?? YIKES :)
Kate,
Thank you for your great advice--but now I have another question concerning the contract with the furniture rental company and insurance. My prices for rentals--which are competively priced with local stagers that use their own inventory and the prices typically charged to the client by the furniture rental company-- are much higher than what the furniture rental company will charge me as their "staging price." This means, I can still charge my usual fee's, and still earn a 50% mark up on the rentals. I wasn't concerned with that, I was actually ok with not making much on larger pieces anyway. But since I found they won't charge me as much, I stand to make a reasonable profit even on those larger rentals from a rental company. If I have the client pay the furniture rental company directly, they would only be paying my "staging" cost, not the "inflated" cost they agreed to. I can't really carry that over in some other fee--that's not right. I already charge for my staging/destaging time and deliveries. So, my original question of where does the liability fall for the furniture, since I am signing the lease with the furniture company. I guess this question can even be answered by stagers with their own furniture. Once the furniture is in the home, does the insurance of the homeowner cover the furniture? Thanks again for your advice on such a confusing question! Congrats on your 3 homes today!!
Hi Julie,
I would check with your insurance company on that one. In my opinion if you are signing the lease then the liabiity is on you It does not matter whose home the items are in- you signed the contract. Thanks for the kind words. I am not too thrilled about the 3 homes selling since I have no where to put the inventory but at least it is good for the home seller. KH
Hi Kate
Nice blog. It was great seeing a fellow Accredited Staging Professional Master.
Patti Walker, ASPM, IAHSP
American Home Staging
Hi Patti,
Great to hear from you. Thanks for commenting but please note that I am NOT an ASP or ASPM. Staged Homes decided that they wanted nothing to do with me because of my group of stagers and revoked my designation. Please see my blog on staging naked. KH
MY JAW IS ON THE FLOOR... I'll decline to comment in a public forum.
Nice work, Kate!
To rent or buy ... that is such a great topic! My business partner and I also struggle with this issue. Here in western Canada, we've had rather limited selection in terms of available rental merchandise. Many stagers here use Easyhome and they are getting better with their inventory. However, we've often found that items we really needed were already rented due to so many other stagers wanting the same items.
Since 99% or our business has been requests for vacant home staging, we ended up purchasing most of our own brand new furniture! It's been an investment, but, if you're able to take advantage of any "do not pay until 2008" types of offers - it's well worth it! We've added a lot of nice furnishings to our own inventory and we're still adding when we need to.
There are, of course other issues with having your own furniture, as opposed to renting. We did have to rent out a storage bay and after just 2 months, we quickly outgrew it! We've since had to rent out an oversized double garage and we'll see how that goes.
My parnter and I both have very supportive husbands who help with moving and delivery when they can. My husband bought us a cargo trailer and it's perfect for staging and de-staging! I've even learned to drive my Yukon and pull the cargo trailer on my own! We are looking into the smaller independant moving companies because as we grow, we'll likely need to hire movers. Our poor husbands can't keep up this pace, I'm sure. ;-)
We still rely on our furniture rental company when we have to, but, lately, we've been using all of our own inventory which should quickly pay off as long as we keep busy!
There are pros and cons to both renting and owning. It just depends on what works best for you.
Becki Mravunac
www.AmbianceHomeStagers.com
Hello everyone,
I am fascinated by all this talk because I am in the begining stages of trying to put together a home staging business in an area that does not have any as far as I can see, or it is just not prominent. When I say begining, it is just that! I am trying to set up a home office and try to get my first non paying client in order to get pictures of what I can do an so forth. I am going next week to get business cards and will go from there. I've read home staging books, starting your own business books, accounting books - I'm terrified but so excited about this opportunity that I am living breathing it, which I'm sure all of you can relate. I've never started my own business before - this is the part I'm afraid of. But I am like a voracious lion attacking all info that comes my way and that I search out. As of this point, I would probably rent the large furniture items like many of you do, but build up a collection of art, bedding, small items. For me it's a matter of space, we live in an urban area in an apartment, with some storage space in the basement.
Can any of you give me any advice fro at the stage I am in this process? I would be very grateful for any input.
Thanks, Kristin
Kristin,
Best of luck to you as you set up your staging business! At this point, it might be a good idea to get your "Before & After" photos by staging rooms in your own home, in your friends' homes, your relatives', etc.....you can't have too many great Before & After photos to show to prospective clients! Try to do a dining room, a kitchen, a living room, and a couple of bedrooms for your photo portfolio. When I started my staging business I didn't realize how much "hidden space" I found in my own home (we set up a portable metal shelving unit in the guest bedroom closet for towels & linens), set up large metal standing shelves in the garage for accessories, etc. I've since rented a storage unit, but still use these extra spaces in my home for things that I need often. Don't forget about getting staging insurance....this covers liability when you're in someone's home and damage something of theirs, as well as if you leave a lamp with a cord exposed and someone trips on it and breaks their leg (yes -- my attorney said, it's not the homeowner who would be responsible if it's your lamp and you placed it there -- the stager is liable), as well as any staging inventory that you own would be covered against theft, damage, loss, etc. A great insurance company that understands staging is Vitallia. Although they're located in CA they cover most of the 50 states and act as a broker. Their cost is approx $500/yr and the coverage I have with them is excellent, well worth it! The coverage includes what's in your house, your vehicle, your storage unit, and in the staged property. Check out their website at www.vitallia.com. Vitus Lau is the contact person and he believes in excellent customer service. Good luck!
This is a great topic that I believe that we all wrestle with. I personally rent from Aaron's Furniture Rental in my area for the larger pieces..I have a great relationship with them and they have never let me down. The only problem is that you have to rent the "package". Couch, loveseat, coctail table,2 end tables, 2 lamps. It is not a problem for the home that needs all that, but some properties I have staged, only need for instance, a loveseat, chair, 1 end table and a lamp for their living room. This is especially true for townhouses and condos, where space is limited. Aarons is also weak on dining room furniture...mostly heavy and traditional, not good for Florida. I have purchased a few living room sets of loveseats and side chairs, and small dining table and chairs. I have found that Overstock.com has a great selection of side chairs, I particularly like the selection of the armless chairs. Great prices...I wait till I see "free shipping" then I go shopping!
It's funny that the topic of wishing that a furniture store catered to Stagers...I am currently working on a business associate who owns a furniture store to consider catering to this market. I told him a few years ago that Staging was going to get to Florida, just a matter of time! I will let you know what happens!
Hello!
I am new to Active Rain and loving it! So much hlepful information and advice. I own a Staging and Interior Design business and Staging is just starting to take off here. I'm on Vancouver Island, BC in Canada. I have purchased about 3 houses worth of inventory because rentals were not really an option. Furniture rentals are not big here at all! I have built quite a good relationship with a local furniture store and we are now discussing a staging venture with him supplying the furnishings and I will manage it and of course Stage properties through it! I'm very excited about this possibility as I can't keep buying furniture! Storage is always an issue in between jobs and it is a bit of a headache. My other thought was to open a furniture showroom just for Stagers, but I don't want to be a slave to it, and then I need some capital too!
Thanks for posting this Kate...
Kate,
I have to confess that this issue of inventory has been the greates obstacle to my taking the plunge officially into staging. I'm a little overwhelmed by the storing/hauling/tracking of stuff!! Thanks for your thoughtful post on the matter.
Great post Kate, and I wouldn't have been able to respond if I hadn't done a staging job. Just to move accessories, silk trees and plants it took me 3 delivery loads. I cannot even think of what I would do if I had to haul all of the furniture, store it, etc. It's too much.
My first thought was to have my own inventory, but not anymore!
Diane Condialdi DC Redesign
If we had good rental furniture available I may have gone your route. We didn't so we rented what we could as we built an inventory. Now we own everything that goes into any new staging job. We have a warehouse, etc. As far as movers, we chose to find a good moving company that would give us a discount on their moving rates in return for routine volume business. This means that we don't have to pay for the extra employees, truck, etc (all those things you listed about the hidden costs of moving). We do charge a moving fee, just as most rental companies do.
This has given us the best of both worlds. We get to pick out what we want - we know it will be available when we need it and we control the process. We still don't have to worry about lifting heavy items, carrying them up stairs, etc. We pay someone to do that process.... This way we can focus on our job - staging the home!
We do both, we own a few smaller scaled sets "sofa/ 2chairs" blow up queen beds, ends.sofa tables, coffee tables all the stuff to put together a house to use in case we can't make the minimums required by the furniture company dollar wise. Our minimum is $390.00/month and alot of times their inventory is a problem so getting to that number is sometimes a challenge, thats why we keep a couple sets on hand to fill in for clients that need just a few things. The big stuff is definately beneficial to rent from the rental companies if you can meet the minimums and talk the client into the 3 month thing. So we mix it up to cover all the angles. I use a service van to move things that was inexpensive to buy and maintain and pay guys to load and unload the van. Trust me it's not worth moving stuff yourself...had back surgery last year!! Just when you think you want to help move the sofa....don't do it!!
Take Care and great post!
Lisa Conover Rearranged For Change Omaha
Melissa, I admire you for the way you built your home staging business. I'm in that "all or nothing stage" right now and don't think I can handle the "all" yet. You did what you had to do, and it turned out spectacular!
Both you and Kate are my leaders! (As well as a few more home stagers, you know who you are.) :)
Diane Concialdi DC Redesign
Hi All,
I am so glad to see this post again! I was at my warehouse today and was so overwhelmed that once again I am thankful I do not own furniture. Melissa you are my idol I do not know how you do it!
Thanks everyone for sharing. It has been a hectic week but I will write soon with more exciting news. KH
Hey, whats the exciting news?
Your idol? Wow, now that is a true honor...... I thought it was the other way around!
Kate, Great topic and right up my alley. I have been in the furniture business for 33 years in retail and then as a mfg. rep for many furniture lines. I started a staging business in 2004 and after my 2nd job I really saw a need for furniture rental. At that time in my area the rental companies had a 2 to 3 month minimum and a high dollar minimum. So my partner and I started a furniture rental business. As you mentioned in your blog, there are so many issues and costs associated to owning your own furniture that it is not cost effective for your staging business. Warehouse costs, employees to move it, workman's comp, payroll taxes, truck, insurance and on and on. From my past experience owning furniture stores, I knew how to warehouse, store, purchase, and deliver furniture. Fast forward 3 1/2 years and we moved into a 21,000. sq. ft. building, racked, purchased a furniture picker, truck etc. We are so fortunate to have such a great group of stagers we get to work with every day. I can't tell you how many have sold off their furniture inventories and rent from us exclusively because it is so much easier, more cost effective, they have a large variety of furniture available to the them and the inventory is always current. Now we are the ones always buying more inventory...constantly...I guess it never ends.
Donna Lynch - Welcome Home Furniture Rental & Staging
Thanks for this post - great timing for me too. I'm just waiting for my inventory to come flooding back in . . . better get organizing first! Being one of the first stagers in my area, it's been a challenge finding rentals worthy of a 500,000 home. Being a small city though, I am lucky to have a couple rental companies, one of which is really stepping up to the plate now that they realize this could be huge for them. They are pulling in newer, trendier pieces all the time . . . now, if I could only choose everything they add to their inventory. :)
Dear Kate
A great article on the pros and cons of renting versus buying furniture... and lots of good comments, too.
I went through the same thought process when I started my staging business in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I was leery of renting furniture, and the options are somewhat limited in our area. At the same time, I knew there was no way I could afford my own warehouse worth of furniture (not to mention the warehouse) - and I wasn't keen on the cost and labour involved in moving it to each job. Like you, I wanted to focus on staging.
I thought there had to be a better way to stage an empty house, and then it struck me: cardboard. I started searching the Internet, Googling "cardboard furniture", and I discovered that I wasn't the first to have this brainwave. NextStage Furniture, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota was already marketing a line of furniture, including beds, sofas, dining room tables, end tables and more. It's light, collapsible (so easy to store), can hold up to 1000 pounds, and it's a fraction of the cost of real furniture. And it looks remarkably real.
I was so excited by the idea, that I not only immediately ordered a number of items (an oversized chair, ottoman and an end table) - I also asked the company if I could become a Canadian agent for them.
That was just a few months ago. I got my first shipment of furniture in October, have since ordered more, and I have staged a number of jobs using NextStage Furniture so far. One empty house had been on the market for an entire year. My partner and I brought in enough furniture to stage the living room, dining room, and two bedrooms. That is *we* brought it in, all on our lonesome, and set it up in just a couple of hours. Folded down and stored in its tote bags, it's both light and easy to carry, so two wee women can do it all.
This was on a Saturday. The next day, the Realtor had an open house, and out of that open house came an offer, which has since closed.
Everyone I've shown it to and worked with - including Realtors, brokers and builders - has been blown away. They can't believe it's cardboard.
I'm currently setting up a website devoted to resources for stagers, which has additional information on NextStage Furniture (including a great comment from Barb Schwarz). We'll soon be adding stager profiles and tip submissions. I'd appreciate any comments on what you'd like to see. http://www.homestaginghints.com.
Thanks again!
Kerry Derwent-Robb
Chips and Kerry Home Staging, Halifax
http://www.chipsandkerryhomestaging.com