Using Rental Furniture To Showcase Your Home

One of the most common questions I get asked is “How much does it cost to rent furniture?” Usually callers are asking about having me choose the furniture for 4-5 main rooms – occasionally all of the rooms — in a vacant house, but sometimes they want me to select just a few pieces for an occupied home to replace shabbier or outdated furniture or fill in an empty room.

So here’s the rundown for typical rental costs based on a typical 3-month rental period:

Room                                                                           Typical monthly cost

Kitchen                                                                      $100

Dining room                                                             $100 – 150

Living room                                                              $200 – 350

Family room                                                             $200 – 300

Master bedroom                                                      $250 – 300

Extra bedrooms                                                       $150

Although rental companies WILL lease for one or two-months, the higher cost they charge for such short-term leases is the same as the cost of a 3-month rental. That time frame actually works out well when selling your home because even if a staged property gets an offer in the first week or two – which often happens – the attorney review, inspection, mortgage process, etc. typically takes another 2 months anyway. I always recommend keeping furniture (and my accessories) in place until as close to closing as possible, just in case a deal falls through at the last minute.

Furniture companies also charge a one-time delivery fee of about $260, and a one-month security deposit, refundable at the end of the lease.

Of course, you can rent furniture on your own, just keep in mind that:

A) As part of every vacant staging consultation ($100 credited back upon hire for staging), I photograph and measure the rooms to figure out the best placement for furniture for making rooms look spacious and inviting.

B) it’s time-consuming to browse websites or visit stores to select quality furniture within a specific budget.

C) You need to make sure you select the right style for your target demographic (buyers likely to be interested in your property).

E) You also need to consider colors and patterns that are on-trend AND work with the paint colors, cabinetry, countertops, flooring and other finishes in your home.

F) Because of my 5-year relationship with the two large furniture rental companies in northern NJ, I get discounts or can negotiate for better pricing that I pass along to my clients to save them money.

G) In addition to furniture, every home needs accessories such as art, lamps, rugs, pillows, throws, bedding, towels, and decorative items such as bowls, florals, vases, trays, etc. I carry hundreds of accessories that add warmth and create emotional appeal to make buyers connect with your property.

Ideally, you should rent furniture BEFORE listing your house and before the real estate agent has professional photos taken of your home . Placing appropriately-sized and styled furniture shows buyers the best use of rooms, adds warmth, makes rooms actually look MORE spacious, highlights the best features like fireplaces, windows, and built-ins, and generally makes a house irresistible to buyers so  you will get the highest offers and the most money out of your home as possible!

Before staging — vacant open living/dining room

After staging – furniture shows buyers best way to use this open space

Before staging — open but small living room

After staging – how to blend the space into one cohesive room

Before staging — small master bedroom scared off buyers

After staging, home got offer in a few days — buyers could see queen bed, dresser, and nightstands fit into room.

Long tunnel-like living/dining space confused buyers

Staging added warmth, color, and eliminated buyer confusion! 

Does your home make you happy every time you walk in the door? Would you like a beautiful space to come home to and enjoy every day? If you need help with space planning, furnishing and accessorizing a single room, a bachelor pad, a vacation home or a whole house, we can help!

Our environments can have a profound impact on how we feel: calm and serene, upbeat and energetic, focused and organized. Looking for a cozy man-cave, an elegant woman’s office, a rustic lodge, classic luxury?  Whether your budget is IKEA, Ethan Allen or to-the-trade design houses that offer custom-made quality furniture, custom rugs and window treatments, I can help you achieve the look you want – from traditional to transitional, mid-century modern, Hollywood glamour, or New York penthouse contemporary.  I can incorporate elements and pieces you already have or have seen, and I can suggest furniture, room arrangements, floor plans, built-ins, and fabrics and even looks you may never have thought of.  My goal is to help you create a beautiful and functional home you will love to be in – with a lot or a little input from me, and in a timely fashion. I know and can work with to-the-trade design houses to choose special pieces for a unique and custom look  (and you might be pleasantly surprised that when I pass on my discounts their products can be quite affordable).

Great Impressions Interiors offers initial two or three-hour consultations tailor-made to fit your home and lifestyle needs AND budget for just $200 to $300. We assess your living and lifestyle/entertaining needs, style, color preferences, budget, storage/space issues, and design focal points. From there, we start making suggestions, take measurements and photos as needed, and go home to create one, two, or five on-line style boards of furniture, rugs, window treatments and accessories for just $75/hour until we create the perfect design for you. You can then use that style board listing all the products and where to buy them to make purchases on your own, or you can hire us to complete all the shopping and handle the shipping and other install details. However you want us to help you, we will work with you to give you a more perfect home!

To schedule a design consultation or to find out more about how I might be able to help you, call Amy at 201-390-4649.

Lately I’ve had many inquiries about the cost of staging vacant houses, but once callers such as real estate agents, investors, and sellers hear the cost of furniture rental (which I arrange through outside rental companies) their first reaction is to balk. But at around $200 – $300 per room per month (depending on style and price point of furniture as well as number of pieces required for each room), the cost is actually very reasonable considering:
*Furniture rental when selected by a professional stager or decorator is a very smart investment that will easily return anywhere from 2 to almost 6 times the cost (source: HomeGain) in a higher selling price and quicker sale that will save owners money on monthly maintenance, mortgage, property taxes, and other carrying costs
* The cost is always less than a typical price reduction on a property
* Renting furniture is a smart and critical move to creating a warm and welcoming environment for buyers that helps them envision their ideal lifestyle
* Using the services of a design expert such as a stager or interior decorator to place furniture in an empty home shows buyers how to use spaces most effectively, resolves questions about seating, watching TV, reading areas, eating areas, the number of people that can comfortably use a room, too-large or too-small spaces, what to do with awkward angles, oddly-placed fireplaces, etc.
* Using rental furniture from professional rental companies insures all furniture is sanitized, professionally wrapped, delivered, and set-up, and that the inventory is frequently turned over (i.e. updated) to reflect current design trends.

*Stagers/decorators can often negotiate lower rental prices, sometimes get insurance waivers removed, and generally arrange better terms with furniture companies since they know we bring them repeat business and they value their relationships with us.
So while the cost may seem high at first glance, the benefits of renting new, trendy pieces to create the look that appeals to buyers far outweigh the initial cost of around $3-5,000 to furnish 4-7 main rooms in a house over the standard 3-month rental period.