Introduction
In a perfect world, homeowners have perfect timing when selling their home and moving to a new community. They list their house with a real estate professional while searching for a new place to live in. Potential buyers get a peek inside the home as it’s lived in, and a purchaser is approved right about the time the homeowners secure a house at their new destination.
But if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we’re definitely not living in a perfect world. Moving across the nation — or even just across town — has never been easy, but selling a house during the Coronavirus pandemic can pose some unique problems. Members of the U.S. military, which face their own set of challenges even during a normal Permanent Change of Station, have even more variables in motion this year. One variable: being moved at all.
As COVID-19 continues, we’re spending more time in our homes. It’s become a priority to make them feel more practical as workspaces, more engaging as entertainment hubs yet more relaxing as a healthy refuge — wherever you live.
Luckily, there are services that can help solve some of the concerns homeowners and real estate agents are facing when trying to sell a home. Companies that offer furniture rental and assistance with finding a staging service, such as CORT, are providing perfect solutions during this imperfect time.
Why Should I Stage My Home?
Home staging, or expertly arranging furniture and decor to look more stylish for real estate photos and walkthroughs, is one of the best ways to improve a house’s chances to be purchased. For military families, who may have all their personal belongings moved to a new installation before their previous home is sold, renting furniture to stage on your own or working with a professional to stage for you is a convenient way to give an empty home a more sellable personality. Just because a house doesn’t have a current occupant doesn’t mean it can’t still feel like home to a potential buyer.
Where to Start Your Search
Start by searching “furniture rental near me” online or for “staging furniture” in your local yellow pages. You’ll save shipping costs if you’re able to connect with a real estate furniture rental company nearby. Get quotes for the particular services you want, for example, whether you’re picking pieces individually or choosing a blanket fee for several selections. Pricing for décor styles may vary; remember to select the style of furniture and accents that best suit the architecture of the home or what the buyers/renters in that area would expect.
Furniture Staging Cost
Staging furniture rental costs will depend on your geographic region and the items you choose. Typically, professional stagers offer full packages between $300 and $600 for a consultation then $500 to $600 per room, per month, to furnish the home and keep it maintained for showing. If you prefer a do-it-yourself furniture rental experience, expect to pay about $100 to $300 per month, per room, for items. Not all rooms need to be furnished, which can save some money. But the longer a house needs to be shown, the more the furniture rental fees add up. Figuring these costs into the price of the home may help alleviate some of this financial burden.
What to Look for in a Staging Company
Some key questions to consider when choosing a furniture staging company:
- Does the company provide fast and safe delivery?
- Is delivery and pick-up included in the pricing?
- Are there extra fees for moving the furniture up or downstairs?
- Can you extend the rental period if needed, and what are those costs?
- Does the company have positive reviews on sites such as Yelp or HomeAdvisor?
Doing your research before a single side table is loaded into the moving van will help prevent any unwelcome staging surprises from coming through your front door.
Other Resources That Can Help
With more than 60 furniture rental showrooms across the nation, CORT is a great resource to look towards for helping you with your current and new home. The company’s options cover any home from wall to wall, from living rooms to bedrooms, kitchens to home offices. You can even rent housewares, electronics and decorative pieces. Don’t forget patio furniture to make outdoor spaces more inviting. Start browsing the home items available at the CORT website.
Once you have an idea of the items you’ll need, see if one of CORT’s Move-In Ready Packages is right for you. Whether you need a bundle of pieces for an array of rooms or simple items for a smaller space, these package deals include professional styling to make any transition as easy as possible. The company even has special furniture packages for active-duty military personnel.
7 Expert Tips for Incorporating Furniture Rental For Staging
Need some advice on how to show off a home you’re selling? We’ve got some expert tips to make the most of any interior with staging furniture.
1. Overall, Less Is More
To make a house attractive to more buyers, it has to look homey — but not too homey. Minimalist styling will appeal to a broader range of tastes, and fewer pieces of furniture will improve the “flow” of a room, allowing potential buyers to visualize their own paths within the space. This is not the time for clutter; let the new residents put their own spin on personal collections.
2. Start With Larger Pieces First
Couches, tables, desks and beds are all focal points in a room, but too many furnishings can make a space feel cramped. Remember to use accent pieces sparingly. If space allows, arrange furniture in ways that draw eyes toward construction features or away from wall and flooring flaws. Keep the focus on the airy ambiance of a room, not the smaller, distracting details.
3. Accessorize With Threes
Typically, odd numbers are more eye-pleasing when it comes to décor arrangement. Having just three items in any set allows you to keep a collection to a minimum while having some variety in size or color. One good option is to position pieces in a triangle, sorting by height with larger items toward the back.
4. Use Color Creatively
Your own personal tastes may favor one particular hue, but a tsunami of aqua may not be another person’s cup of tea. For your largest design pieces, choose neutral or natural colors that exude calmness. Then select one or two complementary colors for smaller, eye-catching accents. Throw pillows, curtains, even paintings are an easy way to add a splash of color to an otherwise unsaturated palette.
5. Let There Be Light
Whether you have big windows or dark corners to work with, lighting can literally brighten the mood in any space. Be sure to dress windows practically but attractively and provide warm light sources in areas that lack natural illumination. Dimmer switches and energy-efficient bulbs are attractive extras.
6. Bring the Outdoors In
A dash of green — whether through arranged cut flowers or healthy houseplants — brings a breath of freshness to any room. Remember minimalism when considering the kind of greenery and the color and shape of a planter or vase. Artificial flowers and plants may be tapped to save time and energy, but go with the most realistic options you can find and afford.
7. When in Doubt, Call in the Staging Professionals
If quickly arranging a full home of furniture seems too daunting or too time-consuming a task, many staging-furniture rental companies can do the actual physical arranging too. Especially during COVID-19, companies such as CORT will likely have special procedures in place to ensure the health and wellbeing of its customers and employees. For example, CORT’s unique Clean Certified program includes frequent cleaning and sanitizing of facilities and furniture for rent, mandating appropriate Personal Protective Equipment for its employees, maintaining 6-feet social distancing during in-person interactions and providing contactless delivery of its products.
Conclusion
Don’t go home-staging alone. Living — and moving — during COVID-19 requires extra effort from us all, but it isn’t impossible to easily sell a home during this uncertain time. Working with a real estate furniture rental company can make any house more attractive to buyers who want to find a “home, healthy home” right now.
Nice post about the furniture rental for staging, I think your post is very helpful for lot of people, Thanks for sharing the information.
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