How to Rent Furniture to Stage Homes

Selling a home can be an emotional experience for homeowners who have grown attached to their home and their many possessions. A home for sale should appeal to the largest number of buyers possible and often that means removing all personal items. Giving the home an updated look can make a sale occur faster. Often this can be done by replacing the home's existing furniture with new, rented furniture and accessories. Staging professionals are helpful strategists to consult in this process. Homeowners with the time and flair for staging can accomplish this task on their own.

Things You'll Need

• Home design magazines
• Camera
• Graph paper and pencil
• Tape measure

Instructions

1. Measure the width and depth of each room being staged. Using a sheet of graph paper for each room, draw the outline of the room, including the location of windows and doors, and note the measurements.

2. Make a list of what furniture and accessories will be needed for each room, based on your measurements. Use recent design magazines to get ideas for room arrangements. Snap photos of favorite furniture vignettes and seating arrangements found in retail establishments and use these for reference when choosing rental furniture.

3. Consult three or more furniture rental companies specializing in staging and ask to see the collection of furniture available for rental. Make sure the rental agreement fits the needs of the homeowner in terms of time frame, cost and delivery process.

4. Make the final selection of furniture to place in the home. Furniture rental companies often have catalogs from which to choose furniture and may also have arranged collections of furniture by room that make it easier and faster to stage the home. Sign the rental agreement and make the agreed-upon payment.

5. Remove and store off-site all existing furniture not being used in the staging process before the rental furniture arrives. Vacuum and clean the space.

6. Receive the rental furniture and stage the home.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove all personal items, clutter, family photos or other signs of family life from the home before staging it with updated, new furniture.

References

• Brook Furniture Rental: Selling Your Home/Home Staging
• The Complete Idiot's Guide To Staging Your Home To Sell; Julie Dana, Marcia Layton Turner; 2007