Last week I started a discussion about why I don’t recommend home stagers carry their own inventory of furniture to rent to their clients.
I told a story of a Boston stager I know who got sucked in to multiple ‘don’t pay a cent events’ and ended up with truckloads of furniture she couldn’t pay for, and I want to help other stagers avoid making the same mistake.
Some home stagers believe they need to carry their own furniture inventory because they live in a small town where there isn’t a large furniture rental company. If these stagers would think outside the box, they would see several alternative means of sourcing furniture without going out and buying it themselves just to rent to their clients.
In this economy, it’s not difficult to negotiate with furniture retailers savvy enough to recognize an opportunity to earn additional revenue.
Offer to rent some of their showroom furniture for staging projects.
Approach used furniture stores and antique shops as well. Home buyers don’t expect to see all brand new pieces in a home they’re viewing— in fact, some previously loved furniture will help to make the home look less staged.
There are many pros and cons to owning your own furniture inventory that are discussed in the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program.
The first question a new home stager needs to consider is whether they are going into home staging to be in the furniture rental business.
Because make no mistake, the furniture rental business is it’s own business, it is not just a service provided by stagers. Just because many stagers build up their own furniture inventory doesn’t mean it’s always the best business decision, or that it has to be that way to grow a successful home staging business.
Please share your thoughts on this topic by commenting below to add to the discussion!
Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President, Six Elements Inc. Home Staging
Home Staging expert Debra Gould also known as The Staging Diva knows how to make money as a home stager and is determined to inspire and teach others to do the same. More than 1000 Staging Diva Graduates have learned how to profit from their decorating talents and run their own home staging businesses after taking the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
My question is somewhat like the last entry. I am new to home staging and wanted to began my own business as well. I received a telephone call from a potential client who wants an entire new home staged. I have no inventory and would like to find out where to began in obtaining furniture for an entire home. Its seems overwhelming!
Colleen, I discuss how to stage vacant homes and where to get what you need, without investing in your own inventory, in the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program.
While you’ll find lots of great information for free in this blog, Home Staging Business Report, and in my monthly newsletter, Staging Diva Dispatch, I do save all the best secrets for how to run a successful home staging business for my students and graduates. You can learn all about the many products I have available to help you in the Staging Diva Store.
I would like to know about how you partner with furniture retailers and make money from it if you do not own the furniture? Do you have an agreement with the retailers or do you just charge a client for the time you spend getting the items you need? Sorry if this seems like a naive question but how does it work?
Thanks everyone for sharing your comments and experiences! This makes the whole conversation more valuable to all!
Keep your ideas and comments coming!
Thanks
Debra
I started my staging business 5 1/2 years ago. I read the Staging Diva newsletters to see what others experience in their staging businesses. I find Debra’s advice to be inspiring and spot on in most cases. Of course any business varies from region to region.
I am concerned that new stagers reading this article will be discouraged to find that in some areas this does not work as well as this article makes it sound (no matter how creative they are). I have working relationships with most of the area furniture stores as an Interior Decorator, but only one of them was willing to put furniture that they could otherwise sell in their store into someones home to rent. The one store that was willing, wanted to charge 25% of the purchase price per month + delivery fees – which was way out of the budget of the homeowners that I work with.The others did not want to tie up their inventory, take the chance of damage, or deal with what they felt was a hassle for the amount of money they would make. I do work with an antique dealer when I can. If the home owner knows that they plan to purchase some new things for their new house, sometimes it works out to buy it for selling instead of waiting (occasionally that worked out great). There is one rental company in the area that occasionally has what I need. I did find it Neccessary to purchase furniture, artwork, accessories, etc. in order to offer a service that would truly be of value to the home owner, as well as one I felt I could stand behind. It was a painful investment in the first 2 years that has now given me the edge over other stagers in the area. I encourage every Stager to try every avenue possible in your area before purchasing inventory, but hope that you do not give up on your dream if those doors are closed to you. You can make good money as a stager with inventory, it just takes a bit longer.
I couldn’t agree more, Debra! Why own an inventory of furniture when there are so many other creative options! In many cases, a local reasale shop has certainly been a great resource for my business . I have also used furniture rental businesses, one high-end and one not so high-end, depending on the property and the client’s budget. Owning furniture poses too many issues for my business and I really don’t need to warehouse furniture to be able to offer that service to my clients.
This is a timely post, Debra! I recently approached a local consignment furniture store (www.uniquelygreen.ca) about renting some furnishings for staging and we will work out the details soon.
I won’t consider building my own furniture inventory and I think this is a perfect alliance with another local business.
Dear Debra,
Thanks for all the valuable information. I am in the process of getting my business up and running and the thought of owning, operating, and managing the furniture is overwhelming! I am in a smaller town but I am 45 minutes away from Chicago and I found a rental furniture company that will serve my area. I found the company by looking at information on other stager’s websites. I have worked in the furniture business and I definitely agree that it is a business of it’s own and would be a monumental task for a stager to tackle. I love the idea of using resale furniture shops. Thanks!