REIA Of Oakland Articles

STAGING is a recent development that may help you sell or rent a property more quickly. The intent is to make the house appear more livable. There is no positive proof that staging will help you sell or rent a property but in today¹s market I think you need all the help you can get.

We recently sold a house after five months on the market. Halfway thru that period we added three rooms of furniture and also placed a couch, card table, chairs and a TV in the finished basement. I asked the buyer at the closing about the furniture in the house. He said it made the house appear more livable.

With vacant property, you add a few pieces of furniture to 3 or more rooms, and possibly in a finished basement.

If you have an occupied house, staging includes de-cluttering, cleaning, minor repairs and neutral decorating.

Several businesses in the area rent furniture but only one that I know of rents it for as short as 3 months - that is Instant Furniture in Southfield (tel: 248-357-1525), Oshtemo (tel: 269-372-4225), Lansing (tel: 517-333-7756), Ann Arbor (tel: 734-327-4500) and Grand Rapids (tel: 616-942-7721). They will deliver to most of Michigan.

Instant¹s basic, starting package is 3 rooms -living room, dining room and bedroom for $186.00 per month, including sales tax and insurance, plus $95.00 for delivery and pickup, and a one month security deposit. You can add any additional items you desire.

The living room unit includes: 1 sofa, 1 chair, 1 cocktail table, 1 end table, 1 table lamp, 1 plant and 1 picture. The dining room unit includes a table and 4 chairs. The bedroom unit includes: 1 bed, 1 headboard, 1 set - mattress/spring, 1 chest, 1 night stand, 1 table lamp.

There is a program on A&E cable, currently on Saturday about staging called Sell This House.

website: www.instantfurniture.com

Don Eichstaedt

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