Bespoke Furniture Packages - The Process
The furniture package market has been steadily busy for Nook throughout winter. I often get asked what is involved in the process, so thought I would blog about it. Clients have been seeing great results by putting together something unique for the rental or Air Bnb market, which will differentiate their property from the masses. Particularly with Air Bnb properties or holiday rentals, potential guests tend to gravitate towards properties which have some personality. This has lead to some really fun projects for me where I have had more scope to inject a slightly quirky style into the final look in comparison to my home staging (which is by nature to appeal to the mass market).
When a client asks me to create a tailor-made package for them, I have to go and sight the property first. This often results in us being able to utilise existing furniture pieces, saving the client money. Should there be existing items in the apartment we are keeping, I then use these to kick-start our overall look for the property. For example recently I did a furniture package for a property which had a few silver coloured furniture items still in very good condition, however the overall look was dated when coupled with the rest of the furniture. Rather than throwing everything away, we created a furniture package which had a very slight retro feeling to it to work in with the silver look. This meant we could keep the TV table, dining table and side tables.
I discuss a general budget with the client, and then spend time sourcing items which are ideal in size and style for the package.
During this stage, I put together "Look Sheets" for each room, which is a bit like a mood board. This shows the items I have earmarked for the property, and the colours and style I would suggest. I also create a proposed item list with a pricing breakdown. This gets sent through to the client to check. Dependant on the client, this part of the process can be very quick or more hands on - some people like to be very involved in the finished look, and others leave me to create what I feel will be best.
After getting approval on the total cost and general item list, I purchase everything. This is the fun part - shopping! Most of my work can be completed online, as I have good relationships with my suppliers and am familiar with the quality and look of the items suggested. However the "finishing touches" like candles, coffee table books, plants, and accessories are often purchased from a number of different suppliers, and can involve us driving around the city looking for the perfect goodies to complete the look.
Nook can even help with the providing of crockery, cutlery, cooking utensils and appliances should the client need these.
After ensuring everything is ready for installation day, we book with our moving team to shift everything into the property and have any items which need construction built. Removal of rubbish (which can be a huge amount!), set up of furniture and presentation to a staged standard is all included in our price. We often meet the professional photographer on site at the end of the process, to provide access and ensure everything looks perfect for photography.
I couldn't recommend professional photography for Air Bnb and rental properties highly enough. It is still an area where many landlords "skimp" and do not use proper images. This means if you do, your property will stand out massively in the market.
After that, the client just has to sit back and wait for the guests to start lining up!