Tracy Holmes

Merchandising a home with the right furniture is an important part of selling a lifestyle to prospective buyers. And while it is necessary to go all out, you don’t have to break the bank to create a model home that you’re proud of.

While some argue that leasing is the way to go, others swear it’s more cost-effective to buy furniture. Which way you go relies on several existing factors, such as budget constraints and marketing goals.

Let’s look at which option makes the most sense and why!

Lease or Buy Furniture for a Model Home?

Here’s a side-by-side comparison that should help settle the debate of whether leasing or buying furniture is the best way to go.

Leasing

Convenient Yet Expensive

While you can exchange pieces for different styles, colors, or fabrics at no extra cost, leasing furniture can prove to be expensive over time, especially if the project lasts more than the lease term.

Free Delivery, Relocation, Assembly, And Maintenance

Some leasing companies offer a slew of free services—cleaning or replacing worn-out furniture, for example. Some may also provide insurance so that you won’t have to bear the expense of, say, an unforeseen accident. Leasing furniture can thus help you avoid these costs.

Buying

Smarter, Functional, Stylish Choices

The best source to acquire furniture is from a merchandising contractor, as they can fill your model home with key pieces based on in-depth research. They also possess the expertise on how to make a model home project a cohesive, streamlined aesthetic. This ensures that the furniture pieces and accessories will imbue an aesthetic that sustains over time.

You have access to more market-trendy, quality options, meaning an environment that is on-brand and meets the homeowners’ aspirations. It’s also a great way to enhance and add variety to your social media pages and sales/marketing efforts.

Flexibility With Second Hand Furniture

Buying secondhand furniture allows you not only to spend less but also repurpose pieces in good condition. They’re considerably cheaper than leasing new pieces and can be purchased at a steal. If you’re on a tight budget, secondhand furniture can prove to be a worthy investment.

Ongoing Expenses

Buying furniture could mean spending extra on upkeep, delivery, and assembly, leading to mounting expenses. Some companies provide discounted services, so look into this before buying from a company. If a long-term contract is what you need, find a company that offers a few free services.

Takeaway

Chalk out a budget that centers on creating a winning home design rather than cutting costs as that could jeopardize a sale.

What If Clients Don’t Keep the Furniture?

Some buyers only need a visual idea of what living in a home looks like. They won’t necessarily commit to those same pieces on display. If your goal is not to sell the furniture on display, leasing makes more sense. Such a scenario will give you a sense of which furniture to swap when they don’t do well on home tours.

In the case of bought furniture, many builders put model furnishings up for sale to valued homeowners through a “Friends and Family Sale.” You’ll be able to recover most of the cost since the pieces are new.

Alternatively, you can reuse the furniture for other model homes you have on sale. They will, of course, have to meet similar target audience prerequisites like the previous model home. A merchandising contractor can help transition pieces to new homes with a few tweaks so that you won’t have to spend on new pieces.

For some model home builders, leasing furniture may be the smarter alternative. After all, it’s affordable, practical, and effective. It makes the most sense if you’re working with a stretched budget that focuses on more pressing architectural requirements.

On the flip side, buying furniture with a merchandising company helps you look at the bigger picture: creating a model home with a specialized aesthetic that surpasses the ordinary and is primed for sale.

After years as a model home merchandiser, I can tell you that there is no one way to create an award-winning model. Just like in any good recipe, there are standard ways to measure the components. Recipes have fluid ounces, temperature, and time., design has proportion and scale, rhythm, and balance. And success is a result of knowing what to include and what to leave out.

Every model home starts with 3 things:

First, answer a few key questions to help you make decisions throughout the process. “Who is the client” answers questions about demographics, the likely size, composition, and habits of the future homeowner. “What is the product” can inform decisions about style and material selections. “Who is the builder” helps match the model to the company’s branding.

Instinctively, you know that large single-family homes in the suburbs will have different materials and finishes than a 2 bedroom condo in the city.  When you understand the product, the branding, and the target market, you can choose materials, finishes, and furnishings that create a winning model.

How to select the right materials

I’ve always loved specifying materials for new construction, both interior, and exterior. The options are vast and that allows you to add character to a home. Materials should be cohesive and tell the builder’s story and what kind of homes they build.  For most models, Upgrade options are a fantastic way to demonstrate sell higher-end finishes and should always be included.

Your choice of standard and upgraded options depends on your approach to marketing (your brand), however, a successful model will have a mix of mid to high level finishes to create an aspirational environment and show your home at its best

Mid-level cabinets, flooring, and plumbing fixtures are a nice compliment to higher-level countertops, hardware, and lighting is a great place to begin.

The background finishes set the tone so pay special attention to doors, hardware, and trim. These 3 things are key to making the best first impression.

Interior Design that wins awards

Space Planning

The saying “you know it when you see it” is especially true for a perfectly finished model. Rooms should be spacious yet welcoming, aspirational, and liveable. Furniture placement is important, with traffic patterns and overall flow, scale and balance the primary concerns

Architectural Highlights

Market-focused design will highlight the architecture of a home and add custom details like fireplace mantels, and wall trim. Show off the homes best features with thoughtful paint colors, trim details, and furnishing

Memory Points

A buyer-centric model home will include memory points specific to the demographics and psychographics of the most likely buyers. Thoughtful, creative bedrooms for children, a well-appointed office, and gourmet kitchen details will let your buyer know you are building for them.

Model home merchandising is just as much art as it is science.

This marketing-focused design is integrated into model homes and sales centers, community amenity areas, and clubhouses.