Logistics of Setting up an STR long distance without full service

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Logistics of Setting up an STR long distance without full service

Allison Hertzberg
Member since 2025 路 8 posts 路 4 votes

Closing on my first STR in bradenton florida later this month. It's a 3/2 with pool and outdoor covered seating section. What I'm use to is furniture/decor shopping at estate sales/auctions. I feel confident I could buy maybe 80% of the furnishings from estate sales that would end up saving me a ton and would hold up better and be more unique.

BUT I dont want to make myself crazy.  I have a full time job, little kids etc. etc.  I have about a month and a half to get the place live, not doing any renovations beyond painting....


1. Thoughts on getting one of those pods, uship or pods, filling it and then shipping it to florida and i'll meet it there.  Then hiring people to unload. The uship cost was about $3k. Is this crazy....is this basically paying for a move?

2. Get large items like couches and ship via freight?

3. Do one of those set up design services where i buy the furniture after working with a digital designer to help with layout and then have a team receive and set it all up? Assuming this is pretty expensive.


Any recommendations of a company that services bradenton florida and does the receiving/assembly.

I'll be done there at least 3 more times in the next 2 months to help oversee set up and stage.

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John UnderwoodPro Member
Investor 路 Greer, SC 路 Member since 2014 路 13k+ posts 路 17k+ votes
1y

I like the POD idea if the savings offsets the shipping costs.

Big items ship directly to the house and pay a handyman or similar to receive the items.

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  • Kate Stoermer
    Real Estate Consultant 路 Ann Arbor, MI 路 Member since 2023 路 85 posts 路 93 votes
    1y

    Find a recieving warehouse - they receive and hold shipments. 

    1Reply
  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA 路 Member since 2016 路 8k+ posts 路 7k+ votes
    1y

    Hey @Allison Hertzberg, gratz on the new STR.

    Setting up from a distance is always a challenge and I am all in on the estate sales along with other used stuff from Craigslist, FB Marketplace and OfferUP. You can setup a great place with USA made furniture for pennies.

    The big issue is that the savings you get are offset by the cost of shipping that Pod down there.

    There are some other options that might work. Buying stuff at Costco. They have a lot of things you can order online and simply have shipped there. That would include couches and the like. It is going to cost you quite a bit more but it will get done.

    How far away are you? Are we talking flying distance or driving distance?

    Your best bet might be to buy a bunch of things you know you can get locally and then fill up a Uhaul and drive on down. That is what we did although I have a large full sized van so no renting. We are about 7 hours away from our lakehouse.

    I would also look on Thumbtack and see if there is someone who is offering assistant services and the like.

    What about contacting your real estate agent? Maybe they can offer up some help?

    EDIT - Also reach out to @Andrew Steffens. He is all over the Tampa area which I should include Bradenton. I am betting he has a bunch of resources.

    2Reply
  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor 路 Greer, SC 路 Member since 2014 路 13k+ posts 路 17k+ votes
    1y

    I like the POD idea if the savings offsets the shipping costs.

    Big items ship directly to the house and pay a handyman or similar to receive the items.

    2Reply
  • Lisa Graesser
    Rental Property Investor 路 The Villages, FL 路 Member since 2017 路 341 posts 路 398 votes
    1y

    I did this with a local website for people that were selling their furniture.  I purchased the items and had a local moving crew pick up the items at each house and deliver. There were some logistics involved but it all worked out. Other than that we purchase furniture from sellers when we know we will be at the house and pick up with a rented pickup truck while we are there

     There are alot of people se暮ling beautiful furniture in Florida,, just because they want something new and you can get some nice, durable pieces.

    or like Mike said Costco always has great stuff and free shipping. 

    1Reply
  • Jeff Langley
    Member since 2021 路 167 posts 路 141 votes
    1y

    Rent a storage unit near the new place. Buy items near that place via whatever marketplace you choose and have the seller deliver it to the storage unit and/or ship items to it. I鈥檝e bought large items from fbm and the sellers have delivered to the storage unit. Most people are happy to help, especially if you pay for their time. 

    0Reply
  • Jason MalabuteBusiness Member
    Accountant 路 Los Angeles, CA 路 Member since 2016 路 2k+ posts 路 902 votes
    1y

    From a tax perspective, the benefit of a short-term rental is that if you meet the 100-hour rule, you can use losses to offset active income. But if the property is far away and you鈥檙e not hands-on with management, it鈥檚 much harder to qualify, so set things up carefully.

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  • Corby GoadeBusiness Member
    Investor 路 Boise, ID 路 Member since 2014 路 3k+ posts 路 3k+ votes
    1y

    This is a lot to take on from a distance and the chances of it going well are really, really low. 

    Please at least reach out to a couple STR managers in that market and chat with them about your property, their services and see if you can make it work.

    Remote PM is hard enough and many people lose their shorts trying to do this in order to save a few bucks- just scroll through the forums to see how it can go badly. STR remotely is even more difficult.

    Either way, best of luck!

    1Reply
    • Jon Martin
      Member since 2022 路 1k+ posts 路 1k+ votes
      1y
      Quote from @Corby Goade:

      This is a lot to take on from a distance and the chances of it going well are really, really low. 

      Please at least reach out to a couple STR managers in that market and chat with them about your property, their services and see if you can make it work.

      Remote PM is hard enough and many people lose their shorts trying to do this in order to save a few bucks- just scroll through the forums to see how it can go badly. STR remotely is even more difficult.

      Either way, best of luck!


      I've done it twice and while it wasn't seamless or cheap, it turned out fine in the end. 

      Remote property management is also very doable with all of the technology and app-based services. This isn't the 90s where you had to have an on call manager meet the guest with a key. 

      That said, both items above do need at least one trustworthy pair of boots on the ground. It can take some time to find them but if you work through your realtor (assuming they are a good realtor) you should be able to find good people. 

      0Reply
  • Benjamin Louie
    Property Manager 路 Erie & Millscreek PA | Maggie Valley & Haywood County NC 路 Member since 2024 路 264 posts 路 118 votes
    1y

    Congrats, Allison! 馃帀 A pool home in Bradenton is a great STR spot. Pods can work, but can feel like a full move (and a headache). If speed + sanity matter, a local STR setup service might be worth the extra cost鈥攖hen you can add your estate sale finds later for that unique touch.

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Investor 路 FL 路 Member since 2016 路 332 posts 路 388 votes
    1y

    As @Michael Baum said use Costco.  The great thing is on the larger furniture items with Costco you schedule the delivery. We had the shipping company put off delivering for 3 weeks once due to the build not being completed on time. Also use Home Depot shipt to store for pickup in store.  You will find Home Depot has an great selection of furniture. TVs buy at walmart/samsclub/Costco locally.

    0Reply
  • Andrew Street
    Member since 2019 路 1k+ posts 路 292 votes
    1y

    Hi Allison! Congrats on closing - that Bradenton spot with a pool and outdoor seating sounds like a winner for STR! Furnishing can get overwhelming pretty quickly, especially with a full-time job and kids in the mix. Estate sales are awesome for unique, solid pieces, but the hassle of shipping and movers can sometimes cancel out the savings and add extra stress.

    What I鈥檝e found works best is a mix - pick up a few statement pieces secondhand if you enjoy the hunt, then go with local delivery/assembly for the bigger must-haves like beds, sofas, and dining sets. That way you get some personality in the space without driving yourself crazy coordinating freight and piecemeal deliveries. There are also companies in Florida that handle receiving and assembly, though the tradeoff is usually higher cost vs. less stress.

    It sounds like you鈥檙e in good shape with a few trips planned down there, so you鈥檒l have room to adjust as you go. Happy to connect with you!

    0Reply
  • Jon Martin
    Member since 2022 路 1k+ posts 路 1k+ votes
    1y

    Never down value the cost of your own time and stress. If spending $3K to choose your own furniture and ship it makes it that much easier for you, it's worth it. 

    With Option 2, I think you mean ordering online and having it freighted? Nothing wrong with that, have your setup team sign for it. 

    I don't like Option 3, I've looked at what they have to offer and it doesn't look all that great, and the pricing isn't competitive either. You end up with a template that many other listings already have. 

    Try to order items pre-assembled. A moving/packing company should be able to help with taking in all the items. 

    0Reply
  • Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
    Tampa, FL 路 Member since 2022 路 3k+ posts 路 3k+ votes
    1y
    Quote from @Allison Hertzberg:

    Closing on my first STR in bradenton florida later this month. It's a 3/2 with pool and outdoor covered seating section. What I'm use to is furniture/decor shopping at estate sales/auctions. I feel confident I could buy maybe 80% of the furnishings from estate sales that would end up saving me a ton and would hold up better and be more unique.

    BUT I dont want to make myself crazy.  I have a full time job, little kids etc. etc.  I have about a month and a half to get the place live, not doing any renovations beyond painting....


    1. Thoughts on getting one of those pods, uship or pods, filling it and then shipping it to florida and i'll meet it there.  Then hiring people to unload. The uship cost was about $3k. Is this crazy....is this basically paying for a move?

    2. Get large items like couches and ship via freight?

    3. Do one of those set up design services where i buy the furniture after working with a digital designer to help with layout and then have a team receive and set it all up? Assuming this is pretty expensive.


    Any recommendations of a company that services bradenton florida and does the receiving/assembly.

    I'll be done there at least 3 more times in the next 2 months to help oversee set up and stage.


     Hi Allison - Congrats on the house! I am a PM in the area and beyond being able to help with management I do have a good designer.  Having only 1.5 month to do this is tough enough if you were local and could devote a lot of your time to it, but having a job and kids and being far away I think it is a monumental task.  Let me know if I can be of any help, good luck!

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