I have 3 days to Furnish a STR. What would you do?

[Curtis H.]

Hey all, 

So I am closing on a home today in Atlanta that I plan to stay in for a few weeks out of the year on and off, and rent it out to business travelers via short term leases, Airbnb, etc when I'm home in CA. 

Next weekend I will be out there and have all of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to furnish an empty house. Obviously I'm goign to need help. I'm not an interior designer, nor am I a good assembly guy. It could take me all day to put a bed together. I'm terrible. 

My priority is securing the home, putting up security cameras, Ring Doorbell, Smartlock, getting utilities switched to my name, internet, and the major furniture items (Bed, couch, dressers, etc.)

How would you guys tackle this? Have Ikea furnish the whole damn place and deliver and install? Are there better stores than Ikea that will do this for a SLIGHTLY higher price? I won't skimp on certain comfort items like the beds, coffee maker, etc. Anyone use TaskRabbit before? I like the concept of an Uber for laborers based on a review system. Just don't know anybody who has used them. 

Or should I focus on hooking up with a Superhost and just letting them run with it (costing me a fortune but no headaches). I absolutely don't know what I am doing on STR, and the price was right for me on this property to try it out for a year.

Thanks, 

Curtis

[Daniel Long]

@Curtis H. I have 5 STR’s and have used amazon and IKEA for everything and it was seamless. You have ikea in ATL at your disposal which is gold. Be careful with your security cameras, guests are not fond of that.

[Paul Sandhu]

@Joseph M. It costs between $800-$1200 to furnish a 3 BR house.  That's a washer, dryer, fridge, stove, 3 beds and furniture for the rest of the house.

[Ericka G.]

@Curtis H. I run 4 furnished rentals, one not too far from your new purchase, right by Tyler Perry’s studio. You can do this in a week/weekend but it will suck. For the out of state rentals, I used to give myself a week to get the units ready, would rent a uhaul and pick up most everything from local estate sales and thrift stores, except beds and mattresses which I buy new.

[Ericka G.]

@Curtis H. Ugh, the app started to type in all caps so I had to start a new comment. ATL is a very competitive market so you should hire someone If possible. I’d be happy to recommend the person I used for our STR in that area, she Is a desIgn student who also has an InterIor desIgn company - dId a great job wIth our place for a VERY reasonable budget. handles gettIng and Installing furnIture and decoratIons. Uou can then focus on getting the linens, household stuff, cable, and utilities set up. She also owns/runs an aIrbnb here In atlanta so could also give tips on that specifically. Your timeline will be tight so I think help would be wise. Feel free to DM me with any questions on the area or if you need a good securIty camera Install guy, handyman, lawn guy, cleaning crew, etc. good luck with it!

[Kenisha Ransom]

@Curtis H. Congratulations on your rental!

Another suggestion is to make a list of items for each room that you need to purchase. 

I find that sometimes in a rush I buy and forget small important things only to have to go back and buy again.

Good luck and keep us updated!

[Curtis H.]

@Ericka G.

I surely will be reaching out about getting that help. Thanks so much for the offer. 

@Daniel Long

The security camera won't consist of much more than a Ring doorbell and maybe one camera in the back. All exterior. Do people really have a problem with that? What do others here do about security? Or is it not a big deal? I would think a house sitting empty often is an easy target. 

[Curtis H.]

@Julie McCoy

How much does the software cost with Remotelock? I only have one property I need it for so I feel like if I'm paying monthly for software, it only makes sense if I'm monitoring a few properties, not just one. 

[Julie McCoy]

@Curtis H. It's like $1/month.  Genuinely minimal.

[Darnell J.]

@Curtis H.

Try AtHome stores in Atlanta. Their prices are just slightly higher than IKEA, but the quality is far better. It's basically a one stop shop for home goods and decor. You can get any and everything you need for you STR from an AtHome store. They also have a delivery service. Best of luck.