There are many businesses out there which rent furniture by the
month. You need a couch? Rent one for only $40 per month. Need a
lamp? You can get one for $12 a month. Now, let's see, in one
year you would have paid $480 to use the couch and you wouldn't
own it. The lamp would have cost you $144 and it's the same
situation ~ at the end of your lease, you still own nothing.
Most of us would think it foolish to rent furniture. But, that
isn't always the case. There are situations where renting may be
the best option. Consider these scenarios:
* Your company transfers you to a new location but the rest of
your family is staying in your present home until the school
year ends and that's 4 months away. You buy a house and live
in it until your family arrives. Do you go out and buy new
furniture or do you rent a few necessities in the meantime?
* Right after you get married, you move into a new home. You
and your spouse haven't decided how you want to decorate your
home. Do you rush your decisions or do you rent furniture
until you find the style that will please you both?
* You graduate from college and accept a position in an
unfamiliar city. You find an apartment that has everything
you want, except furniture. You can't afford to go out and
purchase the items you'll need right away. What do you do?
If you find yourself in any of these situations, renting all or
part of your furniture may be a viable option. The thing you have
to keep in mind is that it's never a long-term solution. From the
figures in the first paragraph, you can see how expensive renting
is over the long haul.
However, when you find yourself without furniture, short term
rental may be your best option. If you don't have the cash or
credit to purchase what you need, or if you only plan to be
without furniture for a little while, short-term rental may be
the best solution.
Most furniture rental companies offer several options from which
to choose. Most of them also offer packages in different price
ranges, depending on the style and quality of the furniture you
require.
* The bedroom package usually includes a double or queen-size
bed, night stand and lamp, and 1 chest.
* A living room package provides a couch, end table and lamp,
cocktail table, and a chair.
* A dining room package includes a table and 4 chairs.
* A complete home package includes all of the above.
* You can also rent any accessories you may need, including
cookware and china, rugs, additional lamps, TV's, stereos,
etc.
As long as you rent only what you need and do so for as short a
time as possible, furniture rental may be the solution you need.
But, don't forget to calculate the cost of your rent or mortgage
along with the cost of your furniture rental before you decide
which package to choose.
If money is an issue, one question you need to ask yourself is
this: do you really need the most expensive package or can you
get by with the more generic and economical choice for 2 or 3 or
4 months? Unless you plan to do a lot of business entertaining,
the answer is obvious.
In short, furniture rental can be an economically sound solution
to your problem, if you use your common sense and don't get in
over your head. It beats sleeping on the floor any day!
|
