How you furnish your Airbnb property plays a major role in what daily rates you can charge, what occupancy you can generate, and what ROI you can drive. Unless you have extensive experience in furnishing real estate properties, this can be a very tricky and time-consuming task. It takes an average of 12 to 16 weeks from design to installation, and costs can vary significantly.
With this in mind, hiring a company that furnishes Airbnbs makes sense as it helps hosts speed up the process while preparing their short-term rental in line with local trends and demand among guests. In this article, we will review the best Airbnb furnishing companies in the US market to help you choose the best fit for your needs. We will look at what services each company offers, what the costs are, and what the process looks like for hosts.
The best furnishing companies for Airbnb and vacation rentals are:
- Awning: Best Overall Airbnb Furnishing Company
- Showplace: Best Wholesale Airbnb Furnishing Company
- Furnishr: Best Airbnb Furnishing Company for Large Properties
- Fülhaus: Best Airbnb Furnishing Company to Rent Furniture
Awning Airbnb Design and Furnishing
Awning operates as a one-stop-shop for vacation rental property investors, offering them tools and support to buy the most profitable opportunities, vacation rental interior design and furnishing, and full-service short-term rental property management. Shri Ganeshram and Danaus Chang founded the company in 2020, with headquarters in San Francisco, CA.
Awning covers the entire US market and has already designed and furnished 100+ Airbnb rentals. The ex-Head of Design at Airbnb manages the process, which allows hosts who opt for Awning design and furnishing services to boost revenue by 15%-50%. Research shows that short-term rentals with top design can generate 2x-3x more income than those in the 50th percentile.
Awning Airbnb Furnishing Services
Awning provides the following services to vacation rental property owners:
- Design including both furniture and all amenities needed to start an Airbnb business such as kitchenware, linen (sheets and towels), board games, pool toys, etc. Every design is unique and is based on the location and the floor plan of the rental, with no generic packages. Furniture items are specifically built to endure vacation rental use.
- Selection and ordering.
- White-glove delivery and installation including electronics like smart locks, Apple TVs, and internet routers.
Awning can take on an empty property and turn it into a guest-ready short-term rental. This provides property owners with truly passive income. Design is done according to local vacation rental market trends and demand from guests. The Awning team includes those items and amenities that are most sought by local Airbnb guests. This is achieved by analysis of local trends and includes a team of ex-Airbnb design employees and on-the-ground local experts.
When hiring Awning, Airbnb hosts can be as involved in the process as they’d like. Communication between investors and the design team is done by phone and email, and Awning also does an in-person inspection of the property. Awning views property owners as partners and aims to accommodate all their exact expectations and requirements. After all, no one knows the property better than the owner.
Awning Airbnb Furnishing Costs
Airbnb furnishing by Awning costs $15,000-$45,000 for comprehensive services, depending on the property size, the level of furnishing, and the requested amenities. As a rule of thumb, every extra 500 square feet raises the furnishing cost by $5,000. Partial furnishing typically costs $5,000-$15,000 per rental.
The budget is agreed upon by the Airbnb host and an Awning interior designer at the beginning of the process. Awning fees for design, selection, delivery, and installation are included in the overall budget. There are no additional or hidden fees.
Awning provides options for financing the purchase of short-term rental property furniture. Interested hosts need to speak to an Awning agent for the most up-to-date information.
Awning Airbnb Furnishing Process
The vacation rental design and furnishing process implemented by Awning looks like:
- Getting to know the Awning team: Airbnb hosts tell the Awning team about their property, needs, budget, goals, and the amenities they’d like to offer to guests.
- Design: The Awning team prepares an overall design including both furniture and amenities if requested by property owners.
- 2-3 week delivery (faster than other best Airbnb furnishing companies): Awning sources, ships, and delivers the furniture items and amenities.
- 1-day setup and cleanup (faster than other Airbnb furnishing companies): Awning assembles all furniture and sets up the entire place in one go, when all furniture has been received.
Payments are done after the owner has selected and approved everything, and before items get ordered.
After delivery, any damaged items get replaced for free, while Airbnb hosts receive credit for items that are no longer wanted or do not fit within the property.
The entire design and furnishing process takes 4-6 weeks, significantly less than the 12-16 weeks required by vacation rental property owners when not guided by professionals. This means that you can start renting out faster, making money from your Airbnb sooner.
Showplace Design and Furnishing
Showplace is an exclusive wholesale marketplace for short-term rental operators offering full-service design and furnishing to help hosts launch new listings. Justin Miller founded Showplace in 2019, with headquarters in Denver, CO. The company aims to provide timeless designs so that short-term rentals never go out of style with guests. Showplace also provides the option to buy furniture items a la carte without the help of a designer. In addition, they offer auto consumable restocking for vacation rentals.
Hiring Showplace helps Airbnb hosts save an average of 75 hours through curation, $9,000 when launching a new listing, and $500 on stocked consumables. Meanwhile, vacation rental operators can boost revenue by 22% per year. The company operates in all 50 US states.
Showplace Airbnb Furnishing Services
The services provided by Showplace include:
- Design and essentials checklist: Customizing furniture and supplies checklist for each property.
- Order and delivery: Consolidating the ordering of all furniture and essentials into a single checkout.
- Installation and staging: Coordinating with logistics partners to ensure vacation rental homes are ready.
- Automating supplies restocking: Coordinating with rental cleaners to ensure properties are always properly stocked with essentials.
Showplace curates furniture based on three principles:
- Quick to ship
- Built to last
- Durable fabric
Showplace operates through an in-house team and a network of brand partners.
Showplace Airbnb Furnishing Costs
Showplace states it helps Airbnb hosts save $9,000 when furnishing a new property by giving them access to wholesale prices. However, the company website does not provide an estimate of the furnishing budget per property type or size. The design and procurement fee are calculated based on the square footage and the size of the property. Airbnb hosts need to schedule a call with Showplace to find out the exact project cost.
Showplace Airbnb Furnishing Process
Working with Showplace as your Airbnb furnishing company entails the following steps:
- 10-minute intake survey to guide the Showplace designers.
- Creating an essentials list, including dishes, flatware, appliances, and bathroom amenities, usually 1 week.
- Finalizing furniture and decor list based on the ideal guest profile and the host style, usually 1-2 weeks.
- Scheduling furniture delivery and ordering essentials, usually 1-2 weeks.
- Delivery and staging, usually 1-2 weeks.
The process takes 4-6 weeks, which is shorter than what most other best Airbnb furnishing companies require.
Airbnb hosts can return furniture items they don’t like within 60 days of delivery for a full refund. They can also report missing or damaged items to the Customer Support Team.
To get started, Airbnb hosts can visit the Showplace website.
Furnishr Airbnb Furnishing
Furnishr offers a comprehensive design and furnishing solution that aims at streamlining the entire process for property owners. Mike Van and Karen Lau founded the company in 2015, with headquarters in Toronto, ON. Their mission was to facilitate moving to a new home, but Furnishr quickly turned into one of the best Airbnb furnishing companies.
Furnishr covers most cities in continental US and Canada. They do not operate in Hawaii and a few locations in Northern Canada. The company furnishes all property types, from studios to large (4+ bedroom) homes and common areas and offices. Hiring Furnishr allows hosts to save an average of 20% of the total cost of furnishing a vacation rental.
Furnishr Airbnb Furnishing Services
Furnishr provides the following services for short-term rental property owners:
- Design: Providing complete design packages of furniture and accessories for the entire property.
- Selection: Coordinating the ordering and shipping logistics.
- Installation: Delivering and setting up all furniture.
Furnishing-related services that Furnishr does not offer include:
- Mounting wall art, mirrors, etc. onto walls and ceilings. Such items are left in the home and not installed.
- Placing move-in kit items into cabinets. Items will be placed on a kitchen counter or a dining table.
- Vacuuming and wiping services. They clean up packaging materials related to furnishing. Meanwhile, Furnishr offers a discount on cleaning services provided by third parties like Handy and Taskrabbit.
The company ensures that Airbnb hosts are involved throughout planning and designing the furnishing. Property owners (or their representative) have to be present on delivery day to open the door and inspect the items.
Furnishr works through an in-house team of designers and logistics coordinators and a wide network of chosen partners.
Most of the furniture items used by Furnishr come with a one-year manufacturer warranty. Airbnb hosts have up to 10 days after delivery to return any pieces they do not like and would not like to keep, for a partial refund. While exchanges are free of charge, returning products entails a 15% fee.
Furnishr Airbnb Furnishing Costs
The cost of furnishing an Airbnb charged by Furnishr depends on the size of the rental and the quality that you’d like. When getting started, property owners should talk to the designer about their budget and needs so that the team provides a fitting design package.
Furnishr quotes the following average prices per property type and size:
- Studio: $4,000-$7,000
- 1-bedroom: $5,000-$10,000
- 2-bedroom: $8,000-$15,000
- 3-bedroom: $10,000-$20,000
- 4-bedroom and more: Depending on the size and number of bedrooms
The design, delivery, and assembly services cost is included in the overall budget. Airbnb hosts need to make the payment at the time of purchase. Monthly installments are also possible, and this option is fulfilled through Acorn Finance.
An additional cost property owners should keep in mind is a 15% fee in case they want to return any items within 10 days of delivery without exchanging them. This fee is used for additional delivery and disposal fees.
Furnishr Airbnb Furnishing Process
Furnishing a short-term rental with the help of Furnishr looks like this:
- Submitting a design request which takes a few minutes: Airbnb hosts need to specify the project, the size of the home, the location, the time frame, and preferred styles.
- Receiving an initial proposal within 1-2 days, featuring a minimum of two unique packages.
- Scheduling a 30-minute call with the designer to edit the design packages: Communication can also happen via email or chat.
- Receiving a revised proposal within 1-2 days after sending feedback.
- Going through 1-3 rounds of major revisions on average until a final package is reached.
- Purchasing the final design package: The price includes all items, delivery, and setup.
- Scheduling a delivery time with a delivery manager: There are no deliveries on Sunday. Before delivery day, Airbnb hosts need to ensure that old furniture is removed and that the service elevator is booked.
- Receiving the delivery: Delivery time is usually two weeks after purchase. The setup usually takes 2-4 hours, and the Furnishr team will set up each item in the design package in the respective room and clean up packaging debris.
- Inspecting the furniture upon arrival: In case of damages, property owners need to send a photo with a description so that Furnishr requests a replacement from the supplier.
To get started, Airbnb hosts can visit the Furnishr website or call 517-341-7389.
Fülhaus Airbnb Furnishing
Fülhaus is a full-service Airbnb furnishing company that gets properties Instagram-ready. Andria Santos founded the company in 2015, with headquarters in Montreal, QC. Initially, Fülhaus started working only with short-term rentals and hotels and later expanded to other properties.
The company emphasizes its use of technology through "Ludwig", an AI-powered interior design tool that aids in the selection and arrangement of furniture to optimize the attractiveness and functionality of rental properties.
Fülhaus operates globally and works with various property types, from studios to larger rentals and entire hotels. The company provides Airbnb hosts with the option to buy or rent furniture.
Fülhaus Airbnb Furnishing Services
The Fülhaus furnishing program is called a Haus-in-a-Box and includes a comprehensive furniture and decor package to furnish and style the entire space available to Airbnb hosts. Packages can be bought or rented. They tailor boxes to a specific design scheme based on the preferences of the property owner. A standard 1-bedroom apartment box comes with about 45 items, but items can be added or removed.
Fülhaus covers the following services, for both single rooms and entire properties:
- Design and furniture selection
- Sourcing and ordering furniture
- Delivery, assembly, and installation
- Staging and photography
Fülhaus achieves worldwide coverage through a team of interior designers, project managers, and on-site supervisors. The company also relies on an AI interior designer named Ludwig.
Property owners are involved throughout designing and furnishing their short-term rental. However, it is not clear how many revisions of the design they are entitled to.
Airbnb hosts can return items they no longer want within 30 days of receiving the full order for an additional fee. Meanwhile, they need to report damaged pieces within 7 days of receipt for a free replacement.
Fülhaus Airbnb Furnishing Costs
The cost charged by Fülhaus depends on the size of the property, the exact specification of the package, and whether property owners opt for a standard or custom design.
The Airbnb furnishing cost for a 1-bedroom rental starts at $14,000 for buying and $595/month for renting. This excludes taxes, shipping, and fees. For an exact quote, Airbnb hosts need to contact Fülhaus.
Additional fees include:
- Design starting at $399
- Custom design
- Site survey if needed
- Shipping costs, averaging 10%-35% of the retail price
- Return fees (not due to damage) including a restocking fee of $100 plus the cost of return shipping
Overall, while Fülhaus might appear to be more expensive than some other furnishing options in the market, their service includes comprehensive design, delivery, assembly, and installation services which can justify the higher costs, especially for Airbnb hosts looking for a hassle-free solution
Fülhaus Airbnb Furnishing Process
As one of the best Airbnb furnishing companies, Fülhaus follows this step-by-step approach:
- Discovery call: A Fülhaus representative and an Airbnb host discuss the project plan and property requirements.
- Floor plan analysis, usually 1 week: Property owners need to provide detailed floor plans and photos. They need to fill out a survey if floor plans do not include all details such as elevations, window measurements, etc. Site-surveys are available for an additional fee.
- Review and approval of a tentative quote based on budget.
- Design and furniture selection, usually 1-2 weeks: Hosts can choose from one of the design packages or opt for a custom design on request. Next, they need to pay the design fee before receiving a design and furniture plan.
- Quote finalization and contract: Vacation rental property owners need to confirm the final selection and sign a contract.
- Furniture deposit payment. Deposit options vary depending on purchase terms.
- Order and delivery, usually 6-10 weeks. A Fülhaus project lead meets the host to discuss delivery and installation. A Fülhaus supervisor is on site during delivery to ensure everything goes smoothly.
- Assembly and installation, usually 1-2 weeks, including installation plan, site preparation, installation, waste removal, and issue resolution.
- Staging and photography, usually 1 week, including tidying the place and preparing it for listing.
The Fülhaus design and furnishing process is significantly longer than what other top companies offer.
To get started, Airbnb hosts can visit the Fulhaus website or email help@fulhaus.com.
Takeaway
Awning is the best Airbnb furnishing company in the US, offering full-service design and furnishing. Services include customized design managed by the ex-Head of Design at Airbnb, sourcing, white-glove delivery, installation, setup, and cleanup. Services are available in all 50 states. Awning fees are included in the overall budget, ranging between $15,000 and $45,000. The entire process takes 4-6 weeks, after which you can start earning income from your short-term rental.