Expert Advice on Renting Furniture

Rent Furniture, Save The Earth?
One way to acquire ‘new’ furniture without having the companies make more is to rent them. Is this a better, more sustainable option?

By Kevin Chow | reprinted with permission from Home Concepts magazine

FURNITURE leasing is a concept that is not foreign to most expatriates living around the world. In this story, we explore the idea of leasing furniture as a sustainable option when it comes to decking out the home.





Expats Furniture Rental

Expats Furniture Rental offers short- and long-term quality residential furniture and appliances for the private and corporate sectors. The rental items range from hard furniture to soft furnishings like carpets, paintings and kitchenware.

To reduce the consumption of raw materials in furniture production, the company uses recycled wood, instead of falling trees for new timber. Part of this process would be to take wood from old structures, treat them, and transform them into new pieces of furniture.

When the expatriate leaves the country, we will collect back the furniture which in turn will be rented out again and this cycle goes on,” explains Khommi Tan, marketing manager of Expats Furniture Rental.

“This is especially evident under our short-term rental whereby all items available are our ex-rental stock. Besides, we have our own team of well-trained personnel to regularly carry out the maintenance and service of the furniture.”

Esco Leasing

Esco is one of the pioneers of furniture leasing in Singapore, and has been actively serving the expatriate community for 23 years now. As part of its commitment to the environment, the design concepts and direction undertaken by its team of in-house designers and home stylists have always been eco-inspired.

An example of this philosophy in practise can be witnessed at the Esco factory in Central Java, where they use reclaimed timber for their furniture, and organic hand printed raw linen/hemp for home furnishings.

This is how Esco maintains its green focus:

1) Defining a lease period for the required duration of each expatriate family’s stay here in Singapore.

2) Reutilising the inventory for the useful lifespan of the furniture through subsequent rental programmes.

3) Recycling the material to fashion new designs.

10 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE LEASING FURNITURE
(Source: Expats Furniture Rental)

1. Available time frame before moving into the apartment
2. Setting aside a budget for furniture rental
3. Prioritising your needs and wants
4. Knowing the quality of the furniture that you are renting
5. Intended ownership of the furniture after the lease expires
6. Hassle of maintaining and servicing the furniture/ appliances
7. Hassle of shipping own items from abroad
8. Possibility of damage in transit
9. Disposal issue when returning back to home country
10. Sourcing and engaging a credible and reliable furniture rental vendor