Showhomes News: CBS says Chic on the cheap

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CBS 8) - David Wiemers is trying to sell his lovely townhome in Rancho Santa Fe.

"It's three bedroom, three bathrooms, 2,129 square feet," he said.

It's filled with beautiful furniture. None of it is his. The furniture belongs to the home's current occupants, Darla Allen and her husband.

"We just relocated here from another state for my husband's business," Darla said.

Darla and her husband aren't renting or leasing. They are home managing.

"We manage the property, make sure it's clean, it's taken care of and we get to live here," Darla said.

Living in an upscale ZIP code for a fraction of the cost.

"We have to have the home ready from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and they give us at least a half-hour notice," Darla said.

Lisa Gulliver is a representative for Showhomes.

"To be in our program, they need to have high-end furnishings. We only use high-end furnishings to the make the home really beautiful. They have to have a clean lifestyle. The house has to be ready to show to a potential buyer at any moment," Lisa said.

Having an occupied, staged home has advantages to the owner.

"It goes from being a house to a home, and that's the emotional difference," David said.

For the current residents, it's a chance to try before they buy.

"This worked well for us because we could try different areas of town. We're empty-nesters now, so we don't have to worry about dragging the kids around," Darla said.

And should the house sell, Darla's ready to pack up and move again to another show home.

"They will find us another property in an area that we like. We'll try again until we're ready to buy," Darla said.

These days, living a lavish lifestyle is not a question of coin. It's more a function of furniture.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• home stagers
• home staging
• showhomes