28 Oct Too Many Vendors to Count? Let Model55 Consolidate the Supply Chain for Your Model Apartment Design

So you need to stage a model apartment for your senior living or multifamily community. You can just order a furniture set for each room, a couple of rugs, and a few pieces of generic wall art and be well on your way to increasing occupancy, right?

Wrong. DIYing your model apartment design may seem like a smart financial decision and even a fun creative outlet, but be warned: you’re setting yourself up for a logistical nightmare.

Think of what will happen when your orders start coming in: who will track and receive these items as they arrive individually? Who will assemble all of the furniture?

What if the products never even show up in the first place? In the design world, something always goes wrong, and circumstances are especially challenging right now.

Due to the pandemic, most furniture supply chains are severely backlogged, meaning you could be looking at delivery dates as far as 32 weeks out. There’s also a good chance you’ll receive at least one damaged or incorrect item. If that happens, you’ll have to go through the trouble of sending them back and ordering new ones, adding weeks or months to your project timeline.

Do you really have time to manage all those moving parts yourself?

If you’re having doubts, get the help you need before your project begins. At Model55, we handle the entire model apartment design and installation process from start to finish, effectively consolidating what could end up being dozens of vendors into just one.

What it Takes to Get the Job Done

To determine if you have the capacity to take on designing and installing a full model apartment, consider each phase of the process and its accompanying demands:

Design

The layout. You can’t choose furniture simply based on what’s in style. You’ll need to measure all dimensions to determine what actually fits in the space so that it doesn’t end up looking too empty or overly cramped.

Product availability. You may fall in love with a sleek, modern coffee table, but if it’s out of stock, you’re out of luck. Your design choices will be entirely limited to current availability.

Drapery. If you have standard windows, you may be able to order and install curtains yourself, which in and of itself is no small feat. For custom windows, you’ll need to consult a drapery company for special, often made-to-order, tapestries.

Fulfillment and product sourcing. If you don’t want to source products yourself, you could hire a design firm. They’ll select attractive pieces according to the style of your community, but they won’t manage your timeline or handle the logistics of delivery.

Delivery & Installation

Product delivery. Once you order products, you’ll need to keep track of each item to confirm delivery, then backtrack to address any orders that are delayed or canceled.

Furniture assembly and handiwork. Furniture assembly requires specialized tools and a big investment of time. Either you’ll have to reserve a few days to put the furniture together yourself, or hire a team to do it for you.

Staging. It takes more than basic pieces of furniture to convert visitors to residents. You need plenty of intimate details (special lighting, intriguing artwork, welcoming touches) to create a model apartment that truly feels like home.

Cleaning. Prepare yourself for a huge mess. You will have ordered dozens of products, each with accompanying cardboard and styrofoam packaging. Once all packaging has been opened, the unit will look like a disaster until everything has been removed, and the apartment has been cleaned.

Logistics

Storage. Have you considered where you’ll store an entire apartment’s worth of furniture and decor if the model unit isn’t available yet? You probably don’t want to hoard the products in your office, but you might not have a choice.

Budget management. If you’re DIYing your model apartment, you’ll be responsible for managing the entire budget yourself. Without a proper logistics team, your $5,000 project can easily turn into a $30,000 loss.

Multiple units. Working at a large company with several communities across the country means you’ll have thousands of details to organize and stay on top of in buildings where you aren’t even physically present.

Before you decide to take on all these moving parts yourself, consider your bandwidth. When you’re already stretched thin, designing and installing a model apartment could push you over the edge.

If you’re not prepared to devote your time and energy to a massive undertaking like model apartment staging, hire professionals to consolidate your supply chain for you.

How Model55 Streamlines the Process

Model55 is a full-service, turn-key model apartment staging solution. We do it all, from design and delivery to staging and logistics. When you turn your model apartment over to us, every last detail is thoughtfully considered and taken care of. Here are a few of the ways we make a direct impact on your project:

Streamline communication

We’re the go-to people when there’s a problem. When you work with us, you don’t need to worry about communicating with multiple vendors. You’ll have a designated single point of contact to address any questions or concerns.

Project management

Our logistics team handles everything from order placement to shipping, delivery, and installation with our comprehensive white glove delivery service. At the end of the process, you’ll walk into a turnkey model apartment without ever lifting a finger.

Problem-solving

Throughout the years, we’ve formed direct relationships with vendors we can depend on. Instead of the time-consuming hassle of going through general customer service channels, we know exactly who to contact to get problems solved quickly.

Why take on the stress of model apartment staging yourself if you don’t have to? At Model55, we consolidate all of your vendors and manage every aspect of model apartment design and installation for you. Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive and personalized solutions!