However, there is plenty of area in the back yard for some storing units so I will definitely look into those and the furniture.

You can look to the sq ft requirements of a sleeping area per person and if that area can not be enlarged by rearranging the furniture for example, then you may say there is only the legal space for one person for sleeping.

The one's that are doing well do a lot of "little things" but, in my mind, here are the biggest "little" things you can do:1. refurbish with modern furniture.

Was it staging furniture / items?

I'm not a fan of sheet vinyl as it can rip and it's not that feasible to repair, but would consider it for a bathroom where you don't have heavy furniture going in and out.

Not sure if you could replace those with smaller, more efficient window units that would take away from the bulkiness of the existing units.

Usually costs more and does not give a descent return but what I have done for some of my tenants is offer them low interest personal loans for house hold items (TVs furniture etc.)

I own a small design/build furniture company located in Seattle, and I have been thinking about using my furniture, and my design sense, to start staging homes.  

I am not sure if you are looking for other methods of funding, of if you are looking for alternate streams of passive income (you could try purchasing furniture used for future staging and rent them out when you're not using them for an example), but if you have the time to work on more than what you're already doing and are simply wanting ideas to come up with more funding, I would suggest working together with someone else (an active REI that is) who has the capital and splitting the profit until you make enough that way so you don't have to worry about it.

These are remnants he's purchased in bulk.  I