Peoples mentalities have changed to a home as a high return investment instead of a place to park your furniture.

My first response is to compensate with money - hire an interior designer and spend a ton of money on furniture.

The tenant had rented furniture from a local place.  

Can be loaded up with tools, trash, furniture, etc.

When it comes to furniture-I recommend going cheap.

@Sandra HoltI don’t know how much this applies to your market, but in mine, you have to factor concessions into your calculations.For example, I’m leasing a 11k sqft furniture showroom instead of buying largely because I was able to get $129k of concessions out of the Landlord.

I've never signed a lease without having cleared funds before - sounds like we can all sign electronically and then they can bring cleared funds (with furniture) to the unit on Friday?

They handle the messy work, such as compiling extensive inventories of damaged appliances, furniture and decorations, and also act as liaisons between the insured, which in this case would be you, the real estate agent, and the insurance company.

A/C units, appliances, furniture, all that is much more expensive.  

However even if they have one piece of furniture inside still, I would consider it occupied. what does your lease say about abandonment?