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Home Staging Anyone
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You are right on the money with your advice on pricing. At least in my area (St. Louis) I have run into almost all of the mentioned scenarios that you mentioned. Since I started my company, I have learned things the hard way and made lots of mistakes. The good news is that I DID learn from the mistakes and did not repeat them. There hasn`t really been anyone here to mentor, etc. In many ways I am a pioneer stager here in St. Louis. Now that I have been networking and making connections business is definitely picking up. Thanks for all the great advice!
Gerri
I`m a relatively new home stager and I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Becki (I noticed another "Becky", too!) and I graduated from a staging course last spring. (It was only a 3 day course, but, a very intense schedule and lots of information to cover in those 3 days!).
Since then, I`ve worked with another home stager to start up our own business. The real estate market here has been HOT for over a year, but, things have slowed down during the past month. My staging partner and I have tried various ideas to market ourselves in the hopes of getting our names out there. Staging is still relatively new in my city (Calgary, Alberta CANADA) and it`s becoming a popular career choice for many people.
If anyone has some marketing strategies that they`d like to share ... I`d really appreciate it! I hope to be of some help to others and look forward to hearing about all of you.
Thanks!
Becki
P.S. I hope I`m posting correctly ... still new at this!
I`ve read many of your posts and you`re in a similar situation to mine. I`m just getting started (completed my staging course in May) and I`ve done a few staging jobs. Last month, our first "paid" job was a vacant property that sat on the market for a month. We were contacted by the homeowner (not the realtor) because she was leaving the country and wanted the house sold ASAP.
Since we didn`t have a lot of our own inventory at the time (accessories, furnishings etc.), we found a company that would rent out furniture. The client (homeowner) agreed to pay for the rental in advance - she paid the furniture rental company directly - and the furniture was delivered the following day. It worked out well because it was a fast and easy solution.
The only stipulation was that the client had to rent the furniture for one month ... even though the house sold 4 days after we staged it! She didn`t mind doing so since she sold the house quickly and didn`t have to reduce the asking price, so, she still came out ahead.
I staged another vacant home just last week. My partner and I have managed to collect quite a bit of furniture; artwork and accessories so we were able to completely stage each room in the house! Accessories go a long way ... even in a room that`s minimally staged.
My staging partner had an old loveseat that we covered with a brand new slip-cover in a neutral color. We added accent cushions and a coordinating throw and it looked brand new! If you can find a few clean, second-hand furniture pieces, you might get away with slip-covers, for the time being.
We also found a lot of great home items at WAL*MART just to get us started. We bought a glass and wrought iron table and chair set (under $300)that looks nice in the vacant dining room. We`ll rent out our own inventory to clients in order to offset the costs of purchasing these items on our own.
We`ve been using air beds (they`re nearly as high as a regular mattress set) for our bedrooms. We bought brand new "Bed-in-a-Bag" sets from Linens `n Things on sale and they look fabulous once the bed is all dressed up!
We`ve collected a ton of artwork; new linens and various accessories that we`ve found on sale. It`s really helped to build our own inventory. The only problem is ... STORAGE! Our own homes are starting to pile up with staging stuffand we`re quickly running out of room for it all. LOL!
Hope this helps to give you some ideas.
Becki
Canada
I am thinking of getting into the home staging business. I am collecting all the info I can to make my decision. I am not ready to make the investment of classes or training yet, as I would like to look over items such as contracts, home assessment forms, etc. and general info that will be part of the day to day running of the business.
Any suggestions as to where I can find these items and such information?
Thanks....Vicki
I have learned that there is a bundle of free information out there. This was of course after I spent a bundle on my accreditation course. Go to Borders or any large bookstore and look for home staging books. they might cost a few bucks, but in the end they are a great value in comparison to available courses. Good luck in your new journey!
Gerri
Have you begun to notice a slow down because of the time of year? Will you be filling in with holiday decorating?
Vicki
Yes the real estate market has come to a seasonal slowdown due in part to the time of year as well as the upcoming holidays. As a matter of fact I have been asked to assist another stager with holiday decorating. This may become a nice "filler" during the slower months! How are things going with you? Write back when you can. I wish you only the best.
Gerri
I am still considering the venture. I have been to both Barnes and Noble, and Borders but can`t find anything on professional home staging, and especially not with any forms. I did find a couple of books on Amazon that I am considering. I don`t know if they have forms.
I assmue you purchase liability insurance of some type. Is there a national company that provides this? I know my insurance company doesn`t. These are the types of things I want to investigate before I commit.
The holiday decorating sounds fun! Enjoy.
I wish you much success.
Vicki
Here`s a website that might launch your quest for information on staging: www.homestaging.us</A>
Good Luck.
Keep in touch.
Gerri
Debra
Vicki
I just saw your post ... I`ve been away at Disney World for a week with my family and got home late last night!
Yes, we`ve looked into insurance and have something ready to go ... we just need to finalize all the details.
So far, we`ve only staged VACANT properties, so, no one is actually living in the house. The homeowners have moved on and the realtor was trying to sell it as a vacant house.
We actually used a local furniture rental company for our first vacant property and then started collecting a lot of our own furnishings and accessories along the way. Storage was becoming an issue since we`ve purchased our own larger pieces (sofa; chairs; dining tables etc.). We recently solved our storage dilemma by purchasing a small cargo trailer! It should help with transporting items to each house, too!
Thanks for your suggestions!!! We still may need to look into other storage options in the future. Negotiating with a storage place is a great idea!
Becki
Hi BeckiFor rentals:Looks like you`ve decided to go the route of building up your own inventory of props and furnishings for staging projects. That can certainly be lucrative IF you make sure you charge monthly (at minimum) for anything they have of yours. You might want to also think about damage deposits and insurance. What if their cat tears up a couch you put in? What if they drive off in the middle of the night with all your stuff? Etc. I`d also charge for pick up and delivery as you need to cover your time for this.For storage:You might be able to negotiate a free storage locker for yourself in exchange for recommending that company to your clients who need their own storage. Hope that helps!Debra Gould, Six Elements Inc. Home Staging
Actually, another option is to market your services and collect payment directly from the homeowner since there are many homeowners who try to sell their homes on their own. I run a Homeowner Referral Network (HRN) business in NY and refer homeowners to local home improvement contractors and have worked with home staging company in the past. The homeowner paid the company directly and the home staging company then paid my company a pre-negotiated commission. If you`re interested in working with a local HRN to help market your business, I can check my database by zipcode for one operating in your area of Missouri.
Debra
Do you know of a local HRN operating in Austin, Texas? If so could you post info (phone number, website, etc)?
Thanks