Random thoughts about things I have learned in the first year of staging.
About Staging:
o Staging is exhausting…esp when the house is three floors.
o Staging in rainy/snowy/windy weather is nasty.
o There’s a lot more to a staging job than the actual hands-on time at the property.
o Some doors are too small to fit a refrigerator through!
o Slipcovers can often be your best friend.
o Cushions/throws are my second best friend.
o Outdated light fixtures are one of my pet peeves.
o Curb appeal is just as important as interior appeal.
o I don’t get hungry when staging on site....why!?
About Realtors:
o Some Realtors fight about every dollar.
o Some Realtors think they are stagers.
o Some Realtors ARE stagers.
o Most Realtors do not stage their listings (here where I live anyway).
o Most Realtors want their stagings done ASAP.
o Some Realtors respond to voice mails, emails promptly.
o Some Realtors rarely respond promptly.
o Some Realtors rarely respond.
o A lot of Realtors stage a house only if it is on the market for a long time with no offers.
o Realtors often pay for the consultation.
o Realtors may occasionally pay for the staging.
o Some Realtors are difficult to work with.
o Some Realtors are great to work with.
About home owners (clients):
o Some clients fight about every dollar paid to me.
o Some clients give me more than I charge.
o Most people do not know the difference between staging and decorating.
o Most people have too much ‘stuff’.
o Lots of home owners trust me with their home and contents.
o Some clients’ houses are not very clean.
o Some clients’ homes are spotless.
o It is often difficult to get clients to agree to the staging because of the cost.
o Homeowners sometimes pay for the consultation.
o Homeowners usually pay for the staging.
o Most home owners (and Realtors) think any house can be staged in 4 hours.
o Most homes CANNOT be effectively staged in 4 hours.
o Some clients' dogs bite (not me thankfully…photographer was not so lucky).
About money matters:
o Electronic transfers are the easiest way to pay and to be paid.
o Many clients want the option of paying with a credit card.
o Getting a large deposit on the job up front is the best way to go.
o Getting a signed contract before starting is ideal.
o Getting a signed contract before starting is often difficult.
o Realtors occasionally pay for the staging
o Realtors often pay for the consultation.
o A lot of money can be made renting my accessories/bedding/small furniture pieces.
About inventory:
o Keeping track of accessory inventory is difficult.
o Suitable storage space for inventory is a must.
o A spare bedroom is not a good idea for a storage place.
o A larger vehicle is an asset.
o There is no rental business catering only to stagers (in my city).
o It is very difficult to rent sofa tables, dining room buffets/servers and accent chairs.
o Much of the furniture in the rental stores is too large for most of the downtown homes I stage.
o Best use of my inventory product is my wall art/mirrors.
o Renting my accessories/bedding/small furniture pieces is a great second stream of income.
Randoms:
o Some ‘flipped’ homes are not a good buy for your money.
o Some ‘flipped’ homes are a good buy for your money.
o The best part for me is seeing the transformation in the ‘after’ shots.
o Keeping up the e-marketing & blogging is very time consuming.
o Email is a great way to correspond with clients/Realtors…there will be a record.
Things I need to improve, consider and/or fix:
o Getting a signed contract before starting any job.
o Getting 50% deposit before starting any job.
o Getting a better storage area for my inventory.
o Finding out latest inventions in staging products. Eg. Decorative curtain rods that cause no damage to walls or facings.
o Booking my stagings so that I don’t have too much work one week and no work the next week.
o Doing some regular blogging instead of playing catch-up.
o Hiring some help for hanging wall art, dusting/windexing/steaming, lifting/moving furniture.
Any comments welcome. Is there anything else I should have/need to learn? Please share the most significant things YOU have learned this year relating to YOUR business.
HOMESTYLING BY CATHY
(709) 341-7115
1. I can save you time. At your request I will meet with your client before the property is listed to give a consultation and explain what needs to be done to sell the house quickly. This frees up more of your time for pursuing other leads, marketing, etc.
2. I can help increase your revenue. Statistics show that staging sells a house in about half the time and for more money than comparable unstaged houses. This means a lower possibility of a price reduction and less money spent on marketing the property….which means more money in your pocket.
3. I can relieve you of the stress of telling your clients their house needs work. Sometimes this can become awkward, but I am experienced in handling such situations. Let me do the ‘dirty work’!
4. I will help you achieve a reputation as a Realtor whose listings always show well.
5. I can ensure that your client's first impression is a WOW impression. There is only one chance to make that all important good first impression. Make sure your clients get it.
6. I can send you referrals. From time to time, home owners who are having their home staged will ask me to recommend a good Realtor. Of course I recommend those that use my services.
Of course, staging is just one tool that can be implemented to help sell homes on the market. If it is priced correctly, marketed effectively and staged beautifully, you will have a winning combination and the house WILL sell.
HOMESTYLING BY CATHY
(709) 341-7115
Serving the St. John's and metro areas in beautiful Newfoundland, Canada.
Today, on a rare, sunny and windless (but cold) day, my husband and I hiked to the most easterly point in North America, Cape Spear. Cape Spear is just outside of our capital city St. John’s.
If you don’t know where St. John’s, Newfoundland is, just look as far east in North America on a map as you can….and there I am, in St. John’s. Hmmm, an island, in the middle of the North Atlantic…..why would anyone live here? Here are just a few reasons why we make this rugged island our home.
• Where else can you find such breathtaking beauty?
• Where else can you find such clean unpolluted air?
• Where else does everybody speak to each other when they pass on the street or in an elevator?
• Where else can you go where there is rarely a traffic problem?
• Where else do people care for neighbors/friends like family?
• Where else is the economy booming?
• Where else can you buy real estate at such good prices?
• Where else can you live that has no snakes, skunks or porcupine?
• Where else are icebergs a common sight every spring?
• Where else are there rarely earthquakes (last one was in 1930s), never tornadoes or cyclones?
But don’t move to this rugged province in Canada if you
• Want consistently good weather….wind, snow and RDF (rain, drizzle fog) is our specialty.
• Want to live in a high rise condo (we don’t have any).
• Want to live in a huge city (St. John’s and suburbs is only about 200,000).
• Want subways to get you places (no subway, but there is a public transit system (bus).
• Dislike being close to the ocean (we are surrounded by water).
• Want 100% travel reliability (flights and ferries are often affected by the weather).
I could go on and on, but a picture is worth a thousand words, so here a few we took on our hike to Cape Spear.
All too often, the price of living in the North Atlantic.
Original lighthouse.....lighthouse keeper`s house is built around it.
Present automated lighthouse in the background
Panoramic
Coastline with Signal Hill in the background
If you don't, you're not alone...most people don't. But I live in this beautiful historic city...which is St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
Here are some interesting facts about Newfoundland & Labrador:
Do you want to sell your home quickly and for top dollar? Call me...I can help you achieve your goal.
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