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o Outdated light fixtures are one of my pet peeves.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
info@homestylingbycathy.com
www.homestylingbycathy.com
