With the increase in home sales thanks to the improving economy, there is an increased need for home staging businesses. Real estate agents as well as current homeowners who want to sell their homes quickly have realized the importance of having a professional do the furniture staging. Staging allows the potential homebuyer to see just what the home holds in terms of potential. If you have wanted to get into the home staging business, here are a few tips to get you started.
1. Know your market. Each market in the country is a little different. Some places have higher home values than others. Some markets also have different “tastes” if you will – for instance, country cute would seem out of place in New York City. Conversely, the urban cool grey tones of New York would look odd in a country home in North Carolina. A good staging professional will be able to stage a home perfectly for the market.
2. Know the home. Any remodels that were completed should be highlighted when staging. All of that work that was done to improve the house needs to be shown off! Staging can be done with lighting and special furnishings that draw attention to the remodels. This is different than redecorating the home – you are there to enhance the house.
3. Be prepared with knowledge, mainly of what is current in terms of decorating trends. Many people are quite current on trends thanks to the prevalence of home improvement websites and social media sites like Pinterest. There are some classes you can take that will help you keep current. You should also be prepared to know your own limitations – are you able to move the furniture yourself, or will you need to bring in a helper? It also takes knowing your own personality. When you let your skills shine through, that confidence will be irresistible to your clients.
4. Do some research on how to run a business. You are, after all, running your own full business, and while most of your time will be spent doing what you love – staging – you will also have to keep financial records, file any appropriate registration paperwork, and manage the income you will be bringing in. There are community college classes you can take that will help equip you better to handle the nuts and bolts of the business.
5. Be strong. You might have some very opinionated homeowners who will resist your suggestions. Just remember they will be blind to their own decorations and clutter. They need you because you can be unbiased and help them arrange the furniture in the rooms in the most appealing way. Ether the homeowner or his or her agent recognized the need for a home stager to come in and help. They want your designing expertise and ability, whether they admit it or not.