Home Staging Glossary by Staging Diva

Some desperate home sellers resort to burying a statue of St. Joseph on their properties in the hopes of getting a speedier sale. Unlikely to be as effective as actually decorating a home to appeal to home buyers, also known as home staging. Additional reading: Home staging is more practical than a buried statue

Search engines are used to look for information on the Internet. The largest and most important search engines are: Google, Yahoo and Bing. Search engines store a summary of what a particular site is about which is what shows up in search results for a particular phrase when it is searched. When building a webpage, you can use meta tags to write the headline and paragraph a search engine will display in its results. Members of the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers get this as a free benefit of participation.

SEO or Search Engine Optimization describes an Internet marketing strategy used to maximize search engine traffic to a website or blog using "natural," "organic" or "unpaid" methods. Two important aspects of SEO are improving your website's Page Rank and getting links to your site from others. The best links are from high traffic and established websites.

There are billions of websites on the Internet, all competing for attention. In order to get found by people who don't know you, you need to be concerned with your search engine ranking, ie, how close to the top of search engine results your site can come. Everyone hopes to be in the top 10 which puts you on the first page of search results for a particular phrase. The goal of search engine optimization (SEO) is to improve your search engine ranking which leads to more and better quality visitors to your site.

Seasonality refers to an activity that follows a predictable and fairly regular pattern. Because there is seasonality in the real estate market, there is also seasonality in the demand for home staging services. Staging leads real estate because many people stage their homes before putting them on the real estate market. The great news for home stagers, is that it also follows the real estate cycle because many people stage their homes after they've tried unsuccessfully to sell it. For more on this topic, read this article Seasonality of Home Staging.

When the demand for homes is higher than the supply, it is known as a “seller’s market.” In this situation home sellers have more power than buyers, which is why a seller's market drives up asking and selling prices. Too many buyers compete for too few listings, leading to bidding wars. For further reading about home staging in a seller’s market get this free report on how the real estate market effects the home staging industry: Ask Staging Diva “Can I grow a home staging business in a depressed economy?"

The sheen level of a paint indicates how shiny it is and much light it reflects. Paint is available in different sheen levels ranging from flat to high gloss. The higher the gloss level, the more the light bounces off the surface of the paint and the more any bumps or imperfections in the surface become apparent. This can be a big disadvantage to using a higher sheen level on old plaster. Lower sheen levels are harder to wash which makes them inappropriate for hallways and kitchens. Additional information: Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: The Easy Way to Pick Colors for Home Staging Projects.

In real estate, a short sale occurs when a lender agrees to allow a homeowner to sell a home for less than what is owed on the property. This typically occurs because the seller has a hardship (unemployment, medical issues, divorce) or because the seller owes more on the mortgage than the home is worth. A short sale allows the lender and homeowner to avoid the lengthy and expensive foreclosure process, and while a short sale often has a negative effect on a homeowner’s credit, the impact is typically less than that of a bankruptcy or foreclosure. Home staging can play an important role in short sales, but it’s all about the timing. For more information, see Ask Staging Diva “Should I start a home staging business in this economy?”

A piece of dining room furniture used for serving food and storing tableware and linens. Depending on the style of the sideboard, it may also be used effectively in a living room or family room for storage and to hide video components. Additional decorating and home staging tips can be found in the Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide.

A leading home staging firm started in 2002 by Debra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, after she had bought, staged and sold 6 of her own homes in 4 cities. The company offers: home staging, interior redesign, color consulting, real estate advice and virtual staging services. For more information visit SixElements.com

A fitted fabric cover used to encase a sofa or upholstered chair. Slipcovers are often used in home staging to improve the look of a space without replacing the existing furniture. For more staging tips, see the Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide: Home Staging Tips, Tricks and Floor Plans.

When there are many homes for sale and few buyers there is no perceived pressure to make a quick buying decision. This is known as a slow real estate market or a “buyer’s market.” For further reading about home staging in a slow real estate market download the FREE Report: Ask Staging Diva “Can I grow a home staging business in a depressed economy?”

A web-based service that allows users to connect with others for personal or business purposes. Examples include Facebook, Twitter, and Active Rain.

Spiders are programs used to scour the Internet, feeding web pages to search engines. They're called spiders because of the way they crawl the "web". They move from one web page or one web site to another by following links. They're also known as web crawlers.

There are several associations claiming to be "the voice of the home staging industry." It's important to know that none of these organizations are completely independent (and therefore unbiased) associations in the home staging field. All are tied in some way to a particular training company (because they are owned by them, or their owners hold executive positions within the organization) or they are tied to a group of training companies (because they pay to be endorsed by the association). When determining which one to join, look carefully at the benefits you'll get for the amount paid. Don't automatically assume that membership will give you instant credibility since home staging is a completely unregulated field and there are many associations. Some stagers enjoy association membership because of the connection with fellow home stagers or other benefits. Others, don't belong to any staging associations and have built very successful home staging businesses without that.

When a home stager visits a client’s home to provide advice for staging the property to sell. For tips on how to improve your home staging consultations, see this article: New tool for home stagers makes staging consultations easier.

Established in 2004, Staging Diva® is one of the most recognized and respected names in home staging today. Created by real estate staging expert Debra Gould, the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program teaches HGTV fans and others how to use their decorating talent to grow a successful home staging business. There are many Staging Diva products and services available to help new and established home stagers alike. Staging Diva is a registered trademark of Six Elements Inc.

A monthly group coaching call hosted by home staging expert Debra Gould where Staging Diva Graduates get a chance to work through challenges with fellow grads and the Staging Diva herself. Learn more about Staging Diva Dialog.

A highly trafficked directory of home stagers made up entirely of Staging Diva Graduates who pay a fee to have their business listed there. A full or "Profile" listing can act as a home stager's website as it contains three sets of before and after photos, contact details and sales copy. "Mini" listings are also available as a less expensive option but both options help to improve a stager's page rank. Homeowners and real estate agents search the directory to find a professional home stager in their area. Learn more about how to join the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers.

Someone who has completed all five of the Staging Diva home staging courses is considered a Staging Diva Graduate. Graduates are eligible to participate in exclusive programs including monthly Staging Diva Dialog calls, Staging Diva Network and the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers.