Home Staging Glossary by Staging Diva

The visual attractiveness of the exterior of a home and property when viewed from the street. Professional home stagers look for ways to improve curb appeal since that's the first step in enticing a potential buyer into the home. For tips on increasing the curb appeal of your clients’ homes, see the Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide: Home Staging Tips, Tricks and Floor Plans.

The process of removing excess items from a home in preparation for putting it on the market. For a related story read the Staging Diva's Top 5 Staging Tips.

The process of removing personal items (such as diplomas and family photos) from a home in preparation for putting it on the market. Commonly practiced in home staging, de-personalizing real estate helps potential buyers imagine themselves living in a home instead of being distracted by who really lives there. New home stagers often make the mistake of taking this practice too far. For help avoiding the perils of over de-personalization, read "Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide: Home staging tips, tricks and floorplans".

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is President of Six Elements Inc. and creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. An entrepreneur since 1989 and author of several guides, Debra has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate and uses her expertise to train others worldwide. She has appeared on HGTV, CBS Radio, CNNMoney, The Wall Street Journal, House & Home, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest and many other magazines, newspapers, TV and radio stations in the US and Canada. For a complete bio visit Debra Gould Online Media Room.

A online directory that allows a home stager to list their business. Some are free and some have a cost. Not all are created equal. You want to be part of a directory that will boost your search engine ranking.

An acronym for "Do it Yourself," DIY staging is when a homeowner or real estate agent decides to stage a property themselves. This can be done successfully when based on the independent advice of a home stager, provided during a home staging consultation. Some real estate agents and home sellers do the staging themselves without a stager's advice. The downside of this approach is that a home seller will not be completely objective and able to see their home the way a prospective buyer would. Alternatively, a real estate agent may be reluctant to be completely honest about all the things that need to be changed, for fear of losing their listing. Related reading: Why you can't afford not to stage your house.

The main “address” of a website, for example http://www.stagingdiva.com. Your domain is something you have to register and pay for. It’s your address (or your “plot of land”) on the World Wide Web. In order to have a website (or your “house”), you still need to build your site after purchasing your domain. Your website is then hosted on a computer server, and other computers find it by going to that address. Even if you don't want to go to the considerable time and expense of building your own site, once you have a name for your home staging business, it's wise to buy your own domain or URL at a site like www.GoDaddy.com. This way, your name is protected so no one else can use it for their own website. To avoid having to learn all about how to build and host their own sites, many Staging Diva Graduates choose to join the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers.

A company that registers your URL when you purchase the domain for your website. This prevents others from being able to purchase or use your domain. One example of a domain registrar is GoDaddy.com.

To transfer a file from the Internet to your computer, or from one computer to another. The Staging Diva home staging courses can easily be downloaded to your computer immediately after you order them. In other words they are "downloadable". Additional reading: Downloadable home staging training not as high-tech as it sounds.

A removable cover for a bedspread or comforter. In home staging, duvet covers can be used to encase an existing comforter, providing a quick and inexpensive way to transform the décor in a bedroom.

In home staging, “editing” is the practice of selecting which items to keep and which to remove. For example, a stager might edit the items on a fireplace mantle or in a bookcase to make them look less crowded and more stylish. Beginner stagers often make the mistake of over editing, which can make a home look deserted— or even worse, vandalized. For tips on appropriate home staging editing read: Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide. You can also check out this book case that home staging expert Debra Gould edited for a home staging project in the free article "Children pose home staging challenges".

An individual who chooses to be self-employed rather than (or in addition to) working for someone else. Most successful entrepreneurs start a business venture based on something they are passionate about that can also fill a need in the marketplace. Home stagers, for example, are born decorators who also have an interest in real estate. They profit from their natural talent by helping home sellers sell their homes more quickly and for a higher price on the real estate market. Additional information in this FREE report: "Ask Staging Diva: Can a regular person like me become a home stager?"

A free social networking website. You can connect with The Staging Diva on Facebook.

An acronym that stands for “frequently asked questions.” Staging Diva offers answers to frequently asked questions about becoming a home stager, hiring a home stager, or working with home stagers if you are a real estate agent.

The practice of buying a house, making improvements, and then reselling it shortly afterward in hopes of making a profit. Many home stagers, including Staging Diva Debra Gould, go into staging after buying, decorating and selling several of their own homes. Home stagers can help “flippers” sell their investment properties even faster and for more money, thus increasing their return on investment. Additional reading in this free article: "House flippers leave lots of money on the table".

Every room needs a focal point, it's where the eye is drawn to upon entering a room. This can be a fireplace, a well-dressed bed, a flower arrangement or even a particular piece of furniture like an armoire. Use art to create a focal point where none exists in a room. To learn more about focal points and home staging tips, see Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide: Home Staging Tips, Tricks and Floor Plans.

The process whereby a lender repossesses a house after a homeowner has stopped making mortgage payments for a period of time. While homeowners in foreclosure are not good candidates for home staging, stagers can help homeowners prevent foreclosure in the first place by staging their homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. Additional reading in this free article: Head off foreclosure by taking action now.