Comments on: Dare to be different when packaging your home staging services

By: Sharon

Sharon — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:01:52 +0000

I started my home staging business in March 2009. In April I took advantage of an opportunity to market my staging business in-person by renting a booth in a market near my home & on the waterfront. There are a variety of booths in the market selling used & new items and it is popular with residents and visitors to the Coast. We all take turns covering shifts, which works out to 3-4x/month. I had never worked in retail before, so I have had my challenges with the cash register and hitting the right keys! However, it has been fun so far.

I carry decor items and some furniture. I have the opportunity to interact with customers as often as I want & I can keep my decorating skills fresh by transforming my displays regularly. This also gave me an in to the wholesale market; so I have been able to get decor items to use in client’s homes for very good prices, which often means they end up purchasing them. If something I purchase doesn’t sell, I then have the option of putting it on sale or adding it to my inventory.

For $240/mo., less than the cost of 1 ad, I have on-going advertising and interaction with potential clients, and I have been making money to tide me over while my staging biz catches on.

The West coast of BC is hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics in February and our Coast B&Bs are booking like crazy. We will have visitors from all over the world here in February and I am ready with Olympic hats, mitts & blankets, along with my regular decor items. Word is that there may be a spike in local home sales: I’m ready for that too!

By: Donna McBrier

Donna McBrier — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:01:34 +0000

Kay, just some random thoughts…
Stop by each house with your invite that says something like ” I know what will sell your house faster, come over, enjoy coffee and cookies and find out” (no purchase necessary)
Then when they come tell them what you do and show them your before and after pictures. Maybe have a drawing where they all get to draw a prize. The prizes would be things like; 1 free staged room, $25, $50, $75 and $100 off a staging package. (to cash in they must book a staging package) hard to refuse something for free. Maybe you’ll get 5 staging projects! Just think how much fun it would be for all of them to have Open Houses on the same day! Or if you only stage one home and it looks great, like we know it would, and it sells…the others would have you work on their homes too, no doubt!
Anyway, Good luck to you! What an opportunity!

By: Debbie Fiskum, The Home Decor Genie!

Debbie Fiskum, The Home Decor Genie! — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:07:25 +0000

Great idea! A way to meet more prospective clients and to do a staging job!
Surprisingly, I’ve been busier this season for some reason…I wouldn’t think people would put their homes on the market now, but not only are they staging -they’re selling! One of my staged homes sold in under 2 weeks! Another took a little longer – 3 1/2 weeks, but even in this economy, homes are moving.

This is a great job!

By: Kay Keeton

Kay Keeton — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:24:17 +0000

This article got my creative juices flowing as to how I can use this idea to meet some of my neighbors who’s homes are for sale in my neighborhood. I would feel really bold to go to their door and offer my services. I am thinking about doing a cookies and coffee open house. There are five homes in walking distance of mine for sale. Any ideas?

By: Fareeha Maria

Fareeha Maria — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:43:16 +0000

Thank you for sharing this article with us. Kudos to the home stager for being creative. Its like having those ‘ tupperware’ or ‘ Avon ‘ get togethers from yester years which were always fun and often resulted in sales
Well done !