Home Staging Time Suckers – The Pack-Rat Client

I hope you’re enjoying these posts about the different time-sucking home staging client types you might encounter at your consultations. I really believe that when you charge a flat rate, all you’re doing is setting yourself up to lose your shirt.

Today’s installment is what will end up to be the client that costs you the most money; “The Pack-Rat Client“.

You’ve quoted your flat rate to a new home staging client and the prospect didn’t even bat an eye lash. Great! You’re feeling very positive about this one, because of the way the house was described, you are going to have quite a few pieces to work with. They mentioned they had a lot of furniture, so you picture how you might break up the pieces among different rooms to really change the space.

Then you arrive at your appointment and are welcomed into the home, only to discover that there isn’t one square inch of space that isn’t covered in clutter. Huge stacks of papers dominate the kitchen table, cupboards won’t close they’re so jam packed with junk, piles of books, games and toys are taking over the living room – you feel like you just stepped into an Oprah episode about excessive hoarders.

You know now, before even getting into your consultation, that it could take a full day just to move out the clutter before you can even think about staging.

Too bad you’ve already quoted your flat rate and will be leaving so much money on the table you can’t even stand to think about it.

The next, and second to last installment in this series will talk about a client type that can indirectly cost you a fortune; “The Wishy-Washy Client”.

If you’re getting that uncomfortable feeling that you’ve seen these time sucking client types all too often, check out the pricing strategies in Course 2 of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, “The Business of Home Staging: What you need to start and how to grow,” it teaches you how to charge fairly for your services which is one of the most important factors involved with starting a staging business.

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President, Six Elements Inc. Home Staging

Entrepreneur and Home Staging expert Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, knows how to make money as a home stager. She has helped many long time Interior Designers make the switch into a more profitable house staging business. Discover her secrets to business success in the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program.

More about Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training

Technorati Tags: home staging, home stager, home stagers, house staging, house stagers, house stager, Debra Gould, Staging Diva, home staging business, home staging pricing structure, charging a flat rate, home staging time suckers, the pack-rat client

Related posts:

1. Home Staging Time Suckers – The Chatty Client
2. Home Staging Time Suckers – The Distracted Client
3. Home staging is not a minimum wage job
4. Stage yourself to sell: Image is everything Part 1
5. Stage yourself to sell: Image is everything (Part 2)

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