Comments on: Start a home staging portfolio before starting your staging business

By: Kathi

Kathi — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 04:18:25 +0000

Not only do your descriptions validate my decisions to become a Professional Home Stager, your story about going at the wallpaper border (who invented those dreadful things anyway?) so very much reminded me of something similar I did with my living room window and door trim. I just went down to the basement, got out my favorite trim paint color and started going to town painting.

Then I realized I hadn’t taken any before shots. Ah the missed opportunity.

These days, I have slowed my always formulating creative mind and now I deliberately take pictures before impulsively taking re-decorating or re-designing action.

It’s a challenge though. I’m such a forward thinker it’s hard to stay in the moment. I get so I just can’t stand looking at something one second longer.

If only I could get all of the rooms out into fruition that I have redone in my head I’d be a billionaire.

Kathi Howland
Nicole Interiors Home Staging

By: Home staging gets divording couple more than asking in one day | Home Staging Business Report

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:06:52 +0000

[...] just enjoy decorating right now and don’t have plans to start a business, you should be taking before and after photos just in [...]

By: Weekend Home Staging Portfolio Project | Staging Diva Dispatch

Weekend Home Staging Portfolio Project | Staging Diva Dispatch — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:02:24 +0000

[...] >More tips for getting your staging portfolio started [...]

By: Nicolet Groen

Nicolet Groen — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:53:51 +0000

I still enter a home (staged over 100 in the past 2 years) and after I’m finished I realise I had forgotten the before photos for a portfolio update!

By: Ana Jackson

Ana Jackson — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:05:34 +0000

You are so right Debra. I have redone rooms in my house and then realized I hadn’t taken a “before” picture just to compare it with the “after”. You can describe how the room looked before, but they say a picture is worth a thousand words!

By: Natasha Liburd

Natasha Liburd — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:33:11 +0000

I decided to start my business this year and this very thing still gives me goose bumps! I still can’t explain why I have before pictures from over 3 years ago…before turning something I love to do into an actual business was even on my radar! This served as further confirmation for me:-) And yes, missing a “before” shot is a missed opportunity. An “after” shot shows a beautiful space, but showing a transformation from “before” to “after” is POWERFUL!

By: Terry

Terry — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:40:24 +0000

Great idea! Due to foreclosure on the previous house we were renting, we recently moved into another rental house a few months ago, We knew this would be temporary until we found a home of our to buy; but we didn’t expect it to happen so soon – a few weeks after moving in, we were shocked to be notified that this house was also in foreclosure (the landlord never informed us of this). So we didn’t even bother unpacking and have been living out of boxes, bags, and bins for the past few months. I’m going to make sure we take photos of the clutter now because once we start moving out in a few weeks, the transformation will be dramatic. We plan to stage it for portfolio photos before moving everything out. I haven’t yet started my staging business, but once we are in our new home, getting the business off the ground will be a priority. Thanks for all your awesome advice, Debra!

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:26:51 +0000

Such good advice! I always have the camera at hand for those “before” pictures. When I had the home inspector in to look at my last house before buying I was busy taking pictures as I knew I would be changing many, many things in this “fixer” of a house. You are also right Debra, the “after” shots bring a great sense of pride for the transformations, especially when you do the work yourself.