How to Start a Home Staging Business: Earn $75 an Hour

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What is home staging? How Home Staging Works? Is home staging a profitable business? What does a home stager do? Know all in this guide on How to Start a Home Staging Business.

If you have a knack for interior designing, why not consider starting a home staging business and become a home stager? A home staging startup can begin as a small startup with the staging company being a small business that will support you with a reasonable income on the side, till you grow it to become a bigger and more dependable one.

What is home staging business? Real estate markets are highly competitive so if homeowners wish to sell their property for a good price, they need to present it well to a potential buyer. This is where the home stager comes in, as you can help make these homes more appealing to a buyer by using interior designing and accessories that highlight the strengths of the house and hides the flaws.

So what does it involve to become a home stager? Let’s check out the nitty gritties of becoming a home stager and what it takes to become one.

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Research the Local Real Estate Market Before Starting Your Own Home Staging Business

Is home staging a profitable business? According to a study conducted by the RESA (Real Estate Staging Association), homes sell at an 87% faster rate after staging as against selling them as they are.

That said, it is also important to check out the local market in your town and state before you set out on a home staging career.
Understand the trends in the local market to get an idea about the buyers’ tastes and requirements in your area.
Learn about the competition before you start your staging company.

Networking with Realtors and Clients for Home Staging Business

A home staging business model consists of items similar to any other normal business startup. Building a client base is no easy task so start networking NOW.

Start networking from day one or even before. Attend industry events to get updates on local designing professionals with whom you might need to work with. Keep your business card ready.
Get in contact with other real estate agents to work with them.
Sign up for online mailing lists.
Attend trade shows and open house meetings for inspiration on latest home decor trends, for meeting other vendors and make connections with clients. Ask referrals from existing clients.

Tip: You can even host your own open house at one of the staged homes.

As part of your home staging business plan, check out the home listings to see which ones are not selling. Contact the agents concerned and try to get a staging work for them.

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Education/Training

There are several professional programs for training and guiding you in staging homes, with the boom in the real estate market.

Clients depend on you using the right techniques for reducing clutter and displaying their home attractively, fix repairs and so
Enroll in an online home staging course and complete it before you start & run a home staging business.

There are no specific educational requirements for home staging, as it is an unregulated business but being a certified staging consultant will make you stand out from the rest.

Create Your House Stager Portfolio

You can create a portfolio even before getting any experience.

Start by showcasing your certification and training, and even add your grades to show prospective clients, as an important part of your home staging business strategy.

Tip: Begin by designing and staging your own home, a living room maybe. Take pictures and beef up your showcase.

Design your brand and an attractive business name that potential customers will notice. Use a memorable logo.

Tip: You can take help from a professional graphics designer for top quality logos.

Make presentations at the Realtor’s association or in real estate offices

Consultation Visit

This is the most common request you will receive from clients.

It might begin with a phone conversation to know more about the property, the project scope, the time schedule and the challenges you need to meet.
The next step is to make a visit to the property, check out what you could do to make it more appealing, make suggestions and recommendations for painting, furniture, structural improvements, take measurements, etc.
You can then create a memo showing all recommendations, with pictures and sketches to guide the client.
You may then be required to shop and order the furnishings, lighting, flooring, painting and facilitate all these through contractors.
The final stage is to put it all together. Install the furniture, artwork and other design touches to the home.

There are also several home staging career opportunities. You can use either work as a freelance home stager or team up with real estate agents or online sites offering home staging services.

Also Read: How to Start a Lawn Care Business with Minimum Investment

Home Staging Inventory

Home Staging Business — Image Credit: homewithkeki.com

Some homeowners empty out their home and want to redo it completely before listing, while others just want some renovation. You can have your own stock furniture and other decoration items and sell them to increase income.

Get good decor items to fill in the homes attractively.
Attend local auctions and see if you can get discounted furniture and decor to keep some supplies.
You will need storage space for keeping the decor pieces, so invest in a space.

Remember: You can also opt for rental options, especially useful in case of large homes.

Read: 10 Effective Ways to Turn Your Business Idea into a Startup

Marketing Your Home Staging Business

Have an online presence. Write articles on home staging and related topics in your blog and in real estate blogs to get more publicity for your brand.
Send out your home staging business cards showing some staged and sold house pictures to your existing and potential clients. Get testimonials from clients. Distribute your business card and other brochures and marketing materials at staged listings.
Create a video of staged houses done by you and share it on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter and so on.
Be an active participant at the local Realtor Association, so that you can meet many prospects.

Make it a point to get listed on free sites like Yelp; Google Business Listing; Houzz and others.

Online Presence

You can be very good at home staging and have a lot of talent, but that’s of no use if no one is aware of your services. Create an online presence and showcase your talents as a home stager for building a successful home staging business.

Go up there and post it on social media.
Create your home staging website and add content to it. Increase your audience and connect with other designers, real estate agents and clients who want a home stager.
List your services in online directories.

Wrap Up – How to Start a Home Staging Business

You are actually self employed in this business of home staging and you can make it a part time job initially. Each project lasts a short time as compared to a full fledged interior designing project.

You might need to do a consultation with your clients for a few hours. It might take anywhere between a day to several days, depending on the size of the house, the number of rooms, whether it is a vacant home staging or just redesigning and several other variables.

All you need to do is get into the home, work your personal magic in there working with what is in there, tossing out what is ugly, give recommendations and suggestions and then leave with your payment.

The good news is that nearly 38% of seller agents claim that they go through the home staging procedure before listing houses for sale.

So why not become a home stager? The upfront investment is low and there’s a lot of room for growth in the home staging industry. Print that business card and set up your website as a stager and you’re good to go!