Home Stagers Advised to Consider Furniture Inventory Issues

by Debra Gould on March 12, 2012

Summary

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, warns home stagers to carefully weigh the pros and cons of maintaining their own furniture inventory.

Home Stagers Advised to Consider Furniture Inventory Issues

home staging inventory(UNITED STATES) March 12, 2012 – On the Home Staging Business Report blog, home staging expert Debra Gould explains why home stagers should think carefully about the potential ramifications of purchasing their own inventory of rental furniture.

“While I teach the pros and cons of having your own home staging inventory, I’m a big fan of not having it,” says Gould. “It’s really not necessary to invest tens of thousands of dollars in home staging furniture, art and accessories, and I say this as someone who has staged hundreds of homes, many of them vacant or only partially furnished. There are tons of pitfalls of furniture rentals for home stagers.”

Early in her home staging career, Gould was invited by an established home stager to tour a condo she had staged. The stager was selling her furniture rental inventory and assured Gould that she could get a good deal by buying all the contents from her. She pointed out that she’d made $5,000 staging that property, so Gould’s investment would pay back quickly.

“What she didn’t know was that I had already staged a number of vacant properties using inventory from an actual rental company and made just as much profit as she did, without having any of her overhead,” Gould explains. “Needless to say, I didn’t buy what she was selling and appreciated that early view of how much better my business model was than hers. After all, she was selling her inventory! If she was making so much money from it, she wouldn’t be doing that!”

A number of Gould’s readers wrote in about their own experiences and frustrations with furniture inventory. Staging Diva Graduate Stacy Goade of Alaska Premier Home Staging had this to say: “While I do feel that my home staging business has been at a disadvantage because I don’t offer furnishings or accessories, I’ve learned this first year that I can be a successful home stager even if I don’t stage vacant homes! In fact, this week I made the decision to pull vacant home staging from my website and my marketing materials. Why? Because the process involved in working with furniture rental companies and real estate agents has not been pleasant or profitable, so why continue! I think each of us has to decide our priorities and define our own success. For me, success is enjoying my home staging business and getting paid for every aspect of it.”

Gould has been a home stager since 2002 and has communicated with thousands of home stagers in more than 20 different countries over the years. She reports that she has noticed a pattern throughout this time: The home stagers who are most likely to go out of business within their first or second year are the ones who maintain their own inventory. Gould believes that their sizable upfront investment, plus the ongoing cost of storage, pick up, delivery, cleaning, maintenance and insurance has a lot to do with this.

“Many new home stagers think I don’t know what I’m talking about,” Gould says. “They believe their situation is special and that it’s different where they live. If they really want to get into the furniture rental business, they should go for it! But before they do, it’s important that they consider the potential hassles involved.”

Gould discusses the pros and cons of maintaining a furniture rental inventory in her home staging course, The Business of Home Staging: What You Need to Start and How to Grow. For more information, visit the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, including 7 of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc., which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com, which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Home Staging Transforms the Home and Homeowner According to Stagers

by Debra Gould on March 5, 2012

Summary

Home staging expert Debra Gould explains how staging a home can be transformative for the homeowner by lessening their stress about the sale of their home.

Home Staging Transforms the Home and Homeowner According to Stagers

home staging consultation(UNITED STATES) March 5, 2012 – On the Home Staging Business Report blog, expert home stager Debra Gould recently discussed how a home staging consultation can be transformational for the client as well as the home.

“Usually when I arrive for a home staging consultation, the client is visibly tense,” explains Gould. “After all, moving is right up there on the ‘Stressful Life Events’ scale along with divorce, death, and job loss. When you consider that these are also three common reasons to move, you’ve got a situation potentially fraught with anxiety.”

Gould goes on to explain how most clients have never worked with a home stager before, so they’re somewhat uncomfortable at first. They don’t know what to expect as they invite a complete stranger to critique their home.

“That’s why it’s so critical to handle the opening of your meeting very carefully” Gould advises home stagers. “Subtle things like how you’re dressed, your facial expression, body language and how you open the meeting will set the tone for your home staging consultation and how your client responds to your advice.”

Gould believes that by building the right rapport from the beginning of the home staging consultation, the client’s stress level will go down steadily as the meeting progresses.

“As the home changes, you’ll see the seller change too,” Gould reports. “Their whole body language, expression and breathing shifts when they’re no longer under the weight of all that was ‘wrong’ with the house and all the confusion they had before you arrived. That’s part of why I love being a home stager. We help people and make a difference in their lives even before they actually sell their house!

Several of Gould’s readers wholeheartedly agree. Imogen Brown of Home Staging Brisbane in Australia said, “Seeing the change in owners is one of my favourite parts of home staging. I used to be a business coach, so I use these skills in my consultations—knowing that this is not about me, it’s about them, picking up on their body language, using appropriate language, ‘getting them’ and listening to them.”

Lori Fischer of Rethink Home Interiors in Pennsylvania had a similar opinion: “I think that is one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do. My first clients actually said that the process was transformational for them and I thought they were being dramatic. When the next client said the changes affected her in a similar way, I was amazed. Now after logging in several projects, I love to see that shift in the homeowner’s perspective. Good stuff!”

Gould covers the ins and outs of home staging consultations in her home staging course, Taking the Mystery Out of Home Staging Consultations. For more information, visit the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, including 7 of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc., which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com, which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Staging Diva Provides Tips for Getting Media Coverage

by Debra Gould on February 27, 2012

Summary

Home staging expert Debra Gould, also known as The Staging Diva, provides home stagers with advice for getting media attention for their home staging businesses.

Staging Diva Provides Tips for Getting Media Coverage

Debra Gould on Boulevard Magazine(UNITED STATES) February 27, 2012 – One effective way of promoting a home staging business is getting the media involved. On the Home Staging Business Report, home staging expert Debra Gould, also known as The Staging Diva, offers tips for attracting media attention.

According to Gould, who is founder of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, the first thing home stagers should keep in mind is that they themselves are not the story.

“The local media really don’t care that you just opened your own home staging business unless you are writing to the editor of a local paper who has a column specifically for this purpose,” explains Gould. “Some community papers have columns about new small businesses, stores, restaurants, etc. in the area, and approaching them can be quite effective.”

When writing a press release, Gould recommends finding a timely news angle to increase the chances that it gets picked up: “For example, an accountant could get some coverage with tax saving tips if the press release was sent out in April. The same release would be ignored in July. Similarly, as a home stager, color consultant and interior redesigner, there are obvious seasons where your tips in these different areas would be most useful and interesting to readers,” says Gould.

According to Gould, home stagers should also think about ways to make reporters’ jobs easier since media outlets no longer have the staff budgets they previously had.

“First you need to do your homework,” Gould advises. “Read the publication you’re thinking of approaching. Notice who the reporters are that write about the kinds of topics you have knowledge in. Then approach them directly with a story idea that fits their topic and style. Approaching them is so much easier to do than in the past because you can often find their email addresses online.”

Gould, who has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and CNN Money, also believes in the importance of having a strong Internet presence in order to attract media attention.

“Reporters work on tight deadlines. The easier it is for you to be found, the easier it is to get media coverage. Other than my very first press release to the local community paper, all my other media coverage has come from them seeking me out, rather than the other way around,” Gould says.

For more advice on attracting media attention, home stagers are encouraged to visit the Home Staging Business Report on the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, including 7 of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc., which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com, which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Home Stagers Discuss Issues with Real Estate Listings

by Debra Gould on February 20, 2012

Summary

A group of home stagers discuss the negative effect that poor photos have on real estate listings and sales potential.

Home Stagers Discuss Issues with Real Estate Listings

real estate listings(UNITED STATES) February 20, 2012 – On her blog, the Home Staging Business Report, home staging expert Debra Gould invited home stagers to share their pet peeves related to real estate listings.

Gould, who is the founder of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, kicked off the discussion by describing what irks her most: “My pet peeve is the real estate agent who walks into a home I’ve just carefully arranged for photography and throws his coat over a chair, leaves his shoes in the middle of the hallway, dumps papers all over the dining room table and THEN takes the listing shots!”

A number of home stagers joined the discussion, and the common theme behind most of their complaints was poor listing photos, as was the case in Gould’s example.

“My peeve is when I get called in to stage after the property has been on the market for a while and then the real estate agent does not retake pictures,” says home stager Kathryn Wilson of HomeReady Home Staging and Interior Redesign in Ontario. “How will prospective buyers or other agents know then what has been done to improve the look of the property?”

Home stager Jodi Whalen of Pear Tree Home Designs in New Jersey has had a similar experience: “My pet peeve is when I’ve staged AND taken photos and they don’t use my photos. Just finished a house where I got great sunny exterior shots and the Realtor® posted pictures from a RAINY day! Because of this frustration I’ve added a new service of Photo Styling.”

Stacy Goade of Alaska Premier Home Staging also shared her concerns about listing photos. “After recently removing wall paper, painting, decluttering, repairing, and adding accessories and furnishings, the real estate agent took shots of rooms where none of the staging work was obvious or emphasized. I took great digital photos after we finished staging the home and sent those photos to my client so she could forward them to the agent.”

According to Gould, real estate agents who don’t retake photos after staging are wasting money the client invested: “A key reason to stage is so that top notch photos are on MLS so that there will be more showings. More showings means more potential buyers, which means a faster sale and potentially for more money. Home sellers should INSIST that their agent take new photos and tell them that they will find another agent who will if they don’t comply.”

For more advice regarding home staging and real estate, visit the Home Staging Business Report on the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, including 7 of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc., which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com, which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Home Stagers Encouraged to Reserve Company Names on Social Media Sites

by Debra Gould on February 14, 2012

Summary

All business owners, including home stagers, should claim their company names on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, explains Debra Gould, The Staging Diva.

Home Stagers Encouraged to Reserve Company Names on Social Media Sites

reserve social media username(UNITED STATES) February 14, 2012 – One of the first steps that new home stagers and other business owners take is to purchase a domain name for their companies. However, there is a related step that is often overlooked, says home staging expert Debra Gould, founder of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program.

“Home stagers should also visit popular social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and ActiveRain to set up accounts in their company names,” explains Gould. “Even if you are not planning to use those accounts right now, you should still claim your company name before someone else does. That way you’ll have it when you’re ready to start networking online.”

On her blog, Home Staging Business Report, Gould tells the story of Staging Diva Graduate, Susan Holland. Even though Holland wasn’t ready to become an active Twitter user, she took the step of securing her Twitter identity to prevent others from using it.

Gould explains what happened next: “Someone wrote to me from Australia after trying to secure the Twitter name ‘Fresh Insight’ for his own business of the same name. He saw that the owner of the Fresh Insight Twitter account wasn’t using it actively and was only following me. Since that was his only clue to the identity of the Twitter user, he contacted me asking if I knew the owner and could encourage them to give up the name.”

Gould had no intentions of doing this, but instead complimented Holland on being proactive: “Had Susan waited until she was ready to start using Twitter to grab her company name, this other gentleman would have already been using her company name and she would’ve had to come up with something different. That’s the thing about the Internet—you’re not just competing for names with everyone else in your location but also worldwide!”

For more home staging business tips, home stagers are encouraged to visit the Home Staging Business Report on the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, including 7 of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc., which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com, which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Home Staging Expert Provides Tips for Attending Open Houses

by Debra Gould on February 6, 2012

Summary

According to Staging Diva Debra Gould, attending open houses is an effective way for home stagers to market their home staging businesses to real estate agents.

Home Staging Expert Provides Tips for Attending Open Houses

open house(UNITED STATES) February 6, 2012 – There are a number of ways that home stagers can market their services to real estate agents, but home staging expert Debra Gould believes that attending open houses is one of the most effective. On the Home Staging Business Report blog, Gould provides tips to home stagers for approaching real estate agents at open houses.

“It’s important to be clear in your own mind about what you’re there for and what you want to accomplish,” says Gould. “This will keep you focused and channel your energies in the right direction. Otherwise, you can say the wrong thing and end up with an angry REALTOR®.”

Gould, who founded the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, also suggests that home stagers ensure that they are not taking time away from an agent’s potential clients who are touring the home: “While showing up at an open house gives you a captive audience, you don’t want to appear that you’re taking advantage of that or interfering with what the agent is really there for,” she says.

According to Gould, one of the objectives in attending an open house is to begin building a relationship with the real estate agent. Since this is typically the first face-to-face meeting, Gould emphasizes the importance of making the right first impression.

“You should have a professional, conversational-sounding way of introducing yourself,” recommends Gould. “Practice this in advance so you sound confident when you say it, even if you’re brand new to home staging.”

In addition, Gould says it is important not to assume that the agent knows what home staging is or has ever worked with a home stager before. While the term home staging has existed for more than a decade, many agents are simply not familiar with it. Gould believes it is each home stager’s responsibility to explain who they are and what they do in a clear and compelling way.

Gould also recommends exchanging business cards and requesting the real estate agent’s permission to follow up with an email newsletter containing home staging tips.

Gould explains further: “This is only the start of your relationship, so you need permission to build on that relationship and familiarity in the future. With ongoing communication, when they need your staging services in the future, you’ll still be ‘top of mind.’ If there isn’t any ongoing communication, the next time a project opportunity arises, it may go to your competition who has contacted them more recently.”

Gould finds that having a monthly newsletter is the easiest way to keep this communication open: “It’s much less scary or intrusive than calling an agent to say ‘Remember me?’ A newsletter lets you market to them without being pushy,” says Gould.

For more home staging business tips, home stagers are encouraged to visit the Home Staging Business Report on the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, including 7 of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc. which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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