Tag Archives for " home staging certification "

5 Reasons Stagers Should Become a Redesigner

I always say that the relationship between “home staging” and “redesign” is like two sides of the same coin. They are very similar services but the “WHO” of the design element for the redesigner is very different.

What separates staging from redesign is whether we are designing the space for the buyer demographic or the home owner?

What’s the difference between interior design and redesign (or home styling)? Redesign always starts first with using what the home owner already has and loves to enhance the space. In fact, a great redesigner can literally work miracles in just a day in the home!

So why should a home stager also be trained in the art of redesign? Here are 5 great reasons along with some fantastic redesign photos done by Debbie Simril of Debbie Simril Interiors…

Family Room BEFORE Redesigner

1. It’s an Easy Up-Sell for Redesigners

Statistically, sellers are much more inclined to spend money on the home they are moving into rather than the home they are moving out of, so it’s a much easier “sell”. You’ve just staged the seller’s home to sell, so they already know you, trust you and like you. This should be a no-brainer for home stagers but I find that they just are not “positioning” their redesign business correctly, so they are missing out on huge income returns!

Family Room AFTER Redesigner

2. Being a Redesigner is a Great Way to Keep a Favorite Client

We all have had those client’s we just LOVE, so why not keep the relationship going and work with them on their next big project? Focus on quality relationships rather than quantity while building your design network of great referrals!

Remember to have a special business card you can hand to your favorite client’s as a thank you for being so wonderful to work with. In the example I created below, you can put your business information on the back and hand write the discount/message you wish to give your clients.

Move-In Design Upsell Card by HSRStore

3. Design is More Lucrative

Yes, I said it…you will make more money if you position your business for BOTH staging and redesign. Redesign projects tend to last longer and have higher dollar amounts then the average staging project. I’ve been training stagers for more than 10 years now and I can comfortably say that my long-time veterans are now doing more redesign/design than staging (unless they focused on a niche). Why is that? Because they positioned their business to market first staging then second, redesign. They followed my business model of doing both staging and redesign!

Dining Room BEFORE Redesigner

4. Design is HOTTER Than Ever!

Yes, the career outlook according to a recent Houzz survey shows that the design industry is feeling more confident than ever! This isn’t a huge surprise because it mirrors what is going on in the staging industry…when home values rise, so does home improvement spending.

Redesigned Dining Room After

5. The Perfect Business Model

A lot of stagers who join my training program tell me that they were always slow in the fall/winter season since their business reflected the real estate industry lulls. Ironically, redesign and design picks up in the fall and winter as people decorate for the holidays, so having a business model that incorporates redesign and holiday design makes for a well-hedged business model.

Finally, this is what Debbie Simril who after 15 years in the design industry decided to take the plunge and sign up for our HSR Certification in Home Staging and Redesign:

Debbie-testimonial

Real Estate Staging Convention 2017

I'm super excited to be a featured speaker at this year's Real Estate Staging Convention.

Staging is hot, hot, hot right now and this convention which puts together all these amazing stagers in one place...promises to be unforgettable! I will be blogging more about this event as it gets closer but you can get the BEST PRICE by signing up now:

Click HERE to Get Staging Convention Information!

This year I'm speaking on a topic very near to my heart and that is on COLOR....

"6-Steps to Picking the Best Color Schemes for Clients"

Do you love color? Do you offer color consultations but struggle with knowing where to start when it comes to specifying the RIGHT paint colors for your clients? You are not alone. Having a process for picking the right paint colors is the first step in building credibility with clients!

In this information packed class, you will learn how to:

How adding a "Color Consultation" service will grow your design business exponentially!
Audra's top paint colors for staging in action
Color trends to follow, ones to avoid and how to incorporate them into your designs
7 mistakes Color Consultants make and how to avoid them
How to hone in and identify your client's goals
How to recognize color problems by understanding color rules
How to communicate and market your color services easily and affordably

I hope to see you at the January, 2017 RESA Convention but if you can't make it, make sure to join me on our next free webinar event:

Click HERE for a FREE Webinar for New Stagers

I’m so excited to be a featured speaker at this year’s RESA Convention alongside other fantastic speakers like the incredibly talented Sabrina Soto! Staging is so hot right now, so I hope you will do your best to make this incredible event.

Home Stagers Story – Pursuing Her Dream

Is It Time to Choose Yourself?

I love this email I just got from Sharon Rapp, of Rapizazz a Charlotte, NC home stager…

When I decided to quit my job working for a Fortune 100 company, I knew this could be the opportunity for me to pursue my life-long dream to have my own business. I always loved decorating homes and had successfully staged several homes to sell. I knew it was something I would love to do but didn’t know where to start…

I think Sharon is very common of a lot of people who work in “Corporate America”. Statistically, most people know they are not doing what they really love…yet are fearful of stepping out on their own as an entrepreneur. I get that because I was the same way until I got laid-off. When I got laid-off, I was crushed…you see I thought if I did a good job, I would always have one…but in Corporate America, that’s just not true. Getting laid-off was the best thing for me because it changed the way I felt about business. I realized that no matter what, you have to produce. You can either produce for yourself (be an entrepreneur) and reap the full benefits of your hard work, OR produce for someone else (be an employee). I say “choose yourself” which is what Sharon did!

I found HSR’s training program and was pleasantly surprised to find that the training included the A-to-Z’s of starting up a home staging and redesign business. What a windfall of a find! I especially loved the marketing training to “Bling Your Brand”. Audra is so insightful!

It’s not easy to choose yourself and not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, so you should always do your research and do some serious soul searching. Finally, this is what Sharon had to say about where she is now…

Thanks Sharon!

Here’s a few more recent testimonials from HSR members who have chosen themselves…

Model Home Staging

Secrets to Model Home Staging

I’m so excited to announce an advanced training class I’m adding to the HSR Certification program on Successful Model Home Staging. This class is free to Home Staging Resource members and will cover EVERY aspect of designing and staging a model home.

I created this class because I had so many members get calls from new home builders and I wanted to make sure they were well prepared to handle this business!

If you are a home builder looking for a stager who is well-trained in handling model home staging, click here to go to our directory

Here’s what I go over in my class and what YOU should know about model home staging:

How to Define the Buyer Demographic and Create Your Home Owner Profile – My 10-step research process that is critical to selling your concept to the builder and setting yourself apart from your competition
Five Design Rules for Every Model Home – These are rules of thumb that should never be broken
Audra’s Five-Step Formula for Design Success – I’m very clear on how you should pick your finishes, fixtures, furnishings, window treatments, art and accessories for these homes. What to splurge on and what to save on so you get the most bang for the builder’s buck!
Training Your Eye Using My Formula – I show you an easy way to know exactly how to design for your area plus over 50 photo examples
Most Important Questions to Ask the Builder – The interview sheet and why the answers will determine your price, services and concept
Sharing Your Vision – How to easily create a concept board that communicates your vision and expertise while NOT looking cartoony!
How to Price Your Services – What the builder expects, customizing your quote, working within budget, getting what you’re worth and setting expectations!
Setting Up Your Critical Vendor List – Using my design formula, there are critical vendors you will want to source your materials from that I recommend.

Plus…all the forms, price guides, interview sheet, step-by-step process, vendor list (trade discounts), product ideas and more!

The live webinar will be this Wednesday, March 11 at 10am (pacific time) and will go at least 2 hours. I may have to break it up into 2-parts since there’s a lot to go over! If you are an HSR member, login to the Members Area to attend but don’t worry, I will be recording this session and adding it to the advanced section of the training.

By the way, much of the process I outline will be perfect for your design clients as well!

XOXO – Happy Staging!

Audra Slinkey

Hope to hear from you!
1-888-563-9271

audra@homestagingresource.com

PS – Does your training provider always give you the latest, critical information as part of your membership? Click on the image below, to see Why Certification Matters…

4 Steps to Finding Your “Calling”

4 Steps to Finding Your Calling

Another year went by in a flash and I’m taking a moment reflecting on what can help me to slow down time, be very intentional in my planning and focus on my “calling”. The reality is that everybody has a “calling” and your job should be finding out what that “calling” is for your life. In Stanford’s graduation ceremony this year, Nike founder Phil Knight said something very profound to the young, excited new grads:

You see, when you find what you were meant to do, what gets your blood going and keeps you up at night thinking excitedly about…you will succeed. Money usually always follows passion because it doesn’t become “work” at that point and training yourself daily in your passion helps you be become “the expert”. A key to finding a calling that can become a career is following these important 4 steps:

Step One – Identify Your Core Competencies and Strengths

What is it that you know about and are good at? What is it that people are constantly complimenting you about? Make a list, if you need to organize your thoughts. For some ideas, consider your ability to achieve, adapt, analyze, arrange, communicate, compete, connect with people, develop, empathize, focus, learn, etc…Knowing your strengths will help you to understand how to pathway your career.

Step Two – Identify and List Your Interests and Passions

What is it that you love to do? What really gets you excited about life? What gets your blood boiling? Make a list of the things that you do in your free time, when nobody is watching, and consider whether or not there may be something deeper to that desire. Many times the things you love to do, correspond to the talents that you have, so look for connections between what your talented/strong at and how it corresponds to what you are passionate about.

Step Three – If Fear and Money Were Not A Factor What Would You Do?

Okay, here’s the tough part…taking fear out out of the equation. How do you do that? You need to face the fears and break them down in you mind. What is the worst that can happen if you pursue your “calling”? Is the consequence of inaction, better than the risk of trying? I love this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Step Four – Take Action and Get Busy!

Just sitting and dreaming does not make things happen. Take the first steps you need to move closer to your calling for 2015. The good news is that you have the Internet and so many ways to explore and learn about new things. Make this year the year you grow, learn and create!

If you love design, know that there is a home staging industry that would love to take that talent and help you do something GREAT with it! At the Home Staging Resource, we are focused on giving you the tools, strategies, forms and training that allows you to never reinvent the wheel and focus on what you’re great at…staging and design.

I just got this email from Pramiti of BlueGrape Staging who has just been nominated for the RESA Rising Star Finalist of 2015:

Pramiti just took the plunge and followed her calling LESS than a year ago by becoming a home stager! Don’t let another year go by to follow your calling.