HOME STAGING HOTLINE - 408-691-2037

HEY HOMEOWNERS - DO-IT-YOURSELF (AND I'LL HELP!)

2010-10-03T19:25:00.001-07:00

Everyone's trying to save money. I get it! Me too! So if you're ready to sell your home, and you know that "staging" will help you sell faster and for more money, but you don't have a budget to hire a professional stager - what can you do??

Do It Yourself! And I can help. Check out my new book: "Stage It Well, Watch It Sell - A Do-it-Yourself Home-Sellers Guide to Staging." Go to www.amazon.com and use the search words "Stage It Well, Watch It Sell." You will find tons of great staging tips and tricks (used by home-staging professionals) that cost little or no money. There are lots of ways you can help yourself and increase the chances of selling your house fast and for a better price than you may be expecting! Good luck and call if you need help!

MEET YOUR PERSONAL SHOPPER

2010-09-22T15:48:00.001-07:00

HATE THE MALL? GIVE US A CALL! We love to shop - and that's not all!

Staging Designs is now offering a new service for the busy homeowner/business professional/hard-working Moms and Dads/anyone who's too busy to shop!

Personal shoppers aren't just for glamorous movie stars. Busy people, like you, can benefit from the services of a personal shopper. From selecting unique gifts for family and friends to selecting the perfect home decor, we can make your life easier. Be the "star" in your own life! Give us a call to see how we can help.

Take a look at some of the services we offer, and if you don't see what you're looking for, contact us and let's see what we can do.*

- Home staging/interior decorating services (perfect for home sellers, or anyone looking to update the look of their current home)
- Home decor shopping/decorating (furniture placement, picture hanging, etc.)
- Gift purchasing (great for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, & holidays)
- Clothing/image consulting (job hunting or starting a new job? Dating? Going to a fancy party? Attending a professional function? Lost or gained weight???)
- Party/holiday decorating using your own decorations in a fresh, new way (we'll shop for party/holiday decor, too!)
- Training to learn how to decorate your own home, or train to become a professional home stager and start a new career!

*shoppers may decline certain requests

Call 408-691-2037 and ask for Karen (author of "Become A Home-Stager Today!"

SAVVY STAGERS - THE IMPORTANCE OF NETWORKING

2010-02-10T18:27:00.000-08:00

Hello Stagers! I'd like to take just a moment to talk about the importance of networking as you're growing your home-staging business. I have always believed that face-to-face networking was instrumental in creating success in my own business. Over the years, I've networked with local realtor groups, the American Business Women's Association, BNI, the Chamber of Commerce, the Women's Council of Realtors, and more.

I've recently joined another professional business women's group. They are a group of dynamic, diverse, talented, and funny women. They offer a wide selection of services. For instance, there's Donna West from Lighthouse Travel & Tour (www.lighthouse-tours.com) who offers travel packages and custom tours throughout the US and Europe and is also a writer. There's also Sharon Ferrer, a land investment consultant (408-480-3126) who offers unique investment and incentive opportunities. We also have a marketing expert, a TV host, and a professional organizer, to name a few. It's a supportive and welcoming environment which helps strengthen and promote all of our businesses.

If you're not networking almost every day, you may find you don't have much business at all. So get out there and let people see you and meet you face-to-face. There's nothing like it for getting your business known. Good luck!

WANT A NEW CAREER IN HOME STAGING?

2010-02-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

For most people, the start of a new year brings hope, optimism, and a delicious expectation of what wonders the future may hold. It's also a time to make new beginnings, fix or discard things that aren't working in our lives, and meet new challenges head on.

The start of a new year is also a great time to try something new--whether it's a new restaurant, a new hair style, or a new job. It's also the best time to think about starting your own home-staging business. The holiday season (at the end of the year) and the start of a new year are often slow times for many business, so use this time wisely and get prepared! If you're going to start a staging business, get going NOW! Sign up for training (be sure to visit www.stageitwell.com for training options and prices,) stock your inventory, start networking and meeting potential new customers, develop a mailing list, send out notices, etc.

When the weather warms up again, home sellers will be ready to put their houses on the market, and you'll be ready to help! Use this slow time to your advantage and get your new career off to a great start! You're gonna be awesome! I believe in you--believe in yourself!

HEY HOMEOWERS - MEET YOUR OWN PERSONAL CONCIERGE

2010-02-03T15:47:00.001-08:00

SHERREE HELLINGER, co-owner of Amaree Living

TAMAH VEGA, co-owner of Amaree Living

Have you ever been staying at a nice hotel while on vacation and wanted to get tickets for a show, or find a great restaurant, or get help changing your travel arrangements? Who did you call? Most likely, you contacted the hotel’s concierge and they took care of everything, right? How wonderful to turn over those tedious details to someone else, so you could get on with the business of enjoying your vacation.

Now, what if you could have your own personal concierge to handle the tedious details of your everyday life? Someone to plan an activity for out-of-town guests, or someone to coordinate errands and chores, or someone to help you organize your closet, or someone to help you plan a party, or any number of other tasks. Well, now you can have your very own concierge to help lighten your load.

I’d like to introduce you to a fabulous new company called Amaree Living. Its two owners, Sherree Hellinger and Tamah Vega, describe their business this way: Full Service Eco-Savvy Consulting and Concierge. And though that may sound a little complicated, it’s really quite simple. Sherree and Tamah are there to take over any or all of the tasks you need to complete each day in order to do your job, nurture your family, and live your life with ease and comfort. Who wouldn’t love that??

And if you’re a home seller with a house for sale or you’ve already sold your home and you’re packing for the move, Sherree and Tamah can help you with that too! Amaree Living can assist a home seller in many ways: like helping you make decisions about what items you should keep and what you should get rid of, or helping to coordinate the many details of your move, or handling the huge job of unpacking and perfectly organizing your belongings so you can just walk through the door and be “at home.” When I asked what home sellers could do to make their moves go easier, Sherree had this advice: “Start preparing as far in advance as you can. Get rid of stuff you’ve not used in years.” And to really eliminate headaches, she suggested forgetting about garage sales when you’re getting ready to move. Just donate what you don’t want and be done with it—you have better things to worry about.

Though anyone can use these services, Sherree and Tamah have a special commitment to empowering women with a fierce desire to help them live their best lives.

To learn more about the wonderful services offered by Amaree Living, and to get on the mailing list to receive their info-packed newsletter each month, visit Sherree and Tamah online at www.amareeliving.com. You’ll find their contact info as well so you can call and reserve the services of your very own concierge! Happy living!

SAVVY STAGERS - PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR PROPERTY

2010-02-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

In my staging business I've been very lucky that I've never had any of my staging props stolen (that I know of). However, just today, I learned that a friend and fellow-stager had some of her furniture and staging inventory stolen from one of her staging jobs. The front door was found open and some of her property was missing.

This is something, as stagers, we all need to be prepared for even though we hope like heck it will never happen. But it very likely may happen and you need to be sure your staging inventory is protected. GET INSURANCE! If you don't have it, GET IT. I can't stress this enough.

It's unpleasant to have to deal with things like this, but it's a reality. And it would be too bad if you lost some property, but let's go one step further--what about your own personal safety. Because it is such a scary world out there, and many of you work alone in the house while staging, make sure you're taking measures to protect yourself! Take extra care to be sure doors are locked and be cautious about who you let in. Try to avoid working alone at night and be sure that other contractors who may have access to the property are really who they say they are. If you can, try to find out from the agent who, if anyone, will be visiting the house on the day you are scheduled to work.

Be aware, observant, and keep yourself safe!

HEY HOMEOWNERS - BUYERS VISITING DURING THE RAINY WEATHER

2010-01-26T18:27:00.001-08:00

When your home is for sale during the rainy season, you have to be concerned with prospective buyers tromping through your house with wet, dirty shoes. Of course you want them to come in, but how can you be sure your clean floors and carpets stay that way?

One solution is to leave a basket of "painter's booties" by the front door with a sign asking visitors to put them over their shoes (or their bare feet) before walking through your home. This solution is a double-edged sword in my opinion. Booties can be slippery, for one thing, and someone might take a fall. Secondly, a lot of people may get annoyed with having to stop, take off their shoes, and put on booties (I suggest just slipping them on over their shoes). If someone isn't wearing socks or doesn't want to expose their bare feet to others, being asked to remove shoes is gong to irritate them. So you have to weigh the risk of annoying a potential buyer or keeping your floors and carpets clean.

If you choose to use the booties, you can find them at any home improvement or paint store.

HEY HOMEOWNERS & SAVVY STAGERS - LOW COST STAGING IDEAS

2010-01-25T18:21:00.000-08:00

This little dining table cost about $20 at Goodwill and the realtor brought some chairs from home. I added the staging accessories and artwork and look at what a difference it made. You don't need to spend a lot of money on staging to make a big impact!

FEATURED STAGER OF THE WEEK - SUSAN DEARING

2010-01-24T13:48:00.001-08:00

Susan Dearing from Magical Room Makeovers is our featured stager of the week. Susan is one of the hardest-working stagers you’ll ever meet! Her fabulous designs are in great demand and for good reason.

Susan has impeccable taste and style and each job she performs is perfection. In addition to owning and operating her own successful home-staging business, Susan is also an expert color consultant as well as being a certified Interior Redesign Industry Specialist (IRIS). She has an amazing talent for creating beautiful rooms using color, accessories, furniture, and her special blend of contemporary/ traditional style.

Susan recently completed a prestigious project for a senior residence facility outfitting and designing a beautiful suite to be used as the “model” for prospective buyers. She personally selected each piece of furniture and artwork, as well as all the finishing touches such as bed linens, bath towels, and designer accessories. The client was more than thrilled!

To work with a truly professional designer/stager/color expert, contact Susan today (call the number listed above in the green header and we’ll put you in contact.)

HEY HOMEOWNERS - CREATING "VIGNETTES"

2010-01-19T17:11:00.001-08:00

TRUE or FALSE: Empty rooms (or vacant homes) look larger and let the prospective buyer image their own furnishings and belongings in the space.

FALSE! Creatively arranged furniture and accessories can actually make a room look and feel larger. And believe it or not, most people lack the ability to imagine their own furnishings in an empty space.

If you can, stage your vacant property with a few pieces of your own furniture, or if need be, borrow or rent furniture instead. If that’s not possible, try to design simple “vignettes” in key rooms to create the “illusion” of furniture. (See the photos above for a better idea.) Even minimally staged rooms will show better and create positive feelings about your property. This is a strategy that I have used with many of my customers. It’s a very affordable option, even if you hire a professional stager to do it. It’s even kinder to your budget if you do it yourself.

If you have questions about this idea, let me know. Good luck!

SAVVY STAGERS - HELPFUL HINT FOR PUTTING ON A BEDSKIRT

2010-01-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

This helpful hint comes from Susan Dearing at Magical Room Makeovers. If you've ever tried to put a bedskirt on a bed by yourself, you know how difficult it is to remove a heavy, bulky mattress, place the bedskirt, and then try to put the mattress back on the bed without scrunching up the bedskirt. It's a pain, and I mean that literally. I have thrown out my back many times trying to do this awkward task alone.

So Susan suggested cutting out all but about a foot or so of the middle portion of the bedskirt (the part that lays on top of the box springs. It's usually a plain, white cotton fabric with the skirt attached to it.) By doing this, you can just tuck in the edges of the white fabric without having to remove the mattress. You can do it by yourself in just minutes and you won't throw out your back. Brilliant!

STAGING AND HOLLYWOOD

2010-01-12T18:20:00.001-08:00

I went to see the movie Leap Year today. It's a chick flick, yes, but I loved it and I won't apologize for it (wink.)

I was especially anxious to see it because it looked charming, I LOVE Ireland, and Amy Adams (who I think is just adorable) was playing the part of a home stager. I was dying to see how Hollywood would portray a stager and well... it was just as I expected--hilariously inaccurate, but very entertaining!

Amy Adams was seen staging an upscale apartment while wearing a skin-tight pencil skirt and 5 inch, open-toed heels! When she finished staging (without a hair out of place mind you,) the realtor came in and expressed his enthusiasitc admiration. Amy Adam's character then opened the fridge and handed the realtor a tube of cookie dough with instructions to bake the cookies a 1/2 hour before the open house with the guarantee that the agent would receive several offers by the next day! Ahhh, so THAT'S the secret.

I also got a kick out of the inference that the stager was quite well-to-do (as a result of her career,) always dressed in killer heels and chic clothing. Her lifestyle, wardrobe, and upscale neighborhood made ME want to become a stager. Oh, wait...I AM a stager.

Though the portrayal of a hard-working stager was unrealistic, in my opinion, the film did make one great point that I believe could benefit every person on the planet: DRESS LIKE YOU'RE A SUCCESS! When you're meeting customers or going on a consultation/interview, dress like you really want the job. The character in the movie was a walking, talking advertisment for her business. She was brilliant at marketing herself in such a way that you took one look at her and you knew she was a winner. Dressing well is a simple strategy (both in business and in life) that may put you ahead of the competition, but many people under estimate its importance. Dress like you're a winner and see if it doesn't attract more business to you. It's a little trick that pays off BIG TIME. Good luck, and let me know how it worked for you!

HEY HOMEOWNERS & SAVVY STAGERS - SPELL IT OUT FOR THE BUYER

2010-01-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

When selling (or staging) a home, you must really be clear about each room's purpose. As pictured above, the homeowner was using the living room (the first room buyers walked into) as a home office and a place to display the baby grand piano. Though it would seem obvious that it was in fact the living room and NOT an office, it was confusing to buyers. I advised the homeowner to return the living room to it's original purpose and instead of confusing people, we charmed them with this warm, inviting space and the home sold quickly.

HEY HOMEOWNERS - LET'S TALK ABOUT CLUTTER

2010-01-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

Working as a professional home stager for the last seven years, I have seen many strange, beautiful, and sometimes even scary sights. Having the unique opportunity to enter the homes of complete strangers and see how they live, is both enlightening and sometimes frightening!

For most of my clients, the number one problem they face when preparing to stage their homes for sale is “clutter”. Everyone has clutter, but to varying degrees. Most people I meet have a normal amount of personal clutter, probably similar to what you have in your own home…toys on the floor, mail piled on the kitchen table, dirty dishes in the sink, or a messy bathroom.

Normal clutter is, well…normal. What’s not normal is a year’s worth of newspapers stuffed into the oven, bath towels shoved into the fireplace, a pile of clothes on the floor so deep and wide that it hides a large built-in desk which lines three walls! I’m talking about closets full of musty old clothes belonging to long-dead relatives, large trash bags filled with old bones hidden in the guest room, and drawers filled with used shoe inserts (the outline of the wearer’s feet clearly visible) eewww.

If you’re planning on selling your home, clear your personal clutter. Be strict with yourself. Clear the magnets and your kid’s artwork from the refrigerator door, clear off your counter tops in the kitchen and bathrooms. Clear most clutter off your table tops, dressers, and desks (be especially careful in your home office. Don't leave out personal papers showing bank account numbers, social security numbers, etc.) Pack away personal collections like coffee mugs, ceramic roosters, and lighthouses. You’ll have to pack it all up eventually, when you sell, so get a head start and pack away the clutter now. This will keep a potential buyer from getting distracted by all your “stuff”, and allow them to see the lovely features of your home.

Clearing clutter is the number one assignment I give my clients. It's the easiest problem to fix and it costs you nothing. Too much clutter may be a deal breaker, so clean it up!

If you need help deciding what to keep out and what to pack away, any home stager would be happy to help or contact a professional organizer for help and advice.

FEATURED STAGER OF THE WEEK - SEJAL PAREKH

2009-12-31T21:30:00.000-08:00

Sejal Parekh from Innovae Designs is our featured stager of the week. Sejal is one of the most creative and (as her company name suggests) one of the most innovative stagers/designers you will ever meet. She can stage a home in a traditional/contemporary style, or she can design an office/lobby with a modern/urban flair. She is a brilliant marketer, as well as being a fabulous designer and color consultant. She has access to an extensive network of home-improvement professionals which makes Sejal’s company a “one-stop-shop”. What busy home seller wouldn’t love to turn over all the many time-consuming details to a professional like Sejal?
Sejal is energetic, creative, and hardworking. Any home-seller would be lucky to work with her. Her immense talent and abilities allows the home seller to relinquish all the home-staging responsibilities to Sejal (selecting paint/carpet/tile/fabrics, designing furniture layouts, hiring contractors, scheduling work crews, etc.) and know that she can handle the details with confidence.
Sejal is not only a dedicated professional, but she is a lovely, friendly, and sincere person to know and work with. Though Sejal is young, she is a professional in every way and stands by an age-old belief that the “customer is always right.” She takes immense pride in her work and strives for the very best for herself and her customers. You will not regret working with Sejal Parekh from Innovae Designs! To schedule a consultation with Sejal, call the number shown above in the green header.

HEY HOMEOWNERS - STAGING DURING THE HOLIDAYS

2009-12-15T19:03:00.000-08:00

Christmas is upon us, and if you're selling your home during the holidays, you're going to face more challenges than if you were selling it at any other time of the year.

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, gift wrapping, baking, and preparing for out-of-town family and friends, it's even more difficult to keep the house in perfect order just in case a potential buyer and their agent want to suddenly drop in.

So I have a few words of advice for staging and decorating during the holidays.

First of all, if you were my customer, I would advise you to follow your usual holiday traditions (not all stagers are going to agree with me on this.) This recommendation is especially important if you have small children. Moving, disrupting their normal habits, or drastically changing their personal spaces can be very upsetting to children. If you now take away Christmas, as they know it, it may cause further disruption to you and your family. Put up a tree, if you normally do, but if you can do without some of your usual holiday decorations, and perhaps cut back just a little this year, it might help to lessen the amount of "clutter" a buyer has to look beyond while previewing your home.

Be careful about leaving out expensive gifts or other valuables while strangers are coming and going from your home--this is especially important during open house. Your agent will work like a dog to protect and defend your home during the open house, but he/she cannot be with every person every second that they are in your home. If buyers come in with children, the wrapped gifts, decorations, toys, or other small items might be tempting to pick up and play with, possibly breaking them. And unfortunately, even with every precaution, some homeowners have had things taken. So use your best judgement as to what to leave out on display while your home is on the market (even after the holidays have passed.)

Any other time of the year, I would advise you to "de-personalize" your home to make it more appealing to any potential buyer. But the holidays are the one time I say it's OK to make it personal! It's a time to be with family and friends and to celebrate and honor the season in your own personal way.

Merry Christmas!

HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS BLOG

2009-12-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

If you're a home seller looking for some staging advice, watch for articles entitled "HEY HOMEOWNERS". If you need a stager and you're not sure what to look for, read about each stager individually in articles entitled "FEATURED STAGER OF THE WEEK". And if you'd like to start a staging business of your own, or you're a new stager seeking a little extra advice, watch for articles entitled "SAVVY STAGERS" for great tips and hints.

I hope this will help you fine tune your search for staging information that pertains to you and your special needs. As always, feel free to leave a question or comment for me and I'll be happy to help in any way I can.

Happy staging!

FEATURED STAGER OF THE WEEK - LILLY RAHBAR

2009-12-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Lilly Rahbar from Simplistic Staging by LJR is a talented home stager living and working in the San Jose area. Not only is Lilly a great stager, but she’s a warm, wonderful person. What you’ll get when you work with Lilly is someone who cares deeply and sincerely for the interests of her clients. She puts her heart and soul into her work and she strives to do her very best for each and every customer. One of the last clients I referred Lilly to had this to say about her: “Lilly sure can stage! There’s no doubt about that!”

Simplistic Staging by LJR offers quality staging services for reasonable prices. As the name implies, Lilly has a simple, clean, uncluttered staging style that’s perfect for attracting buyers with all different tastes and styles. Lilly has her own inventory of furniture and designer accessories. She can also help you “re-design” your home using your own furnishings and belongings. This is a fantastic option for home sellers on a budget or for anyone who wants to spruce up the look of their home.

If you prefer to work with people who are not only professional, but are also warm and caring, then Lilly would be a great choice as your home stager. To request a consultation with Lilly, call me at the number listed above in the green header at the top of the page.

To read Lilly’s bio, go to www.stageitwell.com and click on the Stagers Referral Network tab.

10 THINGS YOUR HOME STAGER WANTS YOU TO KNOW

2009-12-09T19:06:00.000-08:00

As the owner of a home-staging business and a new-stager trainer, I’ve heard and seen it all… from the stressed-out homeowner who hated the stager’s props and threw some of them in the garbage once the stager left, to the diva-like behavior of the stager who refused to let the homeowner sleep in his own bed once she had remade it with designer linens. There has been bad behavior on both sides of the home-staging project and perhaps a little understanding is in order. A truly professional home stager only wants the very best for you and will work like a dog to see that you get it. To understand a little better what she goes through on your behalf, consider the following.

1. Your home stager wants you to be successful! Your stager has the same goals and hopes as you for a successful home sale. It helps your stager’s business to have her staged homes selling fast and for top dollar. It’s in her best interest to provide you with a fantastic staging job. She’s on your side!

2. Home-staging services are not free (or even cheap). You may pay anywhere from $500 to $5,000 (and more) for a staging project. However, your staging investment may lead to a return of tens of thousands of dollars since staged homes typically sell for more money than non-staged homes. Your stager wants to do everything she can to help you achieve those results. It’s good for you and good for her business!

3. Your home stager is not a maid (but she can help you find one, if needed). She may be willing to do some minimal clean up, but cleaning the house before the staging starts is your responsibility. Most stagers will meet with you prior to Staging Day. At that time, she is likely to give you a list of projects that YOU must complete before the actual staging. These projects may include clearing clutter, house cleaning, yard work, painting, and more. If these projects are not completed when your stager returns to do the staging, it is likely that she will leave and reschedule the project while you complete your tasks. Since time is money, your stager may assess an additional service fee for having to come back if your home is not prepared as agreed upon during the initial consultation.

4. Your home stager can work faster if you are not at home during the staging. Even if you feel you are being unobtrusive, your presence in the home will cause a one to two-hour delay in the completion of your staging project. Some stagers may charge extra if they know you plan to be present on Staging Day. Your stager welcomes your comments, questions, concerns, and suggestions, but they should be discussed before the actual staging process.

5. Your home stager performs many hours of “behind the scenes” work both before and after the actual staging. Your stager spends hours designing your unique home-staging project, selecting and preparing all furniture and staging props, managing administrative duties, coordinating the schedules of moving crews, assistant stagers and other personnel, packing and loading props, and if necessary, shopping for extra items that may be needed to perfectly complete your project. All of this work is then done in reverse, once your home sells and the stager returns to de-stage your property.

6. Your home stager knows that you have your own ideas about how things should be done, but if you’ve hired her, trust her, and let HER do the decorating. If you second guess every move your stager makes and question every design decision, both of you are going to be unhappy with the final results. It’s fine to have complaints--just deliver your criticism in a non-abusive way. Remember, your stager is not staging your home to reflect your personal tastes. If she’s doing her job right, the décor should be generic and more likely to appeal to a wide variety of tastes and styles. That strategy will then increase the chances of your home selling quickly and for a great price.

7. Just because you want the stager to bring in a Balinese prayer bed with hand-beaded pillows, doesn’t mean she can, or should! (And yes, that was an actual customer request.) Let your stager decide what furniture and staging props will be appropriate. Making requests for specific or unusual items will be difficult or impossible for your stager to provide. Your stager has an inventory of staging props and/or furniture and she will need to make her selections for your project from that inventory. Your stager has the unique challenge of making her random staging props work with the random décor you already own and somehow make it appealing to all tastes and styles.

8. Your stager’s props and furniture are on loan to you and should be treated with care. Your stager will expect a certain amount of wear and tear on the items she uses in staging projects. Being careless with these items while they’re in your home is not only disrespectful, but may end up costing you some money to replace. Many stagers will ask you to sign a contract that includes some sort of damage-protection clause which may result in extra fees if you damage any staging props.

9. Your home stager would love to help you decorate in your new home. Most stagers provide other services which compliment their home-staging business. Hiring a stager is a low-cost alternative to hiring a licensed interior decorator. Many stagers have incredible design abilities and would enjoy the opportunity to help you decorate not only the home you’re selling, but also the new home you’re moving in to.

10. Your home stager is a hard-working business woman (or man). Many times, your stager gets treated like the hired help. It’s nice to remember that she’s a professional and is providing a service of great value to you and your family. Treat her with the same dignity and respect you expect when performing your job and the both of you will have an enjoyable staging experience.

If you’re considering hiring a stager, these tips should help your staging experience go smoothly. Best wishes for a quick and profitable sale, and remember … Stage It Well, Watch It Sell!®

START YOUR OWN HOME-STAGING BUSINESS

2009-11-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

I have always loved being a home stager. I love decorating, I love shopping for home accessories, I love color, design, and style, and of course I'm absolutely addicted to HGTV! If this sounds like you, you might want to think about a career in the home-staging field.

When I started my business, as much fun as it was, I did have a lot of questions about how to put it all together. It occurred to me that others may be experiencing the same problems, so I took what knew and put it in to book form to help other new stagers get off to a better start.

If you want to learn more about how to launch a home-staging business, check out my new book available on www.amazon.com. If you've already started a staging business, but feel you could use a little extra guidance, this book can help you too.

As always, feel free to contact me about new-stager training at our hotline number:408-691-2037 or visit us online at www.stageitwell.com. Happy staging!

WELCOME TO YOUR HOME STAGING HOTLINE

2009-11-24T15:23:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to your Home Staging Hotline! I'm Karen Kelly, owner of Staging Designs, and author of BECOME A HOME STAGER TODAY!

I'm a professional home stager and a new-stager trainer doing business in the San Francisco Bay Area.

If you're a homeowner preparing to sell your home and you want to maximize your chances of selling faster and for top dollar, I can help.

If you're looking for a new career, part-time work, or a second job to help make ends meet, home staging might be the solution you've been looking for.

Or if you just love to decorate and would like to learn some tricks of the trade, this site can help! Check in regularly for new posts with quick and easy ideas for home staging/decorating and redesign ideas. And if you have any good decorating tips you'd like to share, let me know.

Let's work together to get your home sold fast & remember...Stage It Well, Watch It Sell!