"I believe each house has a soul, an essence that one connects with. I have a passion for decorating and designing which began when I was a child. I would drive my parents …
“What inspired me to be a home stager is the fact that I’ve always enjoyed decorating since childhood. I knew I had the talent because of the constant compliments I receive from people about my decor style. I didn’t know how to turn this talent into a money-making business, so I worked in accounting. It was very demanding and kept me away from my young kids for long hours. I knew that I didn’t belong in the accounting field because of my creativity and I wanted to do something flexible to allow me to spend more time with the kids.”
“When I discovered that home staging existed, I decided to quit my job and start a home staging business. The biggest challenge was how to price my services. I am glad I decided to take the Staging Diva Program because there is so much I am learning and there are so many mistakes I made that I wouldn’t have made if I took the program before starting my business. Thanks Debra for the wonderful information you have for us.”
“I suggest to anyone who has always wanted to start a home staging business and is held back by the negative thoughts to please take the Staging Diva Program. The inspiration you will get is priceless and will help you move forward without looking back. The marketing and pricing tips alone are worth your investment!”
~ Sally Monyancha, Divine Home and Design (Ontario)
Confused about how to price your home staging services?
Like Sally, most home stagers aren’t sure how to charge for the services they offer. Many end up spending their time giving free estimates, assuming that this is just part of having a home staging business.
When they arrive at a home staging consultation, the homeowner often bombards them with questions: “Does this couch make the room seem small? Should we do an accent wall? Is the dining room table too big for the space?”
While these are valid questions, you shouldn’t be giving your advice away for free. If you do nothing but drive from free consultation to free consultation all day, what happens if those homeowners take your expert advice and simply apply it themselves?
You’re basically allowing people to take your suggestions and implement them without your help. If you charge for your consultations, this doesn’t matter one bit! You still get compensated for the time and advice you give to homeowners. On the flip side, if you’re doing it for free, you’ll be broke before your home staging business makes it past the infancy stage.
Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, has written a guide that will help you conduct a phone call with a potential client so that you feel confident charging for your first visit to their home: Staging Diva® Sales Script: How to Avoid the Free Estimate Trap and Turn Homeowners into Home Staging Customers in One Phone Conversation. You’ll be given the exact script that Debra uses when speaking to homeowners for the first time.
Debra has never given free estimates, and she lives in a city where there are dozens of home stagers who do. Regardless, within her second year of business, she was making up to $10,000 a month just in fees for her time. You can do the same thing if you follow Debra’s step-by-step formula in the Staging Diva Training Program!
