Morgan's Blog

Home vs. House

2008-05-13T13:08:59Z

Staging is is all about understanding the difference between "home" and "house". The two terms are very similar, yet very distinct.

First, look at the definitions:

The American Heritage Dictionary lists these two important definitions of "Home": An environment offering security and happiness. A valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin.

And now, the American Heritage Dictionary definition of "House": A structure serving as a dwelling for one or more persons, especially for a family.

A home is steeped in emotional connections, while a house is simply a structure that could turn into a home. The struggle we have as home stagers is two-fold. We must first help the homeowners detach themselves from their home and all the emotions connected with it. Only when they see their home as a house, a product for sale, can they truly accept the changes we will be making to it. Secondly, we are tasked with turning the house, the product, into a home...but not the seller's home. We must turn it into "home" for a broad audience, for each person who might walk through the front door as a potential buyer.

It's a subtle difference, but one that is essential to the success of our industry. Anyway, just a thought I've been considering recently.

Happy Raining!

Networking Ideas

2008-05-12T15:30:32Z

So I've been considering different people and industries that would be helpful to network with for potential staging customers. Here's what I'm thinking:

Realtors are the obvious answers! Hello, we wouldn't be on ActiveRain if we didn't know this was important.
Moving Companies. Give movers some information and business cards. If people are going to a moving company they are planning on MOVING. Simple, right? These could yield vacant staging oppurtunities.
Boxes? Storage facilities often sell boxes. People who are moving need boxes...Perfect!
Property Management. Who says apartment models and rentals can't be staged? Rental spaces require a lot of the same consideration. Property managers need their clients to be able to visualize usages and furniture arrangements as much as realtors and home sellers do. In effect, they are "selling" the space, if only for a designated time.
Rehabbers/Flippers. This is a great oppurtunity for repeat business, as turning around properties for sale is what these people do on a regular basis. Use that to your advantage! Get to know some Flippers in your area and build relationships. They are often trying to sell vacant properties and we all know how "easy" that can be.
FSBO's. These are a special breed of home seller and need all the help they can get. They're often the DIY type, which can work to your advantage as they may be willing to do more in an effort to sell they're home, like hire you to stage! They're looking for the returns that staging offers, so be sure to educate your local FSBO's.

So I want to hear your ideas! Who have you had the most success reaching and working with? What have you learned in your networking attempts?

Small business start-up advice?

2008-04-23T18:57:37Z

Let's talk about how overwhelming starting a new business is! I'm trying to figure out a LOT of things at once and I'm fretting that if I make a mistake it could be the one that sinks the ship. I mean, I'm considering insurance (trying to convince my husband I'll need that), filing (again, trying to convince him that I need to LEGALLY start the business), checking accounts (and trying to put some money from who knows where in there) and taxes (how much more will I hate tax season now?). Here come the heart palpitations.

I can barely get my home office in order; how in the world am I going to completely organize the entire foundation of my business...something that I've banked a WHOLE lot of my future on?

The costs are mounting as I think about talking to attorneys, accountants and insurance agents. Along with general inventory and start-up purchases.

Can you tell I need a little encouragement? I just want to know that I'm not crazy a) for doing this all in the first place and b) for worrying so much about it. This is tough stuff and I need all the help I can get!

New and Excited!

2008-04-22T11:37:41Z

It's all about following my heart. When I quit my job at a good company, people thought I was a little crazy. I just knew I was doing what was right for me. I've wanted to be invovled in design and real estate for years, so when I finally made the leap into a career of MY choosing that career was inevitably home staging. I love homes. I love looking at a space and imagining what it can be. I've been decorating informally for years. I can remember scolding my mom for some of her decorating choices when I was only in middle school. My favorite shows were always interior design-related. When I became old enough to hold my own, my mom allowed me to head up my parents' kitchen and family room remodel, a project which still looks pretty good! I'm just going with the flow (that is probably the thing that scares my engineer husband the most) and seeing what happens. But I'm also working very hard to ensure that I can enjoy this new venture and time in my life. I'm working on my HSR certification, marketing myself in my spare time and studying up in order to become the best home stager I can be! Now I just need some leads! I can only use personal before and after photos for so long!