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Creating a Standard in the Staging Industry: Can our Services be better categorized?

In my last post I wrote about how consumers cannot look at price alone when selecting a stager to market their home. This post received a lot of attention and many of you have written me to let me know that you will be using it as part of your marketing materials.

Another issue facing stagers today is the different caliber of home staging services offered by staging companies that stage vacant properties. Since there are no industry standards, there is no "secret formula" that dictates that in each room a certain number of accessories and a certain quality of art shall be used.

If you look at a sampling of vacant staging work across the country you will see that some stagers use less items per space and some use higher or lower end materials in their projects. My first thought was that this was due to the different price points of homes. I assumed that in lower priced homes a stager would use less items and in higher end homes a stager would use more expensive items. I found this however not to be the case. I looked at similarly priced homes and found that some homes were more elaborately staged and others looked skimpy.

So how then can consumers know what level of staging they are getting when they hire a stager? As I said before it is imperative for sellers and Realtors to not just look at the bottom line. A stager's portfolio and client testimonials should be equally important. With stagers doing different calibers of work is it possible for us as an industry to categorize these different levels so we can educate and communicate better with clients and meet their expectations?

As a staging professional I understand that budget is often our client's largest concern. I feel budget should be a key factor in determining different the categories of staging. Second is the quality of staging being offered. Even when a client has a small budget the quality of the staging should not be compromised. The staging work should still add value to the home and not detract from the home's selling features. I have seen many an inexpensive staging job where the low end look of the staging made the home seem less desirable and buyers remembered the staging more than the home.

I am proposing that we divide our services into 3 distinct groups: Simple Staging^TM Standard Staging^TM and Select Staging^TM. With an understanding of what these services offer consumers will be better informed with what they are getting when they hire a stager.

Simple Staging:This service will provide vacant home owners with a few key vignettes in spaces that need more definition of purpose. These areas will not be completely staged meaning there will be no window treatments, area rugs and there will only be a few key accent items and limited artwork. Simple staging may include only accessorizing rooms to create more flow in a home and not renting furniture for those spaces. Kitchen and bathrooms are excellent candidates for simple staging services.

Standard Staging: This service will provide vacant home sellers with the basics needed to prepare their home for sale. Stagers will stage the areas that are the most important to buyers such as the foyer, living room, dining room, family room, kitchen and master bedroom. They will also address awkward areas that need a better sense of purpose. Stagers will include rental furniture that is fitting with the style and price point of the home as well as area rugs, lighting, artwork, accessories and lighting. This style of staging will be less of a vignette format and will show buyers how the rooms can look furnished so they can better envision living in the home. Window treatments will not be included and the entire home will not be staged.

Select Staging: This type of staging will aim to give the vacant home a more model home look. All of the rooms in the home may or may not be staged but the rooms that are staged will look more finished than standard staging. They will include furniture, area rugs, window treatments, artwork and accessories that are fitting with the style and price point of the home. Select staging will showcase a lifestyle to buyers so they can form an emotional connection to the home.

With these guidelines in place I feel consumers will better understand the services home stagers offer and we will better be able to meet their expectations. Thoughts and comments? kh

Posted by Kate Hart on 09/30/2007 12:50 AM

Comments (65)

vacant home staging, staging standards, staging model homes, home staging industry

Originally posted at: Home Staging Pennsylvania- Hart & Associates Servicing the Main Line, Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. : Creating a Standard in the Staging Industry: Can our Services be better categorized?

Post is included in group: Stage It Forward...

65 Comments on Creating a Standard in the Staging Industry: Can our Services be better categorized?

SEP

2007

Interesting concept, Kate. I already offer that type of service, however, it isn't formally catigorized the way that you have outlined. This may be an easier concept for clients to follow.

Kate ~ good blog! Some very good information that, as Kathy A. said, might be easier for clients to understand and see what they are getting for their budget.

Absolutely! When I do my bid, I do this same thing. I like the names that you have labeled the levels though. Mine are: Basic (vignette), Standard (4 room), and Deluxe ( upscale 4 room or standard total property). Based on the price point, the area and its competition, and how bad the clients need to sell, I refer to my choice of option based on what I feel they should do. 99% of the time they go with what I suggest.

This type of bid is done on almost every home, and every home over 1M ( it changes a bit though with homes over 1M. I do not suggest basic Vignettes, these are much higher end with upscale artwork, trees and upscale items). Thank you for writing this Kate.. it really does make a difference. Cookie cutter Staging just doesn't work anymore:) Gave you a high five for this.

Kate - I like your 3 S's. It gives the customer some choices and leaves less ambiguity about what they are going to end up with.

Stephanie

Kate - very well thought out and very generous on your part to share. This is exactly the type of standard the industry needs. Will present it to RESA and see what can be done. Thank you!

Thanks gals for your comments. I already use this method when I price a job and I think these concepts would really help the public. I recently lost a job to another stager due to price. When I saw the staged home I was shocked- this stager had hardly even added any art work, accents or lighting and had just plunked down some furniture. I made me realize that I had to communicate better with my clients about what to expect from staging.

Kate,

I think this is a wonderful idea! I will be incorporating your ideas into my business so I can better communicate to my clients the different levels of service. Thank you for your well thought out contributions.

Kate -

This is great! I have learned so much just from reading your blogs. I really appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge and experience.

SEP

2007

Kate great post. Rating a five. We do this type of breakdown, but called it Good, Better, Best. Your Simple, Standard, and Select are so much more inviting. I think we will be using your vocabulary from now on. Thank you. Betty

Interesting post about the different "levels" of staging. Thanks for sharing.

Great ideas here Kate. When I first started styling properties in 1998 I had two categories: the "model" (like your SELECT) and the "mini-model" (like your SIMPLE) the mini-model consisted of simple vignettes with a powerful punch. The staging that I do now lies somewhere between the two. I love the 3 different price points as a standard in your service offerings --- raises public awareness that all "stagings" are not created equal, and like you say, it allows you to compete if the price point is the most important thing. Great post - a five!

Aloha Kate, how do you feel about Balai style furnishings through out the whole house. I will look for you input?

Kate - I too lost a bid recently to another stager due to price. And... I too was shocked when I saw the "after" pictures of the staging. The formal living room had 2 undersized chairs, a stand and a floral. The homeowner was not only disappointed, but angry as well.

As an industry, we do need standards. The challenge we have ahead of us is to ensure all stagers operate under the same guidelines. Whether we use the verbiage 'simple', 'standard' or 'select' to describe the three varying levels of services or some other words is almost secondary. Although, let me quickly add that I do like them.

I do think it beneficial to begin with RESA to help get the standards understood and communicated. In addition, the variety of training organizations will also need to a) buy in to the concept and b) communicate and train on these standards.

In the interim, I intend to communicate to my prospects that there are varying degrees of staging and that it would behoove them to understand what they're looking for and to also ensure that the stagers they're interviewing are clear as to the services they intend to provide.

Thanks for such a great post, Kate! I too rated it a 5

Kate, how Splendid you've created the Three S's of Staging!!! Simple, Standard, & Select.

I love your work and while I'm a Real Estate Agent, one of my favorite places to hang out on the web is HGTV's rate my space. Who would think I'd see such great design here on AR?! It's a treat to have the staging community here and I look forward to seeing future blogs!

Kate this concept is so easy to present to clients. Based on a clients situation it will better help them to decide which package would suit there needs. Thanks

Thanks all,

I appreciate your comments and support of this concept. No matter what you call the different levels of staging I feel it is important to communicate this to home sellers. There are stagers flooding the market that are under pricing and under delivering and it is up to us as leaders in the industry to create the standards and educate our consumers. I am going to add this info to my website and start re educating my clients. KH

Kate,

It's a GREAT IDEA! We already have our services divided into packages, which helped us alot. And we were just discussing this same issue to make our vacant packages even more detailed. So that clients can really understand each level of service better and not go on price alone. Even though, we personally discuss what we will put in each room before we give the client a quote, some people are just going to go with the cheapest price no matter what. However, I think the more education the better.

Very good, and informative post. I believe you've really hit on something!

Hi Kate - I'm not a stager, but I really like the 3 levels you've written about, and I like the names you've given them. I can see where one level would be needed in one home and an entirely different level might be needed in another. Fee-for-service is just what this is all about - the higher the level of service, the higher the fee and the more staging that's done. Makes perfect sense!

Ann

As with everyone else, I LOVE this concept! When bidding on a property I include a RES of several homes I've staged in their price point. This gives them an idea of what to expect specifically from me. I don't know what other stagers in the area use. I know there are more popping up as I hear about them when I go on the walk-through. I, fortunately, rarely lose jobs to other stagers. When I do, I'm often surprised when I see the work. It obviously came down to price & they got what they paid for.

Having these definations clear could help clients more fully understand what they are getting.... compare apples to apples if you will....

Hi Kate - I love the 3 S's! I too lost a job to another stager due to price. When I looked at her work I understood why I was priced higher. There was only 1 love seat w/ottoman in the large family room, 1 end table, no artwork and few accessories.

With your 3 S's the client would be able to compare "apples to apples." Thank you for creating this staging standard with these 3 distinctive groups.

A great thought for the industry, Kate. I'd bet that most of our businesses offer exactly that: three levels of staging for clients to consider. I'm not sure all of us clearly define it as such, and I'm CERTAIN that it would be difficult to standardize the names, unless these names went along with an association. Individuality is omnipresent in small businesses. Doubly or triply so in small creative businesses, where we are constantly reaching for the edge of "different".

Just my two cents, from DC...

Jaynee

Great post!

The three S's is nicely put. I'll definately use these terms to help consummers understand the different levels of staging available.

I like the 3 S's as well. I agree with Jaynee that it may be difficult to clearly define--for example, I often use rugs but no window treatments, which I guess would be Standard +. Just watched your RES and noticed rugs in your standard too! By the way, I love the shows. The bottom line is that we need to be sure our prospective clients know what they are getting from us and make sure they ask what they are getting from our competition. Thanks for the post!

Kim Dillon, Creative Eye Home Staging

Great post Kate. So is it unanimous? Simple, Standard and Select? I think it's great! I am going to use these terms. Too bad we can't just vote on it in AR. I agree with Kathy...RESA would certainly approve of this decision. You've got my vote. It's all about consistency.

What I love most about AR is that an idea that came to me over coffee (and frustration) is accepted by so many. These guidelines may be hard to give a complete definition to but I think overall it is a great way to get dialogue started for our industry. Any feedback on how to better define these ideas is appreciated. KH

Guys,

Does anyone have any success with vignettes any more? Does it really help? I think people are getting so accustomed to staging, that a few bits and peices looks paltry. Half-a--d, like the seller chintzed. The main rooms, in 2 levels if you like - Standard vs. Select - though I liked your reference to Model homes. Staged vs. Model-Home-Set. I'm not sure I think there needs to be "whole house" any more either.

OCT

2007

Juliet,

Thanks for commenting. I agree with you that vignettes can look half done but I am finding that some sellers cannot afford to do the whole room so often adding a seating area around the fireplace with some art above the mantle will be enough the give purpose to a space. There is a fine line however about what looks well done and what looks crappy and it is up to us as stagers and designers to determine this. Sometimes if my client does not have a large enough budget to do justice to a home then I do not recommend staging. As I said in the post above- poorly done staging makes homes look less desirable and buyers remember the poor staging more that the property.

As for the whole house concept I am finding that more and more builders who normally do traditional models are now just staging the main areas of their homes since there is so much inventory on the market and this is a more affordable concept. That being said I have had 2 builders recently ask for full staging of the entire property and so I have offered this service. It takes a lot of inventory and often the investment I make in the project is more than I make on the job! Of course I am doing this to build a relationship with the client but we shall see how it pays off in the end!

I think it is great that we have gotten this dialogue started and I am curious to see where it leads... kh

Hi Kate, yeah this is a great topic. Thank you for getting the discussion started; I too wonder where it can go. The danger as I see it is we all - on AR - can agree to 3 levels of service, but even within AR there are seasonsed stagers whose work accomplishes great things in their market but would not work in others. You could read that difference as taste or acknowledge just different. Then, stagers that aren't on AR, who haven't collectively agreed, swoop in and undercut us all. What then has been accomplished?

We live in a free market economy. To regulate might feel like a straight jacket. Perhaps it's better to wait out the "lesser" competitors. The work speaks for itself - for all of us. In time, the cream will rise to the top, and the dregs get discarded.... or do I have my PollyAnna glasses on today? I'm not sure what the answer is.

Just out of curiosity - how many times does your inventory have to turn over to make back the money you spent acquiring it?

I am so glad that you mentioned the regulation thing- by no means do I want this to be a regulation for people to follow. I more want consumers to understand these guidelines so they can better understand our prices and have a place to start comparing bids.

Of course local markets dictate what stagers do- there is staging in some places that I have to ask is this the before or after? It depends on the taste of the stager and what their market accepts as staging. Sometimes I cannot believe that people PAID $$ to let stagers do that to their homes but as you said this too will pass and the cream WILL rise to the top.

To answer your question on inventory- typically I charge 25% of the retail cost per month- if I rent something for 4 months it pays for itself and starts earning income in the 5th month but this can vary. If I really want a job or if I know inventory will be in a home for an extended period of time I can charge the client less. Furniture companies like Cort typically make back their $$ after 3 months rent. I made the mistake of telling a competitor this theory and she started charging 10% to be less than me! Was I upset? No, she just know has to get that many more jobs to make her $$ back. KH

Kate,

I wholeheartedly agree. I just lost a job, because the homeowner shopped around until she found the cheapest price. I don't believe that I am expensive, but I do use quality furniture and my clients get alot of bang for their staging dollar. I am anxious to see what that client will be getting for such low prices.

I am trying to find a way to differentiate myself in the market, right now I only pursue jobs that will reflect the kind of work I think is best and reflects what I am proud of. There will always be someone cheaper, but there will always be someone who charges more.... I always try to be the one who offers the best value for the money spent!

I have a similar leveled explanation, but I use it as a base pricing explanation for certain rooms. Fees can go up or down based on the size of the room.

Accessories only (kitchen and bath)
Vignette (small bedrooms, entries, nooks, etc.)
Showcase (all other rooms)

I arrange my bids in a way so that each room is priced individually so that they can choose key rooms only, then I offer a full service fee that actually reduces the price if they choose to do all the rooms that were bid on - I do bathrooms for free, in that case- and give them some leeway in the rental fee by reducing the amount of furnishings and accessories to meet their budget if necessary. It has worked well for me so far and I find that bidding this way ensures we both are pleased with the result.

I think vignettes can be successful in some rooms, but not all. By doing accessories only throughout it makes it obvious that a house is staged, so I never agree to that level of service.

Kate - this is a wonderful idea. It gives clients flexibility.

BTW - Love your RES sidebar widget! ;)

I think pricing can be a problem when I don't know what to call the different levels of staging. When a prospect calls on the phone or emails, we don't know what we're getting into not seeing the job. I also lost a job from a realtor who wanted organization and a little bit of staging for the look "beachy." I gave her the standard pricing and when I followed up with her she found someone else less expensive. If I would have had a Simple, Standard or Select choice to give her I may have gotten the job. These terms also keep my thinking straight.

We are always going to have the stagers who charge less than the industry standard. I'm in an area where there are not a lot of stagers, only south, south Orange County, CA, and I've also been told by some realtors that the stagers in their immediate areas don't want to leave the area, even a little bit.

Didn't mean to get off the subject...I also like Kimberly's pricing of pricing per room and bathrooms free (I also do not charge for bathrooms). I charge per square foot of the home for the consultation and then I'm stumped as to what to charge for the actual staging for Simple, Standard or Select. (I'm thinking I've under charged.) I know of one stager in my area who charged $5 a square foot for staging and the house was over 3,000 square feet. And I'm not sure if this included the rental furniture cost! However, I don't think she's staging much anymore.

I'm learning so much every day!

Diane Concialdi DC Redesign

Hi Kate,

I always love reading your posts, and learn something new each time, when we put our website up we went back and forth on if we should include levels of staging, and opted for charging by the sq foot instead.

We usually stage the same 4-5 rooms as most because then it gets pretty expensive staging an entire 3,500 sq foot house for the home owner so levels is something we will have to sit down and discuss more about.

We have staged entire homes before and do have the inventory for them, But don't see to many of those to often.

Anyway great post and look forward to reading more of your posts.

Brian Bloom

This approach is very similar to how I provide my quotes. If money is an issue, the decision to hire a stager is not "all or nothing" but allows the homeowner a choice thus increasing the probability of hiring you. So far, (knock wood) I've had great success with this approach.

Kate,

Great idea, but do the TM symbols mean that you're registering these three designations as trademarks for your own staging company?

David,

I want to write a book in the future so I want to make sure that I own my own ideas. I do not have a problem if people use these terms. My goal is to share concepts that will help consumers better understand our industry and educate the public. I also want to make sure that no one else trademarks my concepts : Staging Naked, Home Staging 101, Day in the Life of a Home Stager, The 3 S's or levels of Staging etc. These are all ideas I want to incorporate into my future prospects. I have learned though owning my own business that sometimes I need to keep my mouth shut because people are all too willing to take my ideas and profit from them- this way I can keep blabbing (or blogging) and share openly. KH

As for me, I could care less. One of those chinese cloth folding chairs and a good TV are all I need. BUT . . . I think Simple and Standard are to close to each other. In my mind they are practically the same thing. Also, Simple seems to be applicable to somehting that is intangible rather than tangible.

Maybe Standard, Select, Supreme?

Again, from a very simple type of guy, I was saying to myself, why not Good, Better, Best. Of course I realize that it does not have the marketing Cache. But thinking of Good Better, Best is when it jumped out at me that Simple vs. Select creates no differentiation in my mind. FWIW.

I'm not sure where I sit on this issue, but I do want to throw a contrarian perspective out there - not that I completely disagree with y'all, but I've found it's usually best to look at as many perspectives as I can.

I want to use the example of Interior Designers. I know they are responsible for much, much more than just the very little we are, but I've chosen them as it seems many are now offering staging services and there are a few right here on A/R. Interior Desigers are regulated by education, testing and association membership and yet..... What they do not have is a secret formula that dictates how much of what should go in each room and what that quality (per say) should be.

Candidly, I'm a bit surprised so many of y'all are so excited about this considering from what I've been able to read Walmart, Target, and other stores of lesser quality are favorite shopping places. Now there's nothing wrong with shopping anywhere from what I can tell - and me personally, I'll take a bargain, a real bargain where ever I can find one, but if you're going to start qualifying someone else's staging props, be prepared to have the same done to you. How about themes? Anyone have particular themes they enjoy and that can be found in many of the homes they stage? Hmmm, a competitor might be able to point out how flexible they are in staging any type of home - modern cement block through traditional cape vs. a competitor that seems stuck based on their props.

Kate and All, please know I'm not trying to be argumentative - Especially with you Kate. You willingly give a GREAT DEAL and I'm not trying to take that away from you. I just worry about slippery slopes.

Jackie

I agree! I use this as well, my catagories are Basic, Deluxe and Presidential. I am a big believer that Stagers need to pay attention to the 'Target Market' for that home and Stage it to fit that buyer. I have been under bid by Stagers that ended up under staging for the buyer and using low quality (garage sale/used furnishings). It is very important for sellers to look at the stagers web site or portfolio. Look at their testimonials and pictures. Although I have noticed that a few web sites do not use their own work for their photos.

Good blog!

OCT

2007

Hi Jackie and all,

Thanks for sharing. I agree with you that what we do is different than the services offered by interior designers. We are here to market and prepare people's largest investment for sale in a mere few days. As a designer I work months to personalize a space specific to my client's wants. But staging does not take into consideration what the seller wants- it is about what the target buyer for that home's price and location wants. What I am proposing however is not a secret formula but rather a guideline for the public to better understand our services- a language to communicate with consumers. There is no governing board in this industry that is going to swoop down and fire a stager because they did not use a high, medium, low accessory arrangement on the coffee table! If that was the case then there would a lot of stagers out of business (including myself!).

Experienced Stagers know that staging is NOT cookie cutter and that good staging means that you select props that work in each individual home. In no way did I infer that I think we should have rooms in a box that are the same in all homes. I just want home sellers to understand the diffrent types of services we offer and generally what to expect from a stager.

I agree with your point about the lesser quality staging and items in the marketplace and this is partly why I have written this post. Walmart and Target are fine for some price points of homes and work well for certain markets Frankly speaking, however, I see a lot of crap and home sellers are paying a lot of money for that crap. I sometimes want to call a stager that has done a poor job and ask him or her if they personally would have paid $2,000 for someone to do that to their home??!! Since there are not regulatory boards there is no way to stop this. Educating the public however is one way we can show home sellers that there are different levels of staging and you get what you pay for!

A staging business is just that- a business. I think the lesser quality staging that is out there comes from a few sources:

1. Stagers are afraid to tell their clients that they cannot perform miracles on a paltry budget- I have learned to walk away from a job rather than to do less quality work.

2. Stagers are unwilling to invest in their props and business- I have had jobs with no budget and took them because I wanted to make a name for myself. I ended up investing 3x the money I made on the project in inventory but that job yielded future business to use that inventory. I find that some stagers are not willing to buy quality inventory- our props are our tools and without them we cannot do our jobs.

3. Some Stagers don't have taste- yes I said it here people. Some people just don't get it and that is something we cannot teach. Taste is subjective. Some people hate my work, others love it. It just depends on the perspective you are coming from.

Imagine if we could have a bad stagers site? LOL! KH

If we had a bad stager's site, I'd be on it. Goodness, I'd probably be the moderator of it!! Some of my projects work and some really don't. I need to get more confident at selecting jobs as opposed to being grateful the person called at all.

Could you speak to that a bit?

I find myself brooding about the quality of inventory a lot these days. I used to always use my own antiques - from England, Egypt, wherever. Then I noticed that tastes were changing, and there's a newer look even high-end homes tend to have. Old isn't charming any more. Yet, I am consistently shocked by the prices of seemingly middle-market places - Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma Home, Restoration Hardware - when you can get similar things at Home Goods/Marshalls/TJMaxx. (and Walmart, if you're Phyllis. That girl triumphs every time she goes in the place!) Does the prospective purchaser know the difference?

Your green lidded-urns, for example. They look great, at each outing. Always stylish, classy and a good splash of an inoffensive, warm color. Were they very expensive, or do they just look it? Has anyone ever asked if they could buy them from you? I find I sell my paintings off the wall, sometimes, but rarely anything else. Once someone wanted all my vintage linens, but she was the exception, I think.

If we do our jobs correctly, MM-West's experience is the one we all want - I'll have the house, I'll pay over asking for it and I want the entire contents, too!

[MM's? the 2 Michelle Ms. Marro on the East Coast; Minch on the West]

Juliet - Kirklands seems to be one of my favorite places to find beautiful pieces at reasonable prices. Of course I am at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, World Market & Pier 1 at least twice a week also. I have a lot of antiques in my own home, but don't use them much in staging. Part of it is the money factor, but mostly it is the generic factor. It is much easier to fill a home with generic traditional or transitional pieces & mix & match later. Also, thanks for calling me out on this one personally.... HOWEVER my name is actually Melissa, not Michelle.... lol!! (common mistake my whole life actually - maybe my mom named me wrong... lol!)

I don't mean to sound negative about your idea, and I do understand the concept of the levels but I still feel the quality of the work is most important.

Truthfully the quality of the job and the materials used are most important to me. I am not sure that there is a way to categorize this. I hate to be trite but "you get what you pay for." If a Realtor has a client who chooses the low cost alternative and it has a negative impact on the sales process...they will most likely look for alternatives the next time. I think the key is to have websites and marketing materials that show your work...from there I think a smart buyer can see the difference.

Kate, you have nailed it again. Great Post!!!!!! I'll be first in line for your book! We do have 2 different levels we bid on -- staging key rooms or full house. We go back and forth on accessories only, since like you said, does it give the impression of poor staging anyway, and yet at the same time you want to meet the needs of a potential client and help them in any way you can, but without compromising you company's reputation. Of course, because of budgets, majority of people choose the option that costs the least. It never dawned on me that differentiating our levels of staging could also help us market ourselves to our clients so they realize why we may be higher than someone else. You get what you pay for!

I do agree that what I find to be really "cheezy" is the furniture used that is obviously worn and bought from a garage sale, and then spray painted to update it. When I am supplying brand new furniture that is specifically picked for that particular home, and I am being compared to a bid that is putting one of ten beige couches they bought on clearance, and making it "work" in that home--it's not comparing apples to apples. But until there is any form of regulation in this industry and it is an industry taught by some type of formal education--meaning there is only one set of credentials that go behind your name, we all have the same, we are all from the same team---(obviously, I stage "naked"--oops!) this problem will always exist. (And believe me, when that regulation happens, I will be the first one in line to sign up and take that course. Until then, I don't really trust who I'm giving my $3,000 to and what I'm getting in return for it! Right now, there are no guarantees.)

I must say, I am routinely shocked at the price point and "designer look" some big-box retailers have had lately in their home furnishings area. As part of our Redesign business, we routinely show our clients on lower budgets how they can design/decorate their home on a budget without it looking like you had a budget. And they too are shocked at what we can find for them and from where. But again, back to staging, even if you have levels of staging, I think the quality of furniture should be consistant thru those levels, it would just be the amounts that vary. Someone just needs to open up a furniture rental store that caters to stagers!

One quick question though--even by just having to different options on our bid forms, all the options just between those two can get confusing and keeping it organized on paper is tough as it is. When your adding a 3rd category now---what does your bid proposal form look like? Is it 3-4 pages long now, does it take you an hour to fill out? and how do you keep it thorough, but yet easily "navigatable" and easily understood at what your "totals" would be between the different options. Just curious.

Anyway--thank you for another great blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OCT

2007

Kate,

Great post... that get's my brain cooking.

It is sharing thoughts and insights like this that will help raise the level of professionalism and Stage It Forward.

Thanks all, I am so glad to see that this has gotten people thinking and talking about the way consumers use our services. To answer a few questions:

Juliet- I agree with you that I would like to fill every client's homes with real items (antiques, real art, etc) but this is not how most buyers really live. When I stage a home I am merchandising it to look like everyman's home. I like to tell a story about a time when I staged a spec home. Next door was a model that cost 150k. My staged sample cost 5k. Buyers formed a better emotional connection to my home because it was approachable or something that buyers could relate too- they could not afford to do the updates in their homes, or the expensive window treatments, wallpaper and faux finishes. And yes... people have asked me to buy the urns. I have 3 pairs and they cost 39.99 each so I gladly sell them at a marked up price. KH

Jo-Quality is the most important thing but sadly consumers still look at the bottom line!

Julie- Thanks for asking this question. I do not give them 3 options. I give them the option I think will work best and let them know that changes can be made to the scope of the project and their budget- this way the quote is still one page.

CS- Thanks for your support!

Kate... Great Post and very relative to the concerns most of us have.. especially those of us relatively new to the business. It was very generous of you to share your concept.

Stacy

OCT

2007

Love those Urns! I got some at Stein Mart for 60% off and giggled when I saw them in some of your pictures. They also had a pitcher and a bowl that matches. Most of my accessories come from Stein Mart and I usually get 50 to 70% off! They look expensive with out spending too much.

OCT

2007

Hey Kate this post as always is phenomenal and very suiting. Clients don't know what they want. We need to break it down for them. I have gone into home lower priced homes that are in such poor shape that I simply won't waste the client's money by putting expensive rental furniture in it. I am talking about homes that have dated, lime green bathrooms, small kitchens, no closets, etc. I offer these clients a smaller, lesser priced bid that will include small vignettes.

I reiterate that to them and then may show them some pics. I don't want them to think that they are going to get the GRAND staging for a budget of $500.00. I do always try to explain my different level of services and I have given (2) proposals to clients and they choose which proposal to proceed with. That way everything is outlined before contracts are signed and reiterated again in the contract.

I think it might be a good idea to use the different level of services and have a portfolio for each level of service, that way the client could actually see. I am sure that once they see the grand daddy of staging that most will want to proceed ahead.

This is great and I am glad that you are sharing this. I just recently lost a bid to another stager that is purchasing all the furniture and accessories for the builder for a budget that was lower than renting furniture and all my accessories (which was a ton) I am not sure how she did this because the value of the furniture I was renting was over $25K if purchased. This did not include the cost of my accessories, lamps, bedding, curtains, towels, dishes, etc. She came in with a bid for $18K for furniture and staging on a one year lease

Thanks for the post, keep up the great work!

Phyllis Pafumi

NOV

2007

Great concept. Everyone wants select staging at simple staging prices..that's where consumers don't understand the difference in stagers. They sometimes go with a lower price competitor and get the simple look, thinking they're getting the select look and are then disillusioned.

Thanks Cindy. I completely agree and that is why I proposed these terms.

I am hoping that by developing some common terms for all stagers to use when they speak to clients that we can help consumers to better understand their options. I have gotten a few emails from people asking if I am suggesting price fixing- absolutely not! Staging is such a local concept and the market varies so much from place to place so that could never happen (it would also be illegal as an industry!) I am hoping that by using these terms on the STATS sheet we announced today that more and more stagers will become familiar with and use this terminology. KH

NOV

2007

Super-cala-fraga-listic-expi-ala-do-sious pots! How do you get the pictures & description in your post? Thank you for the useful information and the fantastic pictures. You are SO TALENTED! Gorgeous work!Maya Thomas

JAN

2008

Great blog.... I think these categories have been of great help on the stats forms.... is anyone else doing these? I haven't heard about them lately...

This is catching on, I've several clients recently ask what I would charge for say simple staging vs. standard staging. I knew exactly where they'd heard it!

JAN

2008

Thanks all for your comments. This is one of my favorite blogs because more and more I hear consumers and stagers referencing it. I think having a common language across the industry really helps people better understand how we charge. KH

I have been contemplating 3 categories and was looking around for names and was directly to this blog. I must have missed it the first time around. I had Basic, Key and Essential for the lowest to Presidential, select, premium, choice and elite for the top. Then I decided Silver, Gold and Platinum.

Funny how many of us are working on the same things and desiring to simplify and standardize. Isn't it great that we can at least share it on here.

JAN

2008

I guess quality writing and ideas have a long shelf life. This keeps coming back because it is good content. Thanks Kate.

What a great post, Kate! These are terms that I would love to start using in our proposals, with your permission, of course. I am aware everyone has a budget, especially in this down housing market, and want to give my bids several options.

I fully agree with you that the staging can change depending on the price point, etc... of the home and the wants of the client. I have sadly given 2 bids just this week on homes that are currently staged and the contracts are within days of ending. The staging jobs are, in my humble opinion, not fitting for the homes and I had an agent tell me that they felt the house would actually show better vacant. Ouch! These are both million + homes and the staging was VERY bare and the furnishings truly are not fitting. I bet if the original proposal gave options explaining the types of staging - like you have shown here - the client would have been better educated and would have chosen differently. I am, of course, assuming that budget was a concern.

Thank you for sharing your ideas and business strategies so freely with us.

Wow...how did I miss THIS post Kate? Excellent, excellent, EXCELLENT stuff.

A true leader in this industry as always. Your vision and implementation in ideas truly amaze me.

All the best,

Beth

I'm glad this post is alive again! Now I will try to categorize work the same: KISSS! I agree with Kate that the RES and portfolios will really give a client the best idea of what to expect for their investment. Julie

So Kate, are you including us in your trademark rights for these services? Don't mean to be a stinker here -- I love the concepts, but I just noticed you TM'd everything! :-)

wow- I just got in and love that this post is still worthy of so many comments.

I did trademark these terms when I originally wrote the post- not to prevent others from using them but to protect my intellectual property. I want to be able to use these terms in books, teaching and tv and do not want another company claiming them first.

They are on the SIF stats and RESA sites and have tm's there too. I am a sharer and as long as people are respectful and use these terms for educating consumers and growing the industry then I have no problem.

As I have stated before- I am honored and flattered when stagers ask to use my articles on their sites and in their marketing- I just want credit and a link on the site to my site.

The only problem I have is when others copy my work. Thankfully that has been corrected. That in itself is another blog. KH

JAN

2008

Ok, very good. Thanks for sharing this concept it makes sense.

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