Home : Blogs : Michelle Minch Home Staging Los Angeles & Pasadena, CA : Pasadena, California Home Staging & Interior Design Blog

Home Staging: Choosing the Cheapest Home Stager is a Bad Idea

Choosing a home stager based upon price alone can be a big mistake.

Today, I called a home owner for whom I had done a bid last week to see if they had decided to proceed with staging their home. Very politely, she told me that, while my company, Moving Mountains Design Home Staging, was their first choice, they had signed a contract with another stager because her bid was cheaper. I asked her the name of the other stager, whom I had never heard of, thanked her for time and wished her good luck selling her home.

About an hour later, my phone rang, and it was this same home owner. She said, "I am very embarrassed and I have a very big problem. We hired this other stager because her bid was cheaper than yours, but we are not happy with the furniture she used. She used a mixture of furniture that doesn't fit in our house (a really adorable Craftsman). And today she told us that she won't stage the office because she doesn't have a desk or chair in her inventory(the stager didn't know this before she accepted the staging job?) We were wondering if you could come over and stage the office and bring some nice things to make the house look better.You were our first choice (again) but we were trying to save money"

Here's the real clinker: "We know it will cost more money, but we want the house to look good so it will sell."

I felt very bad for this nice couple. I had to tell them that I couldn't provide furniture for them at this point due to the presence of the other stager's inventory and the problems that could cause with liability and insurance. Also, I didn't want to have to worry that this other stager might mistake my inventory for their inventory if they destaged before I did.

I made suggestions about how they could fix some of the problems created by this other stager, and I told her a few stores where she might be able to purchase some inexpensive furniture (even a nice wood table with a Craftsman style chair would have worked). She was happy for the information, and I told her to call me if she had any more questions. Before we hung up, she said, "It is too late now, but we learned our lesson. We should have hired you instead of looking for the cheapest price."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

As in many professions, a home stager who's prices are dramatically lower than other bids usually indicates a stager who is either inexperienced or so desperate to get a job, any job, that they will agree to do it for less than their cost. Not only is this a bad business practice, but it often leads to situations like the one above where the under-bidding stager did not have the resources to complete the job or do it correctly.

Choosing a home stager, or a real estate agent for that matter, based upon price alone is a big mistake. Choose the home stager with the most experience, the best portfolio and photos (an indication of their marketing knowledge, their skill and experience in staging), the best track record and the best recommendations (always call at least 3 recent clientsand ask them if they would hire that stager again). You may have a budget in mind, but a talented and experienced home stager is worth their weight in gold if you want to get your home sold faster and at the best price.

Read How to Choose the Right Home Stager for more information.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Moving Mountains Design Home Staging is the right choiceif you want to sell you home faster and for the best price. Almost 80% of the homes we stage sell in 60 days or less, almost half of those sell in 30 days or less, and many sell after the first open house. Don't settle for second best. Choose the Los Angeles Home Staging Company featured in the Los Angeles Times Real Estate Section and the Chicago Tribune in articles about the benefits of staging a home. For more information, call us at (626)441-8975 or visit our home staging web site for before and after photos of our work.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moving Mountains Design Home Staging

Moving Mountains Design is one of the most successful home staging companies in Los Angeles, CA.

We measure our success by the speed in which our staged homes sell, often with multiple offers above listing price. We work with home sellers, listing agents and asset managers to prepare homes for sale.

Some of our services include vacant home staging, occupied home staging, color consultations, corporate and executive relocations, move organization, redesign, and interior design. We also stage model homes, REOs,foreclosures and auction properties.

For more information about our home staging services, contact Los Angeles home stager, Michelle Minch (626)441-8975 or by email.

Click here to see our Los Angeles home staging portfolio

Click here to go to our Los Angeles home staging blog

Click here for more information about home staging in Los Angeles and how we can help sell your home faster and for the best price

Posted by Michelle Minch Home Staging Los Angeles & Pasadena, CA on 09/09/2008 05:09 PM

Comments (57)

Choosing a Home Stager in the Home Selling Channel

home staging, home stager, hiring a home stager, cheap home staging, selling a home, los angeles home staging, pasadena home staging

Originally posted at: Los Angeles Home Staging Info: Home Staging: Choosing the Cheapest Home Stager is a Bad Idea

Post is included in group: Diary of a Realtor
Post is included in group: Real Estate Staging Association
Post is included in group: Realtors®
Post is included in group: Real World Home Staging for Newbies
Post is included in group: Stage It Forward...

57 Comments on Home Staging: Choosing the Cheapest Home Stager is a Bad Idea

SEP

2008

Sometimes being right doesn't pay the bills, huh girlie. GEEZ, know how you feel, this happens in real estate all the time. An agent "buys" the listing by reducing the commission so as to get it listed. Well I have no problem competing fair and square my talent vs your talent, but you bought them and now you have to perform. The "I should have used you" doesn't really feel better, though does it. The good side, moving on leaves for time for the right clients and I know you have lots of those.

SEP

2008

Michelle- I feel badly for that couple. It is nice of you to help with suggestions. Hopefully as the industry grows, people will learn how to choose the right stagers. And it scares me that she just told them she was not staging the office! Did she not specify what rooms would be staged ( and with what!).I think these kinds of situations do not push staging forward, but people like you will :)

Here, here, Michelle! OK, Montra time...

The bitter taste of a poor job, lasts much longer than the sweet taste of the low bid!

Terrylyn: I don't mope over jobs I don't get. I'm way too busy and its not how I like to spend my energy. I have been in business long enough to realize that some people just won't get it. I do feel bad that these people were treated so shabbily (if that is a word) by another stager.

Wendy: Not knowing both sides of the story, I can't say what was or was not said. I can say, from my own experience, that these home owners were very articulate and were clear about what they expected when we met. They were lured by the promise of a low price, without really understanding the difference in what I was offering vs. the other stager.

Connie: I feel like I should have that tatooed on my forehead!

A similar thing happened to me last week .... I lost a staging job to another local stager based on price. When I looked online I was shocked at the "staging" job ... none of the pieces used coordinate with each other and there is no flow in the use of color or style. Someday, with more education from all of us, clients will know what criteria to use when hiring a stager. I include this info in all of my proposals but some folks learn the hard way -- you get what you pay for.

Love this post! Excellent! It is saved as a favorite!! I am happy to see you do not mope over jobs you do not get. I move on too and focus on the jobs I have! Happy Staging Michelle!!

Sounds like you handled the situation with the "Professionalism" you have built your reputation on. Offering help to the client and assisting them with your best advice as to how to remedy their situation. Sorry you didn't get the job in the first place, but I am sure they will be singing your praises to friends and family now. You win some and you lose some. Sounds like even though you "lost" this particular job you still WON! Great example.

I too have had a similar situation as this. Where it differed is that the homeowner was so displeased with the staging job the low-bid stager performed, she escalated to RESA. The homeowner had hoped that there was something that could be done. At the time, I was the RESA state president for Georgia so was sent an email to see if I could assist this homeowner. Before I could respond to the homeowner, she sent me an email (having seen that I was copied on a note) and said "if only I had used you to begin with."

Like you, I don't dwell on those I don't get. Instead, I focus my time and efforts on those I can help. And like you, I wouldn't add items to an already staged home for all the reasons you listed.

Kathy

Michelle ~ I learned this lesson a long time ago - never go with the cheapest price! Your story just reinforces that old adage "You get what you pay for".

Maureen: Unfortunately some people only shop price and they wind up with less than they bargained for. Educating the public is key, but will take time.

Kathy Lee: Moping accoplishes nothing except slowing you down and draining energy. Happy staging to you too.

Michele: I want to be as helpful as I can in these situations without putting my company in jeopardy. I don't like that this other stager gave the rest of us a black eye. I do think they will remember me in the future as they are still living in the area.

Kathy: Thanks for commenting. I think those of us who have been in business for a while have all seen a similar scenario. It is unfortunate that there are people out there who call themselves stagers, but don't deliver the goods. And I agree, I think it is dangerous and not good business to add to a home staged by someone else.

How unfortunate for the homeowners that they were swayed by the dollar signs. The money "saved" in hiring the other (unknown) stager will be money "LOST" in the poor property presentation and sale amount. I am certain that if they sell again they will be searching for YOUR business card, Michelle! :-)

Teresa

Kathy P: So true. Thanks for commenting.

I keep watching certain homes I bid on via MLS - and see their DOM and price reductions...the pictures do not reflect my suggestions or staging - because they didn't go with my bid! They're paying for it now...Julie

What bothers me about this is that the home stager hired should have known their limitations and never accepted a job they were uncapable of doing. Unfortunately this is the type of thing that reflects poorly on the industry as a whole and it takes others to literally clean up the mess afterwards and do damage control. We must know our limits and define our markets - and REFER to others who can in turn, refer back when possible.

For the client to call you back Michelle and explain the situation was priceless. I don't know many people that would own up to that. This person did us all a service in that we should be mindful of what we promise should absolutely be what we deliver.

No question cheap is as cheap does! They know they should have hired you, without question now, that alone would be payment enough for me but unfortunately now you have to be on the lookout for undoing the damage done by another unprofessional in the biz now in your neck of the woods.

Michelle,

It's unfortunate that this couple experienced this with the other stager! A professional home stager would never leave one of the rooms incomplete first off and would have included the cost or pricing for bringing in office furniture with the initial bid for the project.

Michelle, I absolutely agree with Karen Otto's assessment that many stagers just will not stay within their limitations and it does indeed reflect poorly on the industry.

I clearly understand that many stagers get into this business, believing that there is little to no cost involved, (I certainly wish that folks would do a more thorough job of researching the industry to find the truth) however all too many, even when they realize that is not the case will attempt to take on projects that they cannot do properly, given their limitations of skills and resources. I truly feel bad for those that get surprised when they learn that bringing in furniture and accessories to stage homes is the norm and not the exception. I also feel bad for them when they learn that most clients will not except the cost or terms involved in using traditional furniture rental companies. To take it a step further, I can further sympathize with those that then find out that it may take many, many thousands of dollars to purchase your own furnishings so that they can provide an affordable and appropriate solution that clients can buy in to. But, to ignore all of those facts and knowingly provide sub-par services, with sub-par furnishings is an alternative that gives me, you and the entire industry a black eye. My experience has been that among those stagers that provide credible services, there are only small price differences and it mostly comes down to who the client connects with, at the same time, in most cases I find that "Cheap" equals Sub-Par props and/or services.

Lets face it, we all know the cost of purchasing or renting the appropriate furnishings for any given project, so when we hear about a quote that is far below even a low margin of profit, it's easy to figure out that the furnishings or service are going to be sub-par. For the life of me I cannot understand why clients don't see red flags go up when this happens! Why can we not get clients to look at a stagers past statistics and past work products so they can choose wisely?

By the way Michelle, I forgot to mention, that what the home owner had to say to you afterwards is one of the most powerful testimonials I have heard. I would say just as powerful as a satisfied client that had used your services. I would certainly use it as such....

Teresa: The other stager may have told them they will do just as good of a job for less money. Who knows. They may have had pictures of other people's work in their portfolio. I don't know. And I understand the clients' wish to save money. But what they didn't understand is that often low price equates to low quality.

Julia: Its frustrating to see that happening, but there isn't anything we can do about it. Eventually, most home owners will be educated enough about staging to choose quality over price.

Karen: That is the worst part for me too. I think stagers like this one damage the industry as a whole and make it that much more difficult for us to gain general acceptance. I was actually very surprised to see her name pop up on my caller ID after our conversation. But clearly she was hoping I could pull her chestnuts out of the fire. I hope that the information I gave her will be helpful.

Michelle: I agree. This other stager was very unprofessional based upon the info provided by the home owner. The house should be on caravan on Thursday, so I will try to pop by and see it then.

What a sad story for the home owner. A tough lesson to learn.

It is tough enough to sell a home in today's market. Properties needs to be priced right and showcased correctly! Price is "Key" when pricing your property...Price is not "Key" when Home Staging possbile your biggest investment.

You gave the home seller some great alternative advice. I wish them luck! :)

PS - I would like permission to Re-blog this one.

Gary: I'm running out the door to an appointment. I will respond to your thoughtful comment later today.

You get what you pay for - a cheap job usually comes with a cheap price.

Michelle, as the old saying goes... You get what you pay for. I agree that this could be used as a great testimonial. Like you, I often help and suggest solutions even if it does not benifit me at that moment. In cases such as this I feel it will come back to me in a good way and it certainly will come back to you. Karma.

Michelle, It was lovely of you to help her in spite of the fact that she did not hire you. I know that people can write anything they like in their websites and just as in Feng Shui,you don't NEED a credential to call yourself a home stager. I'm sorry this woman learned late..and the hard way.

I clearly understand that many stagers get into this business, believing that there is little to no cost involved,as Gary said. Not only that but their chosen schools of staging entice them in by telling them how much money they will make, but really give them no information on how that works.

If we are short on something we need, we find it, not just anything but the appropriate furniture piece or accessory. Time and money + expertise = great job and possibly a higher bid than another

All stagers are not the same and their work will testify to that.

I guess you get what you pay for---I wonder if they consulted with past clients of that stager?

I have to agree with the comment that while the kudos are nice, they don't pay the bills! I've heard from sellers who went FSBO instead of hiring me that they will never do it again, so all we can do is hope that they remember this experience and call the right person the next time!

Michelle - you are one class act! Sounds like a case of buyers' remorse - oh no - I guess we really do get what we pay for - don't we? This is no different than hiring a discount broker ... they do NOT save a seller money.

You get what you pay for! I am surprised by how often people cut corners on such an important issue!!!

Your attitude is a credit to the industry, Michelle. You handled this with integrity intact, and no sour grapes. Putting the client's interests first, before our own, will always pay off in the long run. And it's true - you have an amazing testimonial out of the process!

I'm curious if the portfolio of the other lower bidding company may have been filled with homes that included the seller's furniture and they just moved it around? Always possible. While I am an agent who does her own staging, we are very up front with our clients about what kind of inventory we have and whether or not we'll be working with a combination of their items and ours, or if it will be only ours or theirs - depending on the selling circumstances.

Last week I got a call from a friend who used another agent friend to list. When it first went on market the seller had a tenant in the unit so they didn't do any real staging other than moving some furniture for the photos (and those were lame) and I'm pretty sure it wasn't a professional photographer. Later, when the tenant moved out the seller asked about staging and was told that the gal couldn't help her because all of the stuff she had to stage with was at another client's house. No other helpful information or suggestions, or even a recommendation to a staging company.

Now this friend is in the tough position of feeling like she needs to fire the other gal or come up with a new solution that they're afraid will be too expensive for them to handle now that they're getting in a cash crunch due to the lack of a tenant paying the bills.

Hopefully they'll work it out. I even offered to co-list with the gal so that they could have access to my inventory, but I required that I be majority on it so that we could recoup costs and some profit for the listing (this agent is in my broker's office). We'll see.

OK. I'm back...

Gary: You are right. Karen Otto has a way of hitting the nail on the head. I think that staging is such a new concept for some people, they don't know what consititutes a red flag. Logically, it should seem clear, that if something seems like too much of a good thing, it probably is. But, we wouldn't be in the current mortgage mess if borrowers were able to adhere to that rule. Many people are hoping that they will be the one who beats the system or gets a better deal or wins the lottery. Their hope is so strong that it blinds them to the reality of the situation. Same with some new stagers. Their desire to succeed is so strong that they take on jobs that they shouldn't expecting that everything will "work out".

Janice: Reblog all you want. Thanks for that compliment.

Angela: Absolutely!

Terri: I have no hard feelings for people who choose not to hire me. It's just business. And I am busy enough that this one job won't matter in my bottom line. It cost me nothing to give her that information, and hopefully what I told her will have a positive impact in the outcome. I'm glad to make that deposit in my Bank of Karma!

Carole: Because there is no independent accreditation, consumers have no way to judge if what one person is telling them is the truth. I'm sorry they had to learn this lesson too.

Kathleen: I run my business like you. If I don't have something I think will really help present a home in its best light, I will buy it. I am not one to use something just because I want to get it out of my warehouse or because I don't want to invest in new inventory. Whatever it takes.

Diane: Since they didn't ask me for any references, I am assuming they didn't ask the other stager either. It is always a wise move to do so.

Lisa: People have all kinds of strange motivations which I will never be able to understand. I'd hire you in a heart beat:o))

Kathleen: People are selling their most valuable asset, and it is never an easy process under the best of circumstances. Why wouldn't they want the best people to help them with that transaction?

Aloha Michelle,

Staging is still developing as a profession. Many consumers simply don't understand staging and they likewise are unable to determine the good from the not so good or a professional from a hobbyist. Situations like this one help define the good, the bad and the ugly so other consumers can take the time to make more qualified and better choices.

You did the right thing to blog about it and the professional manner in which you handled the situation will probably bring you more business than if you had received the account to begin with.

Your work is worth every penny and if consumers can't see that it's they're loss.

Peace,

Reba: Since I didn't see the portfolio of the other stager, I have no idea what was in it. I couldn't find a web site associated with the name the home owner gave me either. I have no idea how they found them or what they did to check them out. Good luck with your situation with your friend. I hope it works out for the best for all concerned.

Aloha Kimo. I thought actual real life experience would make the point about cheap vs. good better than a lecture without specific examples. Hopefully, some potential clients will learn from this and not make the same mistake. Thank you for your kind comments. Mahalo

SEP

2008

Hi Michelle,

I love your before and after pictures! Great article on being CHEAP! (you always end up paying more). I have done alot of posts on "Before & AFter" for an investor .... you should take a look at them ... I would link it in but don't want to get in trouble!

Pippa: Your investor is doing an amazing job renovating those properties. He/she really knows where to put the money. Just curious...why isn't your client hiring a stager to bring in some furniture? Thanks for commenting!

Michelle,

Good morning. I admire you for being so generous with your time and your suggestions to this couple. They will recall your generousity then recommend YOU to their friends who are selling their properties and need a stager.

Rebecca: It is never a bad thing to do something nice for someone else. I hope what you say is true, but I didn't look that far ahead. I was just trying to help them out of the pickle they were in.

I have found in my community that word gets around. Whose good, whose inexpensive and so on. And everybodys taste is different. But I think for the most part, you can only make those kinds of mistakes one time and then you're done. And if your reputation is good, that gets out there pretty quickly as well.

Terri: I agree to a point. In larger markets like Los Angeles, most agents socialize primarily with agents from their own brand, so a stager's reputation may only be know at one brokerage or in one area. I find that most bad stagers go out of business relatively quickly since their bad staging also lends itself to bad business practices. That's why I always suggest hiring a stager with a lot of experience. If they have been able to sustain their business for a while it usually means they have good business practices.

These selloers learned their lessons the hard way. It's so generous of you to help them out after the fact.

They will be your raving fans for future business.

Virginia: Sometimes the only way we learn is the hard way. I hope they will be a source of future refrerrals. Thanks for commenting.

Things happen for a reason ,Lol

Maybe does people were cheap ,we will never know

Think of it like "this was not meant to be" you would have done a "to good job"

Jean-Marie: Thank you for your nice comment.

You handled that great by not just saying no. At least you stuck around to give some suggestions. In the future they will probably come back to you.

DeAndrea: Thank you. I hope you are right.

Hi Michelle,

Thank you for sharing your story with all of us. Congratulations for getting your post featured, too!No matter what state you live in this type of thing can happen anywhere. Your insights to hiring the "cheapest" stager or any other professional usually comes out in the wash. And the old saying of you do get what you pay for is true. I think that the fact that this homeowner actually called you to tell you this was amazing. Now you have another story to share with those that are considering using your services. Keep up the great work!

Have a Colorful Day!

Irene: I just found out my post was featured and also featured in the AR newsletter. Yeah! Very exciting! I think the homeowner called me because she was hoping I would come and restage her house.Thank you for commenting and your kind words.

Great post! Did you post this in Localism so that it gets out to the general public? I had one similar experience, and I, too, helped the homeowner as much as I could...she was disappointed that she hadn't hired me, and I was, too!

Thanks, Kathy. I posted it everywhere I could post it. I swear! I'm sure many of us have had similar experiences. The longer you are in business, the more you will see this happen.

yet people continue to hire the cheapest one not the best one! they will pay in their equity :(

great blog!

SEP

2008

Congratulations, Michelle, on your featured post!

Kathy

Hi Cindy: I like that "they will pay in their equity"

Thank you, Kathy!

SEP

2008

Michelle,

Great post and I'm happy it is a featured one too. All agents and sellers need to read ans heed this post. On all my proposals goes the following quote (author unknown). "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten!"

Gail: Connie Tebyani and I have been trying to figure out who wrote that quote also. Feel free to re-blog it if you think it will help your cause.

OCT

2008

In our first staging experience, we paid for it as part of our marketing campaign for the home we were selling, we didn't know what to look for at the time, other than a "home stagger" - we just thought "Cool, we're bringing in a professional stagger." Value was important to us because this and all the rest of the marketing was coming out of our pocket... BIG mistake. Although the home looked better because it was not empty, the material was dated. The people were nice, but that doesn't sell homes. It took that home 3 months to sell in an UP market. We took that $1500 investment the next time around into purchasing our own material for small focal point staging projects. We realize there are better options out there, and we're looking to align ourselves with a new team. I wish I'd known about AR back then!

Hi Amber and Jason. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with a home stager. There are so many good ones out there, it is unfortunate you got a bad one. There are many wonderful and professional home stagers working in Oregon, many of whom are right here on Active Rain. Let me know if you would like me to send you a list. I wrote a post a while back How to Choose the Right Home Stager. Maybe that will help you in choosing a stager in the future.

BTW, some professional home stagers will be willing to work with the accessories you purchased, and add some of their own accessories and furniture if needed to pull a house together so it appeals to the greatest number of buyers.

Calling clients is huge, I have never had anyone ask me for a list or phone numbers of my clients. If they did this with every stager they called as they go down their google search, they'd find most stagers are so new, they don't have any clients (real ones vs. family or friends) to give them. That would set the experienced apart from the hobbyist.

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?