HOW MANY HATS DO YOU WEAR?

Pam, welcome to active rain! There is an incredible amount to learn here. If you click on "search" you can enter lots of topics to learn about. If you search "tags" you will find out how to get the most out of your blog writing with search engines.

Lots of home stagers are very quiet about their fees, especially on a blog that has been made public (you can choose "members only" before you post a blog). You may find some folks willing to share, but not a lot! So don't be discouraged about no comments on that subject.

Sometimes I wear too many hats when you include Mom and daughter in the group of hats that you have already outlined here in your blog!!

Your picture is awesome, beautiful photo. Good luck!

Are you saying they are vacant lofts? I am unclear what you are intending by the term  "fully staged".

Hats I wear as a stager:

Interior decorator, marketing consultant, part time accountant, part time marketing person, part time psychologist, part time IT person, delivery boy, part time web developer,part time politician, and FULL TIME SCHLEPPER, sometime blogger, charter member of the "Ban Ugly Wallpaper Movement" (founder Kimberly Wester), author of numerous books including "Confessions of a Male Home Stager", principle trainer for the " Everything you wanted to know about home staging but were too naive to ask before you got into the business" course, and last, but not least, President of the Intergalactic Home Staging Association.

I am thinking about starting to provide a packing service to my clients and I was wondering if this was something that you offer to yours.  If so, I was wondering if you would be so kind as to share your thoughts on this with me.  I would love to find out from a person who has done it if it is something I should get into or stay away from.

Thanks,

Reece

Hi Pam: Welcome to A/R. I would say every property is quoted based on many factors-size, condition, location (sounds like I'm selling the house!), window treatmenets, painting, etc so a ronudabout number is hard to come up with. If the numer feels good to you and you are not losing money-then it is probably right....

Hats? Funny you should mention hats because I just put mine back on (see profile pic) but hats are my specialty and the faster you can change them, the more you can wear with ease. James, I would really like to see the hat your wear for Intergalactic Home Staging Association...:) If you are a woman stager you can include Mommy sometimes, and then there is the marriage counselor, confidant, world shopper.

My word is sheepberry...yuck! 

Welcome to AR Pam.  We would need a little more info about your Loft question.  Also, areas/cities/states play a big part too.  Don't let this sway you.  Put up some pics, give us some more info... and you will be amazed at all the help that you will get :)

You will have a great time here.

You sure will; and LKP is one of the most amazing folks here.

Geography plays a major part, but more important is how much stuff you're renting.  You'll see a lot of people say that staging should cost between .5 - 1% of asking.  Bit much on most of my listings, but it helps make what I do actually charge seem very reasonable.

Welcome, btw.  Juliet

See, I told ya.  And by the way... Juliet is pretty awesome herself (though she is not one to toot her little horn).  You have some great resources here, use 'em.

Pam-

Yes, I get it with the HATS we wear!  Sometimes its overwhelming!  As far as  fees for service, I find that in our Portland market, nothing is really "standard" yet.  It all depends on what services are being provided, for whom, and which targeted buyer.  While those fees might appear low (they would be for me) it all depends on what was done - maybe the stager might be trying to establish a long-term relationship with the client, or many other possible scenarios.  I learned a long time ago to not get too bent out of shape about dollars because so many factors can influence a staging proposal.  I'm not sure what you mean by "are the fees changing with the popularity for the specialty"??  As professionals, it is up to us to set the standard in our community, and if we all understand how much hard work this business is, and that "More Is More" (i.e. more stagings = more awareness = more business = more dollars for all of us) then we can stay focussed on doing the very best job we can and respect others efforts along the way.  BTW - Would love to meet my fellow West Linn stager in person someday!

Take care,

Mary DeBella, Northwest Staging 

Pam-

Let's do it!  I'll write your other email and set something up!

Thanks for your comments about me and my company, I'm humbled to hear this from another stager in our area.  I'll be in touch!

Mary