Stagers…earn an extra $500.00 per week!

Donna, I think that it's EXCELLENT that you are expanding your brand and thinking outside of the box to keep you and your Company name in front of Realtors.  I say "Good for you!"

Donna, if you want to add cleaning to your list of services, then go right ahead.  It is a way of diversifying your income sources.  I wouldn't do it, but that doesn't mean I don't clean while I'm staging.  I usually require that the homeowner clean beforehand as I don't like putting items in dirty bathrooms and kitchens, whether they are my accessories or accessories I've purchased for the owner.  I then end up cleaning it myself because I can't stand it.

And I always dust the rental furniture delivered and vacuum before I leave.

Hi Donna  - we have been offering cleaning as one of services for a while now.  It is just impossible to stage a dirty home and some people just don't have the time to give their homes a good cleaning before it goes on the market.  Get post!

I think you are one smart business woman to have done this from the start-great branding!!!

Donna, I say good for you too. So far I've only cleaned a home once ... for pay. That was one of the investment properties I worked on and I also did the clean out to sort for donations and trash. I had in mind hiring two ladies but one couldn't make it so I stepped in.

But most of the time I would be happy to have the option of doing the clean out. I don't want to stage a dirty house and cleaning to me is worth its weight in gold when it comes to making a home marketable. Go for it!

I agree with everyone else Donna, good for you! Honestly I feel no one cleans my house as good as I do (when I'm in the mood or have the time) and can see where this would be a lucrative part of an additional income stream. 

Donna we do what works for each of our businesses and this seems to be working for you.  I will do surface cleaning but when more is needed I call in the pros., IF it's in the budget.  I know that some professional stagers are too proud to clean but for me it's just something that I hate.  Hmm...I could hire an assistant that might clean, will have to think on that!

That is super, Donna!  You are providing a much needed service, networking with realtors and making extra money!  Thanks for the post.  I am sure there are many stagers out there who would gladly offer this service but may not have thought of it yet.

Donna,

In the past I have sold Real Estate,cleaned houses for builders (when I needed some extra $ and took 2 years off to take care of my daughters) painted rooms in a Real Estate office I decorated,etc. I applaud you for being such a hard worker!

Marianne

Bravo, Donna!  And, yes, I cleaned a home for a client once.  He was going to have to hire a crew to clean it before the open house, so I made him an offer and he said, "Sure!"  I must admit that it took all the fun out of staging that particular home.  I probably won't do it again, but never say never. 

Some people say that it lowers a stager's "professionalability" (I think I made that word up). 

The very first place I staged had been on the market for six months; there was still construction dust everywhere and the toilets were rusty.  My family dug in and did some cleaning as we staged, and the place sold the first week.  I've done several jobs for that realtor since (but not cleaning!).

What is included in our monthly rental fee includes us coming each month...usually just before the invoice is due to be sent out for that property, and we do a light cleaning.  One of us vacuums, the other dusts and wipes down countertops.  We both end up refluffing and putting pillows, chairs, etc. back in place.  It gives us the chance to check on our inventory, the property, and make sure our staging is the way we left it.  We really don't add much to the invoice for this service, we want to come check on our things anyway, but it sure helps to add value to our monthly bill to our clients.

Way to think outside of the box though and take an opportunity even further.

Julie

Good for you for being an innovative with your services. If you are good at it why not do it! I don't know if I have the stamina to clean along with staging.

Great way to diversify as stated above. I don't clean houses I stage as I have asthma and cannot work with all the dust. I do have a cleaning company that I work with. Those ladies clean like no others that I have seen. The owner comes the same day as the consultation to give a quote and cleans as soon as the home owner is ready to have them in which is always the day before I stage. Very reasonable as well.

Donna, So glad to hear you are busy!!!!

After reading the comments from other stagers, I think it would be in our best interests to have a home cleaning service in our back pocket, just as we would landscapers or handymen!

(And of course, I would try them out myself on my own home before actually putting them in my back pocket, for Quality Control purposes! ;-))

WooHooo! That is great Donna. You know why? You have added that as another service... not just an expected part of the staging. If it works for you, then go for it. We also have a service that we recommend. They are very thorough and know what our cleaning pet peeves are. We also go back and check the props like Julie and Amy #24 every 10 days. This allows us to tidy up, check our stuff, and also collect any business card info left at the house to be entered into our data base. No flack from our peanut gallery ;))

Donna,

I'm glad to hear you are able to find other ways to keep your business going.  If a home needs cleaning I have always used a cleaning service to take care of that.  I find that just the Staging is enough to do, but I admire you to be able to do both!

Donna, I think this is a great benefit to your clients and an excellent way to build your business.  I have done some things I said I would never do - strip wallpaper, paint, clean, whatever really needs to be done.  Keep on being an inspiration to the rest of us.  Lead the way!!!!