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What is in a name? Home Staging? House Fluffing??

By Allegra Dioguardi

Home Stager with Styled and Sold Home Staging and Staging Training

November 27, 2010 06:56 AM

Home Stager, House Fluffer, House Stylist.....

I recall many years ago when I was attending Parsons School of Design we were debating in one of my classes the terms "decorator vs, designer". The professor said "I don't care what they call me, as long as they call me!" Ok, that makes sense. But let's face it, Home Staging is an unregulated industry and the term "stager" means many different things to different people. Different stagers have different talents and areas of expertise that they bring to the table. Folks who hire us, like to know what to expect from us. They may wonder if they call a stager will the stager clean out their closets or recommend spending tens of thousands of dollars doing renovations? It can be intimidating!

I use the term Home Stager so that search engines will fine me. However, I wonder will builders with vacant spec homes know that I am considered an expert at Model Design with 26 years of experience merchandising new homes and winning national awards for my "Interior Merchandising"? Will potential Interior design clients know that I have a design degree, I draw in 1/4" scale freehand, I have a resale number and trade accounts and am fully qualified? Will potential students know why I am qualified to teach?

For the record: I am an Interior Designer who specializes in Merchandising Real Estate for sale. I have years of experience doing and teaching the psychology and design principles of merchandising homes for sale. I may recommend cleaning out your closets or doing renovations but my goal is to help you sell your house without breaking the bank. I design beautiful interiors on a shoestring budget that people want to buy. Call me a Home Stager....just call me!

What are your thoughts? Who are you? Tell me your expertise? How do you define Home Staging?

Master bedroom before staging Master bedroom after staging

THIS, is what I do!

Best of the Best Home Stager Award

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Comments(19)

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Kathy Knight

Intracoastal Realty Corp - Wilmington, NC

BROKER, ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR, SRES

YEAH Allegra - what a great job... staging or fluffing - i really think you should stick with staging...

Nov 27, 2010 07:00 AM

Allegra Dioguardi

Styled and Sold Home Staging and Staging Training - Westhampton Beach, NY

Home Staging & Training, Suffolk Co. Long Island

Thanks Kathy. I have observed so much confusion over the term staging....!!!

Nov 27, 2010 07:03 AM

Roger D. Mucci

Shaken...with a Twist 216.633.2092 - Euclid, OH

Lets shake things up at your home today!

You may want to refer to yourself as an Interior Designer/Home Stager if you're looking to get business from builders doing model design. I'm with you, just call me, but they need to find you first, and I doubt if a builder would look under home stager..........just my thoughts.

Nov 27, 2010 07:12 AM

Allegra Dioguardi

Styled and Sold Home Staging and Staging Training - Westhampton Beach, NY

Home Staging & Training, Suffolk Co. Long Island

Roger, my point exactly. That plus the vagueness of the term Home Stager for clients other than builders. Thanks for your comment!

Nov 27, 2010 07:16 AM

Roger D. Mucci

Shaken...with a Twist 216.633.2092 - Euclid, OH

Lets shake things up at your home today!

I've never been crazy about the term stager. I've been decorating for years, and just started staging earlier this year. Quite frankly, I think I'm going to change my website and go back to just decorating...........I like adding things to give it the personal touch, not removing things so the house appeals to the masses.

Nov 27, 2010 07:50 AM

Allegra Dioguardi

Styled and Sold Home Staging and Staging Training - Westhampton Beach, NY

Home Staging & Training, Suffolk Co. Long Island

Roger, we are in agreement once again. I dislike the term stager...way too vague and as far as de-cluttering and de-personalizing, "love at first sight" is what sells homes. So if your home is full of deer heads then by all means de-personalize it but adding beautiful things and good design principles does appeal to the masses!

Nov 27, 2010 07:57 AM

Michael Fontana

Round Rock Home Stager Austin Home Staging - Round Rock, TX

@ The Stage Coach

Allegra:
I have a presentation appointment at a Brokerage in Feburary. To be honest, I do not like doing them, but that's another blog. 5-8 minutes is just not enough time to go through my service offerings. If I try to paint broad strokes and be general, someone will not link my company with a specific service they require. If I try to be specific, they won't get to hear the entire offering... <**SIGH**> I know - can't please every one. I always try to stress that I'm all about creating a custom service package for a specific listing or a general package for all of their listings. Somedays, I think too many options confuses people... Again, that's another blog. :)
The Stage Coach - Austin's Home Staging HandyMan!

Nov 27, 2010 11:00 AM

Allegra Dioguardi

Styled and Sold Home Staging and Staging Training - Westhampton Beach, NY

Home Staging & Training, Suffolk Co. Long Island

Good points Mike! You are a perfect example of someone in our industry who has very diverse talents. I guess I hate to be pigeon holed but does anyone want to be?? Thanks for your comments!

Nov 27, 2010 11:05 AM

Cindy Garruba

North Fork Home Staged to Sell - Riverhead, NY

HI Allegra, great article and home stager just does not tell the full story!

Nov 27, 2010 11:52 AM

Allegra Dioguardi

Styled and Sold Home Staging and Staging Training - Westhampton Beach, NY

Home Staging & Training, Suffolk Co. Long Island

You are another great example of someone with diverse talents! Sewing and repurposing things! Thanks for your comment Cindy.

Nov 27, 2010 11:56 AM

Allegra Dioguardi

Styled and Sold Home Staging and Staging Training - Westhampton Beach, NY

Home Staging & Training, Suffolk Co. Long Island

Just had to share what a clever client/friend said about this post on Facebook, too funny!

"How about Sales Increaser, Sales Expeditor, Clutter Crusher, 1980's Interior Murderer, House Detailer (like in cars), Person-who-rips-off-ratty-drapes, cash crusader, interior advisor (like finacial advisor) - all bad ideas - but I tried! I think you need a non-woman sounding name - something with engineer or certified or something - sigh"

Nov 28, 2010 02:01 AM

Ginger Foust

Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA

Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Allegra, it's a difficult issue and one that many of us struggle with in tagging our posts and other writing. I still have not resolved this one but I am happy that the title of Home Staging exists because for MANY years I did this business and had no idea what to call it besides preparing a house for sale. Beside use Real Estate Stager and Home Stager I also tag with Interior Decorator because I no longer want Interior Design jobs (per se).

Will keep following this thread to see what others have to say.

Nov 28, 2010 05:13 AM

Allegra Dioguardi

Styled and Sold Home Staging and Staging Training - Westhampton Beach, NY

Home Staging & Training, Suffolk Co. Long Island

Good input Ginger, thanks. I guess because I was called an "Interior merchandiser" for 24 years I relate to that title.

To be continued......

Nov 28, 2010 05:23 AM

Ginger Foust

Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA

Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Lately, I've also been playing around with (asking for input from locals) with Interior Stylist or Home Stylist. To be honest, most people look at me and ask....what????? Our locals don't know that having a stylist is big business for some people.

Nov 28, 2010 07:14 AM

Allegra Dioguardi

Styled and Sold Home Staging and Staging Training - Westhampton Beach, NY

Home Staging & Training, Suffolk Co. Long Island

Ginger, my mother was a Real Estate broker for 30 years and she came up with the name for my business "Styled" and Sold. I somehow doubt that anyone is Googling "stylist" though. Still pondering.....

Nov 28, 2010 09:36 AM

Patricia Ebrahimi

SHOW SMART! HOME STAGING & Color Consultant - Rockville, MD

Home Staging the Washington DC Area from Rockville MD

Hi Allegra: Thanks for a great post. I was laughing out loud at your Facebook contributor, especially Person who rips off ratty drapes and 1980's interior murderer. Priceless!! And, I'm with Ginger. Also an interior designer who doesn't want design clients. They're just too moody.

Dec 05, 2010 03:18 PM

Allegra Dioguardi

Styled and Sold Home Staging and Staging Training - Westhampton Beach, NY

Home Staging & Training, Suffolk Co. Long Island

Pat, I laughed too. Glad you enjoyed the post!

Dec 06, 2010 11:51 AM

Tracy Santrock

Santrock Realty Group Inc. , - Cary, NC

Raleigh - Cary Broker

I life fluffy white towels.....but house fluffer..that's cute..

Jun 23, 2015 07:23 AM

Michael Anderson

Anderson Real Estate Investments, LLC - Nashville, TN

Real Estate

Staging is a crucial parts of out business when we buy houses in fort mill sc we always make sure to rehab them properly and stage them well. You are leaving money on the table if you dont stage them.

Mar 02, 2018 08:26 PM