Quite often I meet someone who does not understand what a home stager does. I understand, home staging is a relatively new thing – heck, I’ve been doing it for friends for over 20 years and didn’t know what it was called until a few years ago.
Yesterday I met a very nice woman who said she had never heard of a home stager. When I attempted to explain that I help homeowners prepare their home to be sold, by making it look its best, she exclaimed, “Oh, I know, you’re the one who brings the pillows!” I humbly said that pillows are part of it, but home staging is much more than pillows. She waved her hand with a smile on her face and said, “You don’t have to explain, I know what you do.” I smiled and nodded politely. She was a charming woman and we had been chatting while physical therapists were working on our aches and pains.
Looking back, a part of me wishes I had explained how I work to bring out the positive architectural details of a home while down playing the negative. Or that I know how to gently talk to a homeowner about the cleanliness of their home and the smells that turn buyers away. Or how I can help a homeowner emotionally detach from their home by helping them look forward, so they don’t subconsciously sabotage their home’s appeal once it has been staged. I wanted to explain how I become emotionally invested in my client’s best interest and literally wake up at night with ideas when I’m working on a staging plan. And the list goes on…
But, I didn’t say anything. There are times when it’s just best to zip your lip - I learned that from my grandmother, Ida. The woman I met didn’t really care what I did for a living, she just wanted her physical therapy to relieve her pain just like I did, and she was happy to have someone to chat with.
I just wish she knew that there is so much more to staging than bringing the pillows…
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