Question for all you fellow home stagers. What do you do with all your props that you use to stage homes. Examples would be towels, placemats, napkins, fake food etc.. Do you have your clients purchase these items or do you leave them and collect them after a certain period of time ( with a rental agreement of course). If you do rent them, what do you charge? My current client would like to have these items but doesn't want to pay for them. I don't know how everyone else feels about this but I am not in the business of giving away free goodies. I would really love to hear from my fellow peers in this area. Is it best to have the client rent them monthly, with a written agreement that by the end of say 4 to 8 months, staged items will be collected if the home hasnt sold. Due to this crazy housing market, I know that sometimes our props can be out for longer periods of time. Any help would be greatly appreciated. : ) P.S. If anyone would like to be listed as one of my associates. I would love that too!!!! : ) Janet Brown (JB Staging Concepts) 321-806-9121 Melbourne Florida
I have these items in inventory (except fake food), but only lease them for vacant staging jobs. These items are included in the monthly rental fee along with furniture, lamps, rugs, etc. I don't rent these items to clients who occupy the home because I don't want my towels and napkins, etc. to be used for their personal use.
We keep all accessories in our inventory and rent them out to clients if they do not want to purchase items for the staging. We also will shop to buy these items for clients if they want to go that route and then just charge them a sourcing/shopping fee.
Thanks Nancy and Lisa for your comments. I too have a leasing program. Lisa do you use the clients existing towels and various other items to stage their property. I normally do, but have had to convince several of my clients that fresh new towel and placemats etc. alway look the best.
Nancy, have you been happy with ASHSR. I am a member but haven't really had the time to really look at all the info they offer. My membership is due to expire and I haven't decided if I should renew. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Janet, you should not give away your props. I'm sure your client would like to have them and not pay ... I'd like to have a lot of things and not pay ... but you are in business, so charge for them. I would charge a monthly rate. If you just charge a flat fee, some homes sit for a month or two and others can sit for a whole year if they weren't priced well or had other issues.
Unlike Nancy, I do rent towels & other similar items in an occupied home, but with the strict instructions that they are "just for show!" So far it hasn't been a problem. I tell them to use their own towels for bathing and to throw wet towels in the dryer each day so they are out of the way for showings and dry and fresh for their next use. That way they can leave mine alone. The rent on these items is calculated the same as any other items ... chairs, sofas etcetera, whatever percentage of retail your local market will bear.
They need to do SOMETHING if their towels are worn looking or not colorful enough. If they are on board with staging, they will either rent or buy new and take those items with them when they move. If they are going to buy new ones, I generally try to get them to buy from me or I specify what color I want them to get and if it should be a solid or print. Otherwise you could end up with something truly awful looking.
ASHSR is not a training course, it is a professional association. I am also a member. Judging from your questions here, you would benefit greatly from one of the training courses. I took the Accredited Staging Professional course from stagedhomes.com. There are others out there that many of my colleagues also felt were great. These courses not only teach you the ropes of staging, but they teach you how to run your business so that you make money. Most of them are a couple thousand dollars, and worth every penny. I do enjoy my membership in ASHSR as it keeps me up to speed on the industry, but it is not a substitute for training.
I hope that wasn't "too much information'. :)
Thanks for the wonderful advice. To answer your question, yes I did do a certification course through HSR and so far I have been very sucessful, I am always looking to hear how my fellow stagers are doing and what tricks do they use that help them to further their career. I am also aware of ASHRS since I too am a member. : ) I also don't believe in giving anything away either. I normally offer a shopping service, which so far has worked out really well. I am just curious to see if anyone has been in a situation where the client doesn't want to rent or purchase new items for staging. Thank you so much for your valuable input. I agree that a monthly rate is the best course of action for one's props. At the moment I don't have a location to expand my inventory and am a little concerned about purchasing a storage unit to house all my inventory in this crazy market. What do you do will all your goodies. Do you store your inventory on your property or in storage or wharehouse area? Great info! : )
Janet, the answer from Pangaea is right on as far as handling the leasing of items. If you educate clients and show them how to make keeping a house "staged" easier, they will follow your instructions and respect your services and your property. I have towels that look brand new that I purchased when I started staging 7 years ago because I have always taught my clients the exact same process she mentioned of using their own and putting them in the dryer every morning. They appreciate this method - most really don't want the responsibility of refolding the towels perfectly, etc.
As far as your question on inventory and storage, it is wise when starting out to keep expenses low and yet you have to spend money to make money in this business. So my advice is to only sign a lease that you can handle at your lowest level of production but get it someplace where you can expand your space as your business expands. It is false economy to have inventory in a location that is so crowded that every project takes longer due to inaccessibility of items, etc. No one can tell you what is best for your business but you can be taught the issues to look at and how to think it through, the process of constantly evaluating and reevaluating your own business issues and decisions is what will insure your business has a chance to mature - it is what creates a good, solid, self-sustaining business.
I do teach the CSP course and used to teach the ASP, if you have any further questions or want to get some further questions, let me know. Regardless, good luck in your quest - it is a great business and more fun than a barrel of monkeys...
Renting of course. That is the business we are in. Either that or they purchase them for a price. An important reveune stream in our business is renting and selling our inventory. Clients will want things for nothing all the time. Stand firm. You are in business not a charity. :) We hope you come and join the fun with other Stagers at the Orlando Expo that will be in March. www.StagersLISTExpo.com a great place to meet other stagers and talk through this kind of thing. Kym
I agree with Pangaea- there's a lot of stuff I'd like to have and not pay... that being said, I list towels as one-time purchases for the client (they keep them when the staging is over), along with rugs and other things that will inevitably be used. I can't think of any reason why the client feels they should get your props for free. I would offer them a purchase option at a reasonable price. I haven't had anyone complain about this, (though God has blessed me with some wonderful clients and Realtors), and the client seems happy to have the option. Good luck!
Renting is my passive income so that answers that. I too give instructions to occupieds that the towels are for show only and leave instructions on how to live in a staged house with out too much added stress. Good luck in your business . It can be a ton of fun if you remember you are a business first.
I rent all items to vacant homes. If the occupied home appears "safe" I would rent hard goods but all soft goods such as cushions, towels etc... must be purchased by the client. I also have a clause in my contract that states if any items are damaged the client is responsible for replacement costs.
I am going to a ball tonight perhaps I will ask Neiman Marcus if I can borrow a dress as I really do not want to buy one but would love to wear an 800.00 gown.
If I use linens, towels, etc in an occupied property,the owner is required to purchase them (Ok, I'll shop, but they pay). If we use them in a vacant home, they are part of the rental agreement and must be returned in new condition, exactly the same as when they went into the home.
When I stage an occupied property I suggest a budget for buying linens and accessories and then I select these and add them to their invoice. I never rent these to an occupied house. I do include them in my vacant rental packages.
Good morning Janet,
I won't use my props in an occupied home. Even if the client paid to replace the item, it would not cover the cost for me to shop for new. I have only allowed 1 home owner to use my props. She was an elderly women who lived alone.
Janet, I too lease my props and furniture. My leasing agreement is monthly, so my clients don't feel obligated for a long term commitment. I base my prices on how much goes into a home. So far I havent had anyone ask to purchase any of my stuff. I'm not sure what I'd say to that because as you know it takes a lot of time and brain power to find good props and furniture, and those all important sales don't always come around. I think I'd pass on the opportunity and just haul it all back to the storage unit.
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