A Day In The Life Of A Home Stager
Over the years, even before social media, there have been many television shows that take viewers behind the scenes of the rich and famous. Audiences are allowed a glimpse into ‘a-day-in-the-life’ of a celebrity as he or she films movie scenes, sits down for an extended interview, or simply relaxes at home.
Although labeled as entertainment, these shows offer viewers a better understanding of what it takes to be a celebrity; the years trying to break into the industry, the long hours on set, and the dedication to their craft. Living vicariously, even just for a day, offers a rare opportunity to experience firsthand what qualities are required to achieve success.
Curiosity about other people’s jobs extends beyond celebrities. For instance, have you ever wondered what a day in the life of a Home Stager is like? What the process is for staging a home? What Home Stager qualities are required to achieve success?
Home Staging is an exciting field with endless opportunities: highlighting the best features of a home and minimizing the negatives, evoking a purchaser’s emotions, and sparking the potential buyer’s imagination. Is your curiosity piqued once again? Let’s go behind the scenes and experience a day-in-the-life of a Home Stager!
Cue the Excitement: Let the Project Begin!
A typical Home Staging project begins the moment a homeowner or real estate agent calls. Consulting his/her schedule, the Stager will plan a visit to the home. Upon arriving at the property, the Stager will need to carefully consider the home’s requirements, style, and target demographic.
Points to Consider:
- Are the rooms showing their original function and/or purpose?
- Does the property need decluttering and organizing?
- Will the home require furniture rental?
With a client’s approval and a set date, the Stager can proceed in creating a design plan. Every home is unique with distinct features; Stagers will always have opportunities to challenge themselves and try out new things to attract buyers. Every home, every Staging project, and every day is different!
After identifying the needs of the property, the fun part can begin – picking out furniture, accessories, and much more. This is a chance to use your knowledge, skills, and creativity.
Points to Consider:
- What story do you want this home to tell?
- Who are the potential buyers you want to appeal to?
- What items from your inventory will you incorporate into the design plan?
Once the planning work is complete, the Stager will organize everything and get ready for Staging Day.
Staging Day
On Staging Day, Stagers can unleash their inner artist and let their creativity shine!
The day begins with the arrival of the Home Stager. He/she will arrive at the property and unload his/her vehicle, placing the items in a central location. Any rental furniture required for the project will be delivered shortly after the Stager’s arrival. With all items in sight, the Stager can now enter full staging mode.
Staging will be done room-by-room, placing furniture, accessories, and artwork carefully. The goal is to highlight each focal point and positive attribute, while minimizing any negatives. The Stager has full creative control, right down to the finishing touches.
Once all the rooms are fully staged, the Stager will proceed in taking promotional images and notifying the home seller that the transformation is complete. This is the fun part – the reveal! Can you imagine the excitement, the sense of pride that the Stager feels as he/she walks the homeowner through the transformed rooms? Having the opportunity to share your craft, to bask in a job well done – what a way to end a day!
Upon finishing the reveal, another successful day of Home Staging is complete.
The Curtain Call: Acknowledging the Applause
Staging allows the home to speak to the potential buyers – to evoke emotions and spark their imaginations. Did you know that this often happens within the first six seconds of the viewing? The ability to create a positive first impression has therefore made Home Staging an essential part of the Real Estate Industry. Creating a “wow” factor using the power of visualization ensures the home sells quickly and for a higher price.
How does a Home Stager accomplish the feat of creating a market-ready home within a day’s work? What Home Stager qualities are required to achieve success?
Successful Home Stagers Are:
#1. Creative
- A Stager’s innate creativity is on display in every Staging project. Every home is unique – successful Stagers channel this inspiration and combine it with their own imaginative ideas to create powerful results.
- Stagers can hone this skill by searching and exploring the internet and magazines for concepts that will spark their own creative ideas.
- Being creative unlocks results; it encourages a Stager to view every home with a fresh perspective.
#2. Organized
- Home Stagers are always ready for a call from a homeowner or agent. Their schedule is organized, up-to-date, and ready for perusal, ensuring the Stager can promptly and professionally view his/her availability three months out.
- Apps such as Todoist and Trello can be downloaded on a phone or tablet. This instant access allows a Stager to quickly and easily organize the many details involved in his/her Staging projects.
#3. Realistic
- Realistic scheduling not only prevents stress and frustration, but it also allows the Stager an opportunity for growth. As the number of projects increases, having a system in place from the beginning ensures a Stager is ready to accommodate and prioritize projects, as well as the tasks within them.
#4. Prepared
- When you are prepared, your perspective changes and you feel invincible. Being prepared makes you a professional; you know you are ready to accomplish your goal for the day.
- Planning, both during the design stage as well as the evening before Staging Day, ensures the Stager is prepared, organized, calm, and confident.
#5. Lifelong Learners
- Successful Stagers are curious – this drive to learn leads to higher self-esteem, pride in achievement, and a sense of independence. “Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself”.
- Stagers provide opportunities for learning; they read blogs and listen to podcasts. They know that the more you know, the more confident you are.
#6. Flexible
- Flexibility allows a successful Stager to cognitively bend without breaking; when an agent calls with a rush job, he/she solves any scheduling issue calmly and creatively.
- Building this skill also allows him/her to adapt and respond to new situations more effectively.
- Like creativity, flexibility can be developed by searching and exploring fresh perspectives found in books, blogs, and online magazines. Seeking new experiences and learning something novel will create new synaptic connections, which enhance the mind’s elasticity.
#7. Adept at Developing and Nurturing Client and Vendor Relationships
- A Stager’s ability to connect with both clients and vendors is the foundation of his/her success. It is a truism in business that people deal with individuals they like, trust, and are similar to. In fact, 90% of a person’s buying decisions are based on the afore-mentioned subconscious factors.
- It literally pays to develop and nurture positive relationships with clients. Providing exemplary customer service ensures success. After all, as customers ourselves, we know that “at our core, all we really want is a positive experience and a personal touch”. Successful Stagers are professional, prompt, and respectful of a client’s time and property.
- A Stager begins every relationship by building a detailed profile – gathering as much information about the client as possible. Utilizing the forms provided by Ultimate Academy® ensure both accuracy and professionalism, and allow a Stager to really get to know the customer.
- Responding immediately to any query will strengthen the connection. It demonstrates the Stager’s investment in the relationship and the importance of the customer. Successful Stagers quickly provide the best solution and administer a personal, ‘human’ touch along with any communication.
- A Stager’s relationship with a vendor, especially a furniture rental company, is equally as important. Once established, it again pays to nurture the connection. Successful Stagers lay the foundation by being excellent clients. They pay promptly, demonstrate they are reliable, adhere to the vendor company’s process, and are professional when communicating. Furthermore, they are proactive; they reach out early and provide lead time when booking furniture for a staging project.
- Adopting a ‘partnership’ mentality encourages a stronger relationship. Viewing vendors as colleagues rather than suppliers creates a stronger rapport – communication is mutually beneficial and frequent. This in turn ensures the Stager will receive priority service and selection when needed.
Just like a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life as a movie star, this vicarious examination of a Home Stager’s day has provided a deeper understanding of this exciting career. Similar to celebrities, Home Stagers can nurture their innate abilities, hone their skills, and develop their craft. The most important factor is that the specific Home Stager qualities required for success are all within your reach.
Now all you have to do is follow your dreams!
Learn About our Home Staging Certification
FAQs About a Day in the Life of a Stager
A home stager’s primary duties involve preparing a property to look its most appealing to potential buyers.
This includes selecting and arranging furniture, decor, and accessories to highlight the home’s strengths, minimize any weaknesses, and create a welcoming, aspirational space that buyers can envision themselves living in.
On staging day, a home stager brings a variety of items tailored to enhance the home’s appeal. This can include furniture, artwork, rugs, lamps, and decorative accessories.
Ultimate Academy®’s Home Staging course covers extensively the inventory a stager should bring, emphasizing the importance of choosing pieces that complement the home’s architecture and interior design to appeal to the widest range of potential buyers.
Typically, the furniture and accessories used for staging are not included in the home sale and must be returned to the stager or rental company after the property is sold or the staging contract ends.
These items are used temporarily to enhance the property’s appeal during the sales process.
The time it takes to stage a home can vary depending on the size of the property and the extent of staging required.
Simple staging projects can be completed in a day or two, while more extensive staging efforts may take several days to a week.
Yes, staging your house before selling can be incredibly beneficial. Stagers are skilled at bringing out the best qualities of a home, ensuring it looks inviting and well-maintained.
Home stagers understand the demographics of potential buyers and strategically stage the home to attract those demographics, allowing buyers to see themselves living in the space, which can significantly impact the sale process.
Staging a bed involves more than tidiness; it’s about crafting a luxurious, welcoming spot that invites potential buyers to envision themselves unwinding in comfort. Key to this appeal are high-quality, neutral linens that enhance the bed’s compatibility with various decors, broadening its allure.
Start with a pristine fitted sheet, followed by a flat sheet for extra cleanliness. A high-thread-count duvet or comforter introduces warmth and luxury. Layering firm pillows for support and decorative pillows for style adds depth and personalization opportunities. A throw or blanket at the bed’s foot enhances the invitation to relax.
The aim is to evoke a high-end hotel’s luxurious feel, focusing on comfort and elegance. Thoughtful selection and arrangement of bedding can spotlight the bedroom, elevating the home’s overall appeal to buyers.
Staging primarily focuses on the aesthetic appeal of the home and does not typically include cleaning. However, a clean, tidy space is crucial for successful staging, so some stagers may offer cleaning as an add-on service.
Generally, homeowners are responsible for ensuring the home is clean before the stager begins their work.
