You’re looking to buy a home and checking out the pictures online. The house is FULL of clutter and there are objects all over the place. This can make it hard to see past the owner’s possessions to get an idea of what the home might look like if you buy it! This can be an instant turnoff to anyone viewing the home.
This is where home stagers come into play. They know what to do with homes to make them clean and appealing to people looking to view the home. Their job is a sort of sales technique to show the potential buyers what their life could look like if they make the purchase. Home stagers have to know exactly what to do to improve a home including improving lighting, deep cleaning, and repairing parts of the home that have small damages.
Houses are constantly going up for sale, so there should be no shortage of homes to stage! This side hustle can make upwards of $30/hour. You can create your own business, or get hired through real estate agencies, interior design firms, or homebuilders.
While this job can be personally satisfying, you may be confused on how to begin! If you’re looking to wow potential buyers with your eye for detail and flair, continue reading for a step-by-step guide on where to begin.
Step one: Become certified. While you do not need a certification to become a home stager, you will want to take courses to learn the trade! Businesses have been built from the ground up from those who have not taken courses or earned certifications, but becoming certified will show that you have the knowledge and experience to make average houses into appealing homes. Some topics that these courses will cover are:
- The importance of lighting
- Color associated with furniture and decoration
- Interacting with clients
- Space planning
- Interior design basics
These are just a few topics you may be covering. All of this will teach you how to create a beautiful set up for any home!
Step two: Choose your niche. As you dip your toes into the home staging waters, it may be best for you to stick with a certain market for you to truly learn the ins and outs of the job! For example, as a beginner, you could choose to only stage single-family homes and work with real estate agents. There’s nothing saying that you can take on a variety of projects as a beginner, but sticking to one lane may help you get the hang of things before venturing out!
Step three: Begin networking. They say that the way you find opportunities is by the people you know! Search around your area for a home staging group for you to meet likeminded people in the area. If there aren’t groups like this that exist, try other professional organizations that can connect you to other home stagers.
Step four: Consider an internship and a mentor. While not mandatory, an internship is a great way to gain real-life experience without the overwhelming pressure of completing a job on your own. A mentor will walk you through the process and have you work hands on with them to learn how to do the job. Most times, your mentor will have been doing the job for years and will have a plethora of valuable knowledge to pass down to you, one tradesman to another!
Step five: Create your portfolio. After you’ve worked on a few jobs, it’s time to build a portfolio to showcase all of your hard work! You will take pictures of the houses you work on (even better if you can hire a professional photographer) and upload it to the portfolio. If you’re struggling to create a portfolio or gain experience, consider:
- Asking friends and family to volunteer their home.
- Rearrange your own home.
- Advertise your services online or in local shops.
- Offer your services to local real estate agents searching for home staging.
Step six: Be your own boss. This step is completely optional and depends on how dedicated you are to staging homes. You can create your own business as a simple LLC, or you could choose to work through a company.
Tips
You can only do so much work by yourself. If you create your own business and have enough clients, you can begin hiring people to work for you! This will increase the revenue your business earns and ultimately help line your pocket.