STARTING A HOME STAGING BUSINESS
Do you think you have what it takes to start your own home staging business? Have your friends and family always told you that you should be an interior designer? Do you love working with your hands, organizing, and have the ability to envision creative use of space? Do you enjoy the process of marketing and selling real estate? Then this may a career path for you! Becoming a house stager can easily be a full-time job, but it's also something that works great for those interested in having a part-time or flexible workweek, as well as working out of a home office. It's the perfect opportunity to be creative, in charge of your schedule, and to help out others by making it possible for homeowners to sell their homes and move on to life's next destination!
The real estate industry has witnessed time and time again the positive impact of the staging of homes for sale for many years, and especially during a soft market where you may have homes on your very same street to compete with. As a result, there is most certainly a demand for home staging professionals, and there's no better time to consider starting a home staging business! And since most of your work will take place in other people's homes, the overhead for your business is mainly your home office, your car, any reference materials, and your training and education. It would also be wise to invest in a decent digital camera as well.
Education & Training
In terms of special degrees and certifications, there are various established home staging organizations that offer workshops and training. Some trainings are offered on-location for several days, and other training and certifications are available online by participating in self-paced intensive training programs. It really depends on your current skill set - do you already have experience in interior design? Have you ever owned your own business? Choosing the program that is right for you will depend on the amount of time and money you are able to invest to making this a career. Below is a list of just a few of the more popular training programs offered today.
* IAHSP - International Association of Home Staging Professionals - offers certification and localized chapters that allow specific regions to have opportunities to network, gain education in marketing and promotion, as well as offering opportunities to work on joint projects with other certified Home Staging Professionals. Through a company known as Staged Homes, they offer the well-known ASP - Accredited Staging Professional - and the ASPM - Accredited Staging Professional Masters - certification through workshops offered in many locations.
* 'Certified Home Staging Expert' designation offered by Home Staging Expert through workshops or at home course work
* 'Certified Professional Home Stager & Redesigner' certification offered by Home Staging Resource through the HSR Certification Training program
Your best bet is to get online and start researching both local and national home staging companies that offer these courses and training. Not only will they give you the necessary training that you need in order to approach your business with the skills, creativity and strategy that homeowners and Realtors will require from you, but will also give you guidance on the tools you'll need to run your business and do the proper marketing and promotion.