How to Become a Stager

Stagers redecorate houses for sale and it is a new up and coming career field. Here is how you can become a stager.

Instructions

1. Start by volunteering your services to neighbors or friends who are selling their house. Ask them to leave for the day, and start clearing away clutter and modernize the house. Take before and after pictures for your portfolio.

2. You can start out in the beginning by staging a home with the clients furniture, but a true stager has their own furniture to stage a house with. Use a percentage of the money you earn to start collecting quality furniture that you will be using to stage a house. Talk to local furniture companies, to see if you use their furniture on loan in exchange for having the stores name on the furniture.

3. Go out and find clients by going to open houses and introducing yourself to real estate agents and going to houses that are being sold by the owner.

4. Set your rate slightly lower than the competition which is on an average 1.5% of the sale of the house or you can set an hourly rate.

5. Have your contract in order and ready for a future client to sign. Some clients will not be able to pay until their home sells and you will need to have a contract to assure that the escrow company puts your fee into their documents.

6. Build a website and make business cards. Get a business license from your city and join your local Chamber of Commerce and begin going to meetings.

7. Subscribe to decorating magazines or go to your local library and look at their magazines to get the most up to date ideas on decorating.

8. Take classes at local community college and consider getting a certificate as a Home Stagger.