International Institute Of Home Staging

advice

Clutter and Your Mindset

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I wanted to share something with you today that I was reading on my phone earlier, so you’ll see me looking at it a little bit. It’s about clutter and money.

 

There’s an amazing, good friend of mine, as well as an amazing business woman, called Denise Duffield-Thomas from LuckyBitch.com. Go over and check her out. You’ll find the stuff that she does absolutely amazing.

I was reading the morning about this really great piece she wrote about decluttering. I see a lot of home stagers doing some of the things that she talks about in her blog.

You’ll see in here that she talks about clutter and decluttering is great for money manifesting. She goes on to talk about all the different things that maybe we are doing with our clutter.

For example, in our office spaces, are we holding onto a desk someone gave us when we first started our businesses because we feel that we need to have more money or be a bigger business before we then give ourselves another desk?

A little like – and this is a phrase that Denise talks about, as interesting as it sounds – beggars can’t be choosers. “Someone gave me this when I first started business, so I’m going to keep using it.”

I really want you to head over and read this blog because this is absolutely amazing. It speaks about if we’re holding on to some of the things that we were gifted and we feel we have to be grateful for in our businesses, we aren’t opening up opportunities for new energy, new money and new abundance to come in.

I see this a fair bit in home staging. I see it with people’s stock. When I first started and I was getting stock in and I was like, “Wow! My business is growing!”

Then, as I got more and more stock and I wanted to turn it over, there was this ridiculous attachment to the stock that I had first because, “Oh, gosh. I need that. I need to be grateful. That’s where I can from.”

It wasn’t until I had the most epic garage sale that suddenly my business started to flourish. I got rid of all that old stock that was tying me down and that I wasn’t even really using. I was getting a warehouse full of clutter.

This is something that’s really important in home staging.

Look at your stock, look at your inventory and avoid it becoming clutter. It is the main commodity for many home stagers who have higher for making money.

  • Why do we allow a money making item to become a cluttered item?
  • Why don’t we cut it loose and allow more space in our warehouse, more space in our energy, more space in our business for abundant stock, customers, clients and agents coming in.

This is one way that I find a lot of the home stagers that I mentor and that are on our memberships are a bit attached to clutter. But I want to share with you from my phone here. I love reading Denise’s stuff.

She had some other great top tips and I wanted to read you some of my favorites about decluttering in the business because it’s so important; just as it’s important in life, it’s essential in business.

  1. The first one is a really great one about unsubscribing to emails that you don’t want anymore. Deleting old contacts out of your phone.
  2. Backing up and cleaning off your computer. If your desktop looks like a mad woman’s breakfast, clean that up. You’ll be amazed at how good it feels.
  3. Shred old documents. Old documents that you don’t’ need, get rid of them. There is no need to have that clutter and store them.
  4. This is a really interesting one: clean up your Facebook feed. It doesn’t mean you have to defriend people or unlike people, but if there’s someone that’s on your feed and you just don’t want to see their stuff anymore, make sure you remove that from your feed.
  5. The other one that I love, which is really interesting is deleting websites and getting rid of the histories in your browsers. That can be really interesting.
  6. Then, one of the last ones that I want to read to you – and this is a great one – is say no to networking groups that have become an obligation and not a joy.

I believe massively, guys, in the five people that we surround ourselves in are the people that we’re going to become and the people that we’re going to be the biggest reflection upon us.

That could also be said for networking groups. Many of us got involved in networking groups, which can become clutter in our calendar and clutter in our life.

Take Denise’s massive inspiration. Head over to LuckyBitch.com. I want you to get on and read this because it’s a really amazing blog.

I want you then to have a look in your warehouses for cluttered stock; I want you to look in your offices for all those things that you feel you should be entitled and that you’re really gifted to have and you need to keep and I want you to look in your computers and in your phones.

Rid yourself of that clutter and that will open up the energy for abundance and more business, more wealth and more opportunity to come your way.

Thanks so much for listening, guys. I’ll be back again soon.

How to use Home Stagers Effectively

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When you are preparing to your put property on the market, chances are you want the best price possible. Often times, this means hiring a stager to give you the best chance at getting the highest return. If your budget is tight and you have furniture space, the best option in home staging is to have your property partially staged. This means that when a home stager comes into your property to have a consultation and quote your property, they will inform you of what furniture can stay and what furniture can go. However, if you want to best use home stagers to your fullest advantage there are a few things you should do before having the consultation.

 

  1. De-clutter

De-cluttering your property is a must before it goes on sale and before you have a consultation with a home stager. Remove the stacks of DVD’s, CD’s, bookshelves stacked high with odds and ends, piles of things you have been meaning to clear out and anything that doesn’t have a spot. Not only will this help in the moving process but it will make your property seem a lot nicer and bigger instantly.

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Image via apartment34.com
  1. Remove valuables and images

The reason for this is simple, you don’t want your valuables to be damaged in the sale process. If something is special to you but it does not go with the theme of the property, removing it prior to a home stager coming in is a good idea so someone else doesn’t have to tell you to remove it. Similarly, removing images is a must! Potential buyers don’t want to feel like they are walking through someone else’s property so family photos are unnecessary.

  1. Remove toys

Even if you are living in the property during the sale process, limiting the amount of toys used to a small box that can easily be packed away in the car during open homes is a great idea. Toys are not necessary when displaying a home as a family home. Not only that but toys in the home during open houses make the property feel as if it is someone else’s and potential buyers cannot fully imagine themselves living in the space.

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Image via mydomainehome.com.au
  1. Yard cleanliness

Keeping your yard in immaculate condition during the sale process is of utmost importance! Street appeal is the first thing that draws a buyer in so ensuring that the yard is looking amazing, with trimmed hedges, cut grass and clean footpaths is absolutely essential!

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Image via homestolove.co.nz

5. Be open

There is no point hiring a stager if you are going to shut down every idea they have. Home stagers are experts in design and the real estate market, which means they know what sells and what doesn’t. If you hire a stager but then rearrange everything as soon as they leave, then the whole process was a waste of your time and money. Chances are you are not an expert in the market, and the property design does not have to be to your personal taste, or even to the personal taste of the stager, it just has to be that of the market.

 

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Must-Have Home Staging Stock

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When you reach a certain point in your home staging business, acquiring stock and inventory is an essential step up. At first purchasing this stock might seem like a bit of a leap, and depending on what stock you purchase it might be. However, if you are smart about what stock you purchase and how much of it you purchase it could make all the difference to your home staging business.

When it comes to stock there is typically two types of stock, soft furnishings and hard furnishings. Soft furnishings include items such as pillows, linen, lamps and small accessories. The way I like to think about soft furnishings is that, if I needed to, I could pack them in a box and put them in my car. On the other hand, there are hard furnishings. Hard furnishings are big items such as lounges, arm chairs, dining tables, coffee tables, and so on. These are the items that can’t be packed into a box and loaded into your car.

Depending on what level of your business you are in you could be thinking about acquiring one of these two types of stock. Logically, soft furnishings should be acquired first, and then later down the track hard furnishings can be acquired. However, as everyone is at different stages in their business, it is important to be able to look down the track and consider what sort of stock you should be acquiring.

 

SOFT FURNISHINGS

When it comes to soft furnishings, these items can be purchased relatively cheaply and in bulk.

  1. Pillows: sure, pillows can be expensive, but purchasing pillows that work well in a wide range of environment is a great way to get the most out of your money, and add texture in a range of environments. Purchasing pillows in a few colours and designs is a great idea as they can be used on their own or grouped together.
  2. Faux flowers and plants: Faux flowers and plants are great as, when the right ones are purchased, they can look amazing, can be used in a range of spaces and styles, and can last a long time.
  3. Books: there doesn’t have to be a theme to this, and they can be purchased from a op shop, but books are a great way to add texture and a lived in feeling to any space. These are the most cost-effective soft furnishings and can be used in any environment, from a study, a bedroom to a lounge room or even an outdoor setting.
  4. Knick-knack accessories: by this I mean small accessories that can be used in a variety of environments, anything from vessels, small bowls, candle holders, or any other small accessories.
  5. Linen packs: this isn’t absolutely necessary, but having at least coverlets and toppers is necessary as it can transform a room from something dull to something amazing.
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Image via immyandindi.com.au

 

HARD FURNISHINGS

As for hard furnishings, these items are more expensive, and it is beneficial to go for quality over quantity.

  1. Mattresses: often times clients do not have enough beds for how a property can be staged to show off the best of the space, or they have moved and have taken their mattresses with them.
  2. Dining chairs: not all dining chairs go with tables, or look good with them, so having some neutral dining chairs that work with a range of colours is a great idea so you can use the clients dining table and your businesses chairs.
  3. Bedside tables: bedside tables have the potential to open up the bedroom and transform the space into something amazing. Having bedside tables that are unique, yet work well in a variety of environments is essential.
  4. Lounges: when used everyday, lounges can easily begin to look old, worn and unpleasant. Having lounges in stock that are a neutral colour is a great idea as they can be used in a range of spaces in a range of different styled homes.
  5. Coffee tables: Coffee tables are great ways to show off the space in a lounge room and add an element of homeliness into the space. Not everyone has a coffee table, and if they do it might be old and worn, having new, amazing coffee tables as part of your stock can transform and fill a space amazingly.
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Image via southernliving.com

 

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Faux or Real Plants

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Today, as I always say, I’m going to give you my perspective and a little bit of the experience that I’ve undertaken in my years in home staging about a specific topic.

You can thread from that what works for you, what agrees with you and what strikes a chord in your business and then make decisions about how you want to move forward from there.

Today, I want to talk to you about faux or real when it comes to flowers and plants.

 

In my home, to be honest with you, I only allow real, living plants and flowers and tree and nature.

But, in home staging, it is a little different. The community is a little divided on it, whether to use faux or whether to use fresh.

There are obvious difficulties when it comes to using fresh flowers, especially if it’s a vacant property. I’ll give you a bit of an insight as to what we do here and you can take from that what you need for your business.

In all vacant properties, unless they’re in the prestige price bracket, we often use faux plants and faux flowers.

Purely for the reason that rarely does someone have the budget and is able to afford us continually going back to the property every week or every two weeks to refresh the flowers, to water the plants and make sure that everything’s in working order.

The reason that that is important is there is never a time when walking into a property to a dead plant or to smelling, molding flower water is okay.

It actually is a bigger distraction than having a faux plant or faux flowers in the property.

Obviously, there are some markets where that just doesn’t work. There are some markets, even when it’s a vacant property, that we invest in having real and authentic plants and real and authentic flowers in there.

We come up with a pricing system and a process that allows for us to go in and interchange the plants and interchange the flowers during the time on market.

If you have a property that is occupied, you can actually negotiate with the owner if they’re there and if they’re happy to, around the concept of them topping up the flowers and them taking care of the plants.

But again, this takes some negotiation and it takes a little bit of work.

What I will say, though, is if you choose to use faux plants or flowers, you really need to make sure you maintain them well.

There’s nothing worse than dirty, dusty, musty smelling fake arrangements, fake plants or fake flowers. It’s essential that when you’re storing these items, if you choose to use them, in your warehouse, that they’re always bagged up so they don’t become a dust collection.

What you can do if you do find that happening is actually use feather dusters on them or, even in some cases, I have vacuumed our plants.

Another great tip is that you actually have a roster and a process where all of the fake plants and all of the fake flowers get cleaned. This can make a massive difference to how long they last and how good they look.

My biggest advice if you need to use fake plants or flowers is to invest in really good quality plants and flowers.

It will cost you quite a substantial amount, but there are some amazing products on the market internationally for this. There’s amazing freestyle arrangements that you can make and there’s also some amazing premades. You even have some really cool things like premade terrariums and all sorts of things.

My big tip is choose the price point of the property. The client and the type of installation, whether it be an occupied or a partial, before we make the decision about whether you’re going to use real or whether you’re going to use faux foliage.

There’s my take, guys. One thing is for sure, either way, you need to make sure that the faux flowers and foliage that you use is perfectly targeted for the property, for your brand and also for who you are selling to.

Choose wisely.

What Beds to Use in Home Staging

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Hey, guys. I’m back again for another installment to answer some questions that have been emailed through to me.

I’ve had a few people email through their question and I’ll read it to you here.

We’re just starting up our home staging business and we really need to know about how you do your beds.

 

That’s an interesting question, isn’t it? I am going to answer that to the best of my ability and hopefully everyone will be able to take a snippet from that.

I’m assuming that this question is pertaining to what sorts of beds we use in our installs. Let’s look at our options.

The first option is, obviously, a traditional slatted timber bed that needs to be pretty much built on site. It has the side rails that has the header and the footer and the slats that the mattress would sit upon. There’s one option.

The next option is an ensemble bed and, obviously, the last option is a bit of a more temporary bed. It may be an inflatable bed, it may be a camp stretcher with an inflatable mattress on top or it may be a camp stretcher with a foam mattress on top.

These are all different sorts of options. That’s not all of them, but they are some of the different options that you have when you’re staging a property and you want to put in some beds.

What do we do? If I’m going to be dead honest about what we do here at Silk Home, which is my brick and mortar home staging business, we actually use a lot of ensemble beds.

We used to use the slatted headers and footers with the side rails, but the time it took to construct the beds on site meant that our productivity was greatly diminished.

And that meant that we needed more than one person to be on site installing every single house, even after the initial drop off of furniture was complete by the muscle, basically. That was a bit of a negative for us. It really did take some time.

The other thing we noticed is that the mechanisms that you’re adhering everything to did, over time and after multiple assembling and disassembling, wear. We steered away from that.

That pointed us to our ensemble beds.

We have, as well, used all varieties of camp stretchers and foam mattresses/camp stretches and air mattresses, but one of the big problems we found with air mattresses was that sometimes they do go down.

You often find that the time you get a call is 7:30/8:30/9:00/10:00 on a Saturday when, often, you’re busy doing other things, saying,

“I’ve just taken everyone into an open home and the mattress is deflated. I need something else here right now because the open home has pretty much been ruined by the fact that there’s a deflated mattresses and a slump-looking bed sitting in what might have been an amazing master suite before.”

One of the problems I have with inflatable beds is they certainly have their locations, but one of the things that you need to make sure you think about is they aren’t 100% reliable.

I can probably hear many people going, “What about those places where you can’t get an ensemble base into?” Absolutely right. It’s a huge, huge challenge.

There are many places, especially in the older parts of town, where the stairwells are too skinny and the lifts are too small and the landings at the top of stairs are too small to be able to work an ensemble base around.

In those cases, we actually have to use a mattress and we prop the mattress up on tubs.

There you go. There are our sneak peeks and our behind the scenes of what we do at Silk Home for beds. I hope you’ve learned something from that; I hope that there’s something that you can take and integrate into your home staging business and into all the different situations that it may be applicable.

I’ll be back next week. Make sure if you have any questions that you jump onto our Facebook page and we can help you out.

If you have really specific questions about your business, make sure you pop over to our memberships. Our Shine Membership has a closed Facebook forum where you can pretty much ask anything you want.

The members of the community and myself will be jumping in there to help. Jump on over and check them out. They’re all on the website.

 

I’ll see you guys again soon. See you.

5 Reasons Why You Should Press Record RIGHT NOW

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By Tori Toth

Have you noticed the trend towards communicating on video? Maybe you’re already chatting with friends and family on Face Time, Facebook Messenger or Skype – but have you been using video to build a relationship with your potential clients?

Video is so important because it allows you to introduce your message in a compelling way that can entice the audience to take action. According to Think With Google, almost 50% of Internet users look for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store or business.

If you’re toying with the idea of utilizing video in your business – do it because video increases sales. However, it provides something deeper that comes as a direct result of staring into a glass lens for hours on end.

Video transforms the person and opportunities available to them. Here are five reasons to create a video marketing plan in your business.

Builds a Stronger Web Presence + Boost Engagement

The more places you can communicate and connect with your potential customers, the better chances you have of converting them into paying clients. We want to continue to spread your brand and message to help you stand out from your competition.

And a video does that, because videos are the most shared content on social media. Tubular Insights studied where do consumers engage with branded videos daily?

• 49% on Facebook
• 32% on YouTube
• 24% on Instagram
• 22% on Snapchat + Twitter

More than links, images, or plain text, video has the best chance of getting shared by your followers. We like to share content that will entertain our friends and move them, and video has a better chance of doing that.

Video Reveals Your Personality

Those of us who have been utilizing video for a while now, know video forces you to constantly develop your communication skills. By honing in on these skills you can reach audiences by being unique. Companies that live and breathe their brand are highly successful with their marketing. Simple videos that show who you are can be an effective way to put a face, and personality, to your business name.

Sell More with Less Effort

With video you can use the content over and over again to provide continuous communication that will build relationships across the web, all while showing your brand at it’s best.

Videos can educate clients on what you do, which primes your prospects before you meet them. Imagine eliminating cold calling. Video does that!
Clients can immediately connect with you and feel as if they know you, building that know, like and trust factor.

Video marketing can lead to significant financial payoff. By adding an informative video to your landing page, you can increase sales (as much as 80% according to some studies). The best part is this video will market your message even while you sleep!

Videos Generate Referrals + Opportunity

Videos grab our attention and can instantly make you look like an expert. At the end of each video you should provide a call to action, telling the viewer what to do next to connect with you – this creates an instant referral for you to follow up with by replying to a comment, asking a question, collecting their email address or returning a phone call.

“It’s inconsistency that builds distrust. ~Brendon Burchard”

By consistently creating these videos, you’re showing up, sharing valuable content and delivering on what you promise – putting your audience at ease to take the next step with you. This ultimately provides opportunity with not only potential customers, but with businesses or vendors who may want to collaborate with you on video.

Increase Profitability to Make You More Money

Your videos should always be marketing your brand to increase profitability and generate more leads. Don’t just do a video to do a video there should be a purpose behind the message to generate more referrals and opportunities.

Thanks to modern technology, producing effective videos no longer requires a ton of money. You can make decent videos with your smartphone, a little bit of planning and being consistent. This helps allow video marketing to provide an excellent return on your investment. These days, customers don’t expect polished, high-end production quality from online videos, they prefer simple, humanising clips that share your message.

Tori Toth is an award winning home stager, best-selling author and lifestyle expert who leverages her TV Reporter experience to share visual stories through video. As the creator of the online on-demand video courses: Video Visibility and The Stage to Sell Strategy, Tori navigates the proper steps to build visibility from brands to homes. She has appeared in global media with her books, videos, newsletters, products and appearances that now inspire hundreds of thousands of homeowners and real estate experts worldwide. Learn more at www.toritoth.com.

If you would like to see Tori live, secure you place at the National Home Staging Symposium for 2018!

What To Look for in a Real Estate Agent

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As a home stager, creating and maintaining a strong relationship with real estate agents is an essential part of generating referred business.

When you have a strong relationship with a real estate agent you will constantly have business flowing and you will always have a direct line of call when something goes wrong if a property.

Selecting the right real estate agent for your business can be difficult though. You may have a great relationship with one agent in the beginning but as your business grows that agent may not fit with your business anymore.

Image via silkhome.com.au

When choosing a real estate agent to maintain a strong relationship with, always look for someone who is:

  • An established real estate agent. Agents who are not new to selling properties are more likely to develop a relationship with a home stager as they are always looking to expand their connections
  • You want to be able to trust your real estate! As a home stager you want to know if the agent has any relationships with other home stagers and if they are referring their clients to you or to other home stagers
  • A people person. A real estate agent won’t get very far if they aren’t a people person. They must be approachable, friendly and great at negotiating
  • As a home stager it makes sense that you would want to have strong relationships with multiple real estate agents but a real estate agent doesn’t need a relationship with more than one home stager.
  • At the same level as you. There is no point forming a relationship with a real estate agent whose clients would not be able to afford your service. Make sure your agent has the same client demographic as you do to ensure maximum results

Once you have established a relationship with a real estate agent it is important to maintain that relationship. This can be achieved through a variety of ways such as:

  • Referring business. If a client gets their property staged but they aren’t sure what agent to go with yet, encourage them to go with the agent you are affiliated with
  • Buying ‘Thank You’ gifts. If your affiliate has a big win, sells a great property or smashes a record, giving them a small gift is a great way to maintain a relationship and show the agent that you are about their successes
  • Providing statistics. At a milestone during the year, be it yearly, half-yearly or quarterly, providing your affiliate with statistics about how your business is benefiting real estate is a great idea and a push to ensure that the agent will want to keep working with you

Having a strong relationship with a real estate agent is a great way ensure that you are constantly getting business and referring business. Having grounded relationships and affiliations with real estate agents is the best relationship that a home stager can have as it means that you are the first point of call to help that agent with a property.

Perth Style Co. | Home Stager of the Month

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At IIHS we love having the opportunity to showcase the work of our Shine members as one of our many membership perks! This month, our Home Stager of the Month is the lovely Sara James from Perth Style Co.

Running her own business for three years, Sara absolutely loves her new home staging career. Since changing her career in 2014, Sara has seen clear improvements in her attitude to work because she loves her job and is able to have an adaptable schedule, something that is near impossible in the corporate world.

Image via Perth Style Co.

What made you want to get into the industry?

With a history in property finance, I have an extensive insight into real estate transactions and how to influence the value of a property.

With this in mind, I recognised a niche opportunity in Perth to bring something completely different to our home staging market, that being a powerful combination of visual differentiation and property marketability.

Image via Perth Styling Co.

What is your favourite part of working in home staging?

Working with an extensive variety of agents and homeowners to get them excited about their new listings with innovative, on-trend design concepts and marketing initiatives.

Image via Perth Style Co.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to enter the industry?

It’s important to recognise that being successful in the home staging industry is not just about creative flair and good visuals, but about having the ability to understand the needs of an agent, their client and how you can impact the property transaction.

Image via Perth Style Co.

To get in contact with Sara, check out her website! 

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Chanelrae Property Styling | Home Stager of the Month

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At IIHS we love having the opportunity to showcase the work of our Shine members as one of our many membership perks! This month, our Home Stager of the Month is the lovely Chanel Williams from Chanelrae Propety Styling.

Staging properties in Perth, Western Australia, Chanel has been running her own home staging business since 2016.

According to Chanel, “I wanted to have more flexibility so I could spend more time with my young daughter”.

What is your favourite part of working in home staging?

The joy of making spaces beautiful – using a mix of trends and classic pieces to make something stylish and unique.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to enter the industry?

Stay true to yourself, work hard and don’t give up on your dreams and passions.

To get in touch with Chanel, head over to Chanelrae Property Styling

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Styling By Jackie | Home Stager of the Month

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At IIHS we love having the opportunity to showcase the work of our Shine members as one of our many membership perks! This month, our Home Stager of the Month is the lovely Jackie Fyfe from Styling by Jackie.

Staging properties in the south eastern suburbs of Victoria, Jackie has been running her own home staging business since 2013.

According to Jackie, “with a background in graphic design, fashion and furniture retail, interior styling was a natural progression”.

What made you get into the industry?

I wanted to unleash my creative side and in return, empower and help others to successfully sell their homes for a premium rate.

It all started with a friend in real estate who know I had a ‘flair’ in the interior sector. I was asked to help a neighbour prepare her house for sale.

With some tweaking and practical advice, the neighbour’s house sold within a week for a substantial amount more than expected!

Now consulting and styling, on average, four to five properties a week, the rest is history!

What is your favourite part of working in home staging?

Being able to look back at before and after photos, witnessing the incredible transformations that are made in bringing out the best in properties.

I also love working with homes that are unique, such as mud brick, farm and art deco.

These different styles of homes challenge my creative boundaries in selecting appropriate furniture and accessories to compliment their individual styles.

It’s about creating a unique and tailored look, not simply a one style fits all.

What advice would you give someone wanting to enter the industry?

My advice would be to definitely research the industry thoroughly before diving in.

Although this career is completely rewarding and totally creative, styling properties is hard work.

It involves an innate ability , patience, real estate and vendor understanding, and, of course, a love for all things interior.

A sense of humour is also essential!

To get in touch with Jackie, head over to her instagram @stylingbyjackie

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Case Study in Your Investment Property

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As many of you know I love having the opportunity to share my love of renovation with everyone I can!

One of my case studies was recently featured in an article on Your Investment Property!

The article is all about how to properly renovate a bathroom and featured one of my recent renovations I completed with my Rapid Renovation Formula!
To find out more, read the article here! 

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A Guide to Installing Plantation Shutters for your Client

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Plantation shutters are a great way to add value to a property on the real estate market.

They allow for maximum light to enter a room while maintaining a high level of privacy.

Plantation shutters can be a costly investment for clients who are looking to put their property on the market.

Luckily, installing plantation shutters is more simple than you may have imagined.

DIYing plantation shutters means that you are only spending a fraction of the price it costs to have the shutters professionally installed.

Today I am bringing you my go-to guide for installing plantation shutters for your home staging client!

At DIYBlinds the USP for PolyLux Shutters have 20 years of manufacturing warranty and a lifetime guarantee to never bleach, blister or peel!

The blinds are ready within 2 weeks of ordering and can be shipped Australia wide with shipping prices depending on postcode.

Tools:

  • Stepladder
  • Pencil
  • Cordless drill with a 3mm drill bit and a Phillips head drill bit

Step 1: Constructing The Frame

  1. Start with a clean surface. This will help you to avoid scratching any frames or panels
  2. Your frame will come in 3 or 4 pieces depending on your selection. Each section will be labeled so you don’t get any of the sections mixed up.
  3. Lay all of the frames on the floor. Clip each corner together with a hockman key provided in the pack.
  4. Screw the corners together in the predrilled holes

Always construct the frame as close to the window as possible so you don’t have to move the frame too much!

Step 2: Mounting The Frames

Depending on the type of fit your client is after, there is different ways to you will be required to mount your frames.

Recess Fit –

A recess fit frame is when the frame fits inside the window panels.

When installing a recess fit frame, there are a few steps you must do.

  1. Predrill a hole between each hinge on left and right.
  2. Lift frame into place.
  3. Screw shutter frames into window frame. It is important to remember that not every window is square, so you may need to adjust the size of the frame.

Face Fit –

A face fit frame is when the frame is when the frame fits outside the window frame.

When installing a face fit frame, there are a few steps you must do.

  1. Predrill a hole in the back of the frame.
  2. Lift frame into place.
  3. Screw shutter frames into window frame. It is important to remember that not every window is square, so you may need to adjust the size of the frame.

Step 3: Mounting The Panels

  1. Once your frame is secure, attach panels to the frame. Everything should line up correctly, however, if the hinges don’t line up, you may be using the wrong panel or the panel may be upside down.
  2. Make sure the shutters open and close with ease.
  3. Gap around the edges. If the gap is bigger, go over it twice. It is important to test this in direct sunlight.

Offering to install plantation shutters for your clients at a fraction of the price a professional charges is a great value add for your business!

Always use DIYBlinds custom Check Measure Service and a DIY guide to installing the blinds yourself!

It is always important to emphasise to the client that you are not a professional in blind installation and therefore do not offer any warranty for the blinds.

Always consult the instructions of the package to ensure you achieve the best possible blind installation for your client.

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