International Institute Of Home Staging

home stager

How to Be DIY Creative

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Hey Guys,

Naomi here! I wanted to share this story with you to inspire you!

One day I was sitting in my office looking at the beautiful ‘standard flowering cherry blossom’ that has shed its last leaf and formed the buds that will soon turn into beautiful blossoms.  I found myself thinking of all the great things I could use photographs of such a beautiful tree for.   Here are some photos I took and converted them to black and white.

Now imagine them framed and above your bed or at the end of your dining table, creating a stunning effect like in the image below.

Get out your camera or even use your phone and try it, it is a very affordable feature to add to any room!

You can also make your own homewares, 100% original creations, then style them in your own home!

If you’ve been feeling rushed and hurried lately, this is the perfect antidote for you – a lovely afternoon of chilling out and getting crafty, with treats, bubbles and an opportunity for you to put your busy life on pause, relax and have some fun with like-minded ladies.

If you’re new to styling and you’re not quite sure what to do with a clay beaded garland or a wreath don’t worry! At my workshops, I’ll share my top tips and ideas with you on how to style your creations in your home, making it a gorgeous accent piece for any room.

I hope that inspires you to get creative!

Are you coming my workshops at the beautiful Lorn Rose Farm?  We have such a blast!

3 Things NOT To Do When Styling Your Home To Sell

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Research into home buyer psychology tells us that we have just 30 seconds to make a first impression when selling our home.

So you need to nail the look and feel of your property if you want to sell faster and for more money!

If you want to get prepared before the property stylist comes to perfect your space, here are three things to avoid doing during the process:

Decluttering

A lot of clients tell me that their homes feels comparatively empty when it goes to market. This is where the idea of cosy vs clutter comes in.

It’s often difficult to differentiate between the two when it’s your own home, however it’s essential not to get this one wrong.  The best rule is to try to avoid the “cosy” look when selling your home. Having too many accessories, personal photographs and other items in an attempt to create “cosy” will actually make the property seem cluttered and lose its appeal to the broader market.

Stick to stylish, understated and sophisticated accessories. There’s a fine line though, you don’t want your property to feel cold – but the property stylist can help you bring in warmth with great styling choices.

Living area styled by Naomi Findlay

Not being able to look past your own personal style

This is an area of great concern when you are styling a property for sale. You have to remember that your personal taste is not necessarily that of the market. When selling, you need to appeal to as many people as possible so remember – when you have your home styled for sale it is not about you (I know that hurts but it will help you when you sell, trust me).

This is why bringing a professional in can be the best thing you could do to increase your chances of selling for more.

Keep your styling neutral

Choosing furniture that is the wrong size for your space

The use of furniture that is too big or the wrong shape can drastically affect the way a potential buyer sees your home.  It’s all about scale and making the space feel light and airy. If your bedrooms are small, your choice of furniture could either emphasize the tiny space or completely transform the feeling for a potential buyer.

Your home stager can work with you to choose appropriate furniture if yours is the wrong fit.

Are you a home stager? Want to boost your career? Join our Professional Membership! Click below!

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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.

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 and how much stock you purchase, you could improve your overall home staging business.

Create a Sanctuary
Image via Style Curator

When it comes to stock there is typically two types: 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 I could pack them all in a box and put them in my car.

On the other hand, 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 and loaded single handedly.

Logically, soft furnishings should be acquired first, then later down the track hard furnishings can be acquired. It’s important to be able to consider what sort of stock you should have now!

SOFT FURNISHINGS

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

  1. Pillows: Purchasing pillows that work well in a wide range of environments is a great way to get the most out of your money. Choose pillows in a few colours and designs so they can be used on their own or grouped together.
  2. Faux flowers and plants: Faux flowers and plants are great when the right ones are purchased because they can look amazing and used in a range of spaces and styles. Plus they last a long time!
  3. Books: Theses can be purchased from an op shop and are a great way to add texture and create 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, bedroom, lounge room or even an outdoor setting.
  4. Knick-knack accessories: These are 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 coverlets and toppers 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 so it is beneficial to go for quality over quantity.

  1. Mattresses: Often clients do not have enough beds to show off the best use of the space, or they have moved and have taken their mattresses with them so these are a must!
  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.
  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: Lounges can easily begin to look old, worn and unpleasant when they’ve been used for years. Having lounges in stock that are a neutral colour are a great idea as they can be used in a range of different styled homes.
  5. Coffee tables: Coffee tables are a great way to show off the space in a lounge room and add an element of homeliness to the space. Not everyone has a coffee table, and if they do it might be old and worn. Having new, coffee tables as part of your stock can transform a space.
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Image via southernliving.com

 

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Why is Defining the Function of a Space Important?

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When someone moves into a new property, one of the first things they think is ‘what will I use this space for?’

Some spaces are obvious…the kitchen is for cooking, the bedroom is for sleeping, the lounge room is for watching television. But as home stagers, we know there’s so much more to it than that!

The spaces we create don’t necessarily have to be practical for day to day living. By that, I mean we don’t need to include a ‘play room’ for kids or a spot for all the shoes at the front door.

It is important that we hold onto the hopeful  mentality that buyers have and create a space that would be used in an ideal world (without the clutter!)

So, why is it so important to define the function of a space as a home stager?

Image via amberinteriordesign.com

When an empty property is put on the market, potential buyers are likely to become overwhelmed over the prospect of what they will use each space for. What room is better for a teenager and what one for a preteen? Should there be two living spaces? Is there enough room for a study space or home office?

Similarly, when a property is put on the market without professional property styling and using the seller’s current layout, the property is less likely to appeal to the buyer. Leaving the property in it’s original state  will create elements of clutter and uncertainty about what space is to be used for what. This is because we adapt to how our families use a space and often don’t notice that there is anything out of the ordinary about this.

This is where the magic of home staging comes in.

When staging a property, it is up to the home stager to determine what a space is best used for. If there is an awkward space between two bedrooms, a home stager may place a study desk there. This is something potential buyers might not have thought of doing, but seeing the desk there allows for the space to seem larger, and like the desk was always supposed to go there.

Image via cocolapinedesign.com

The accessories and furniture home stagers use allow for a space to have a clear and obvious activity attached to it. The items in the bedroom show that the space is used for sleeping, and the same goes for the lounge room, study space and kitchen. Doing this allows for potential buyers to see the size of the space, as well as the ideal activity to be done in the space, creating a homely and ‘I could live here’ atmosphere for all potential buyers.


Image via myscandinavianhome.com

5 Ways to Connect with Real Estate Agents

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Stylists versus real estate agents—it’s not a boxing match but a partnership, so why the adversarial relationship?

Many of the students here at the International Institute of Home Staging are unsure and even a little scared about connecting with real estate agents. This can be for a number of reasons, primarily because they can be intimidating, but also because agents have a lot of power when it comes to engaging a home stager or property stylist. If the agent is hard to catch or simply not interested in pre-sale styling, it can be an uphill battle for stylists to get a foothold in the property industry.

There are a couple of simple reasons why an agent may reject your services: either you’re not approaching the agent in the right way, or you’ve not done the research to find the agents in the right places. Having just one agent on board can change your business in a very small time frame!

How to connect with real estate agents

Here are five ways you can successfully connect with agents.

  1. Be proactive and responsive

Do your homework and select agents that you believe will be open to having their portfolio of properties styled. If you’re particular about who you work with, try to get to know how they interact with colleagues, contractors and clients before you make your approach. Take the initiative when it comes to the stager-agent relationship and always be open to the agent’s needs when they do decide they want styling, including integrating their feedback into your work.

  1. Be the ultimate communicator

Polish your communication skills and you’ll be able to identify and match the communication style of the agent you are dealing with. Some agents are direct and you may need to be clear and straightforward in your dealings with them; for others who communicate in a less direct manner you may need to coax out what they really want from your correspondence or conversations with them. People like it when they are being heard and understood—be that person.

  1. Show them the benefits

Agents may not know the value of a stager, so make sure when you approach them to be clear on what you do, how you do it and what’s in it for them and their clients, the property sellers. If you have a portfolio of past work, a visual example may be the best way to demonstrate the value you bring. Support your pitch with data regarding return on investment (ROI).

How to connect with real estate agents

  1. Stave off concerns

Whether through false assumptions or bad experiences, some agents have misconceptions about the staging process and what it entails. Combine your communication skills with your value proposition to explain the staging process, to demonstrate that it won’t slow down the timelines greatly and to emphasise that it will yield a better result.

  1. Be professional

Professionalism goes a long way to create a good impression. Dazzle them with your confidence, styling skills and property knowledge. Always be polite and gracious, even when handling a rejection or feedback; the real estate industry is a close-knit community and word will get around about how you are to work with, so make sure the right message is sent.

Have you tried other successful ways of working with agents? Leave a comment and let us know your tips!

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How to Get the Most Out of Your Home Staging Experience

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When you are preparing to put your property on the market, chances are you want the best price possible right? Of course!

This usually means hiring a home stager to give you the best chance at getting the highest return. You can choose to have your property completely staged (if you are planning on removing all your furniture prior to inspections), or you can opt for partial styling.

Now, if you want to use home staging to your fullest advantage, there’s a few things you should do before having a consultation with your property stylist.

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, and bookshelves stacked high with odds and ends. All the things you have been meaning to clear out and anything that doesn’t have a spot must be sorted. Not only will this help in the moving process but it will instantly make your property feel more spacious and fresh!

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Image via apartment34.com

2. Remove valuables and images

You don’t want your valuables to be damaged during 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.

3. 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

4. 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 looks well-kept, 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. Good 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. 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.

Do these things combined with the guidance of your property stylist, and you’ll see your property selling faster and for more money!

 

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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.

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.

How to Find Your First Customer

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You’ve decided to branch out and start your own home staging business but where are you going to find your first customer? It can be hard to get that first catch even if you’re great at what you do! No one wants to be the guinea pig for your business. Luckily, there are ways to legitimize your home staging skills so you can start building your clientele list.

  1. Complete a course in home staging

The industry in Australia is currently unregulated and so there are no specific requirements in becoming a home stager. However, there are courses available like the IIHS course in Advanced Home Staging that are specifically developed for people wanting to start their career. A home stager must have a good grasp of core design principles, solid property knowledge, renovation and maintenance knowledge and be an extremely good communicator. If you are looking for a course make sure all these aspects are covered.

  1. Create a portfolio

Once you’ve got your qualifications it’s time to develop an authentic portfolio that showcases your styling and also your ability to maximise ROI. You might need to offer some favours to friends and family that are selling to get this portfolio started. Never use internet images that are not your own, it makes your business look fake!

  1. Build relationships

Staged a friend of a friend’s property for free? Know someone in the property industry? Use these contacts to build relationships rand make sure you always over deliver. This reputation will see your business get out there with a constant and steady flow of good clients that want to work with you.

Alongside this it is also important to remember some big dos and don’ts when being a home stager.

  1. Get social

Creating a social media account for your business, even in the early stages, is one of the best ways to spread the word about your services. Work on getting your logo and branding looking professional, upload examples of your work and even your own home to showcase your skills. Then start reaching out to businesses in your area or in your industry to start networking and driving traffic to your page!

  1. Believe in yourself!

While you may have a vision for your business, it can often be forgotten when you’re struggling to hook your first customer. So make sure you have a great support networks or even an objective business coach who can help keep you on track and make sure you have the best possible chance of kicking your goals!

Do you want to start building your network and learn how to connect with real estate agents to make getting your first customer so much easier? Click on the picture below for your FREE blueprint!

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2017 National Home Staging Symposium Review

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When nearly 200 home stagers just starting out, emerging businesses and thriving substantial home staging businesses get together it is amazing what can happen. This years event was bigger than ever and high high high on energy and the passion of the people in the room.

Some massive take homes from everyone about your mindset to business and your mindset towards money and you body. Huge amounts of content for everyone to take home from an amazing array of speakers on marketing, selling, promoting and much more in your home staging business.

The skills and talents of the guest speakers was mind blowing and their willingness to openly share their talents with our industry community was humbling.

The book signing was a hoot and a super treat for VIP attendees getting my book in their hands before anyone else world wide.

Thanks to all our amazing sponsors and partners that make putting on an event of this calibre possible.

This years event sold out!!! Dates Next year have been locked and loaded and we are heading back to Sydney in July! If you want to be the first to know when tickets will be launched for the 2018 event, click below

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Our Favourite Rugs!

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1. Kenza Rug – Freedom

Kenza Rug Freedom
www.freedom.com.au

2. Madras Rug – Freedom

www.freedom.com.au

3. Nomad Grey Rectangle Rug – wholesale supplier

4. Gold Black and White Rectangle Rug – wholesale supplier

5. Gold Navy Rectangle Rug – wholesale supplier

6. Atrium Pilu Natural Rug – wholesale supplier

7. Eco Herringbone Marble Rectangle Rug

8. Stockholm Rug – Ikea

www.ikea.com

9. Colca Wool Rug – West Elm

www.westelm.com.au

10. Atrium Wish Gold Round Rug – wholesale supplier

favourite rugs

Staging Designs | 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 Dimitra Oldham from Staging Designs.

Dimitra has been in the industry for almost a whole 9 years and has been running Staging Designs in Sydney since 2013!

What made you get into the industry?

After a long career in the Corporate Sector in senior management, we moved the family to the US where my husband took up a new role. I was at home with my little one who was a year old and my daughter was at pre-school.

I always had a passion for property and had worked in a buyers agency in Australia helping clients find their ideal property, so I knew how important it was to have a well presented home for sale. I came across Home Staging and after doing some research I completed the Home Staging course.

At first I set about helping friends and then worked with a local stager. Whilst I was in the US, Home staging was starting to hit the shores of Sydney. So naturally when we decided to come back to Australia it was a no-brainer to build my business here.
Staging was in its early days back then so it was a slow start, but I kept persisting with it. During this time I was also helping investors renovate their properties to increase their returns, so that kept me quite busy too.

Of course now staging has really changed the way property is sold today which fortunately is keeping us extremely busy!

What is your favourite part of working in home staging?

I absolutely love helping clients transform their property and really fall in love with it again. It is great when the client sees the completed home for the first time and they realise the potential their home had. Most clients say ‘I should have had you in sooner so we could enjoy it a little’. But at the end of the day ensuring that our clients get the benefit of the full potential value from their home is the best part.

I also love that no two days or properties are the same. Each property is different and presents its own possibilities and challenges. Seeing the look on the clients faces when we have completed our recommendations..is priceless… and the satisfaction I get that moment, never gets old! That’s what keeps me doing this everyday!

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

Watching the home renovation shows people get the impression that it’s easy and fun. And yes whilst I do absolutely love what I do and have fun it is also a lot of hard work. To build a successful Styling business you need more than just a creative eye. It’s about building relationships, solving complex problems, being flexible and adaptive, learning to run a business, requires some real estate understanding and can also be quite a physical job.

The best advice I can give is find someone you can work with so you can get first hand knowledge of what’s involved. If its what you want to do then educate yourself in Home Staging as this is very different to just Interiors training.

To get in touch with Dimitra, head over to Staging Designs at www.stagingdesigns.com.au.

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