Acquiring a variety of stock and accessories is a must for your home staging business. At first, purchasing stock might seem like a bit of a leap. However, if you are smart about what stock you purchase, you’ll find you can use it over and over again with great results.
When it comes to stock there is typically two categories, soft furnishings and hard furnishings.
Soft furnishings include pillows, linen, lamps and small accessories. Soft furnishings are those items that, if you needed to, you could pack them in a box and put them in your car. On the other hand, there are hard furnishings. Hard furnishings are big items such as lounges, armchairs, dining tables, coffee tables, and so on. These are the items that can’t be packed into a box and loaded into your car.
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, you can generally purchase these items cheap and in bulk. They should include:
Cushions: Purchasing pillows that work well in a wide range of environments is a great way to get the most out of your money. Try buying cushions in a few colours and designs as they can be used on their own or grouped together.
Faux flowers and plants: When the right ones are purchased, faux plants can look amazing and be used in a range of spaces and styles. The best part is how long they last!
Books: Books are a great way to add texture and a create ‘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 or a lounge room. Just purchase a few books from your local op shop or you might even have some hanging around the house.
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.
Linen packs: This isn’t absolutely necessary, but I like to at least have a few coverlets and toppers as it can really transform a room from something dull to something amazing.
HARD FURNISHINGS
Hard furnishings are more expensive so it’s usually beneficial to go for quality over quantity. The stock I recommend purchasing includes:
Mattresses: Often clients do not have enough beds to show off the best of the space, or they have moved and have taken their mattresses with them.
Dining chairs: Not all dining chairs go with all tables, so having some neutral dining chairs that work with a range of colours is a great idea.
Bedside tables: Bedside tables have the potential to open up the bedroom and create a space for your soft furnishings. Tables that are unique, yet work well in a variety of environments is essential.
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.
Coffee tables: Not everyone has a coffee table and if they do, it’s often old and worn. Investing in a few coffee tables can help you to transform and fill a living space amazingly.
Purchasing stock doesn’t have to be a huge expense at first, in fact it shouldn’t be a huge expense when you first start accumulating inventory. As your business beings to flourish with the large amount of stock you accumulate, you will be able to stage more properties and further grow your business.
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