10 Working Stagers’ Advice for Starting a New Home Staging Business

About to start your home staging business?

We asked 10 working home stagers for their best advice on starting a home staging business.

Have a look below and tell us what you think! There is also a FREE CHECKLIST DOWNLOAD for you at the end of this blog post for starting your home staging business.

Be sure to download it!

“Make sure you start off with a small nest egg to get everything going correctly. You won’t get projects immediately you have to build up to it so you will need money for survival and planting seeds in the community. Don’t overspend per project. Breaking your budget each project isn’t sustainable in the long run. Acquire slowly as you need it and choose carefully your inventory pieces.”

— Kevin Htain,
IDENTITY HOME staging + design

“Get training.”

— Christine Cowles Bergamin,
Styled & Staged Santa Barbara

“Just start! If you have the talent and the drive, the rest will follow.”

— Patricia Sylvester Ebrahimi
Show Smart Staging & Design

“Intern/work for a staging company similar in size or type that you are looking to start. Contact them and be up front about it, so goals/expectations are clear and transparent.

You can then get a good feel or grasp on “A day in the life of…” … it’s not butterflies and rainbows. It is a lot of work and lots of problem solving on top of the business side of things.”

— Nicole Runkle,
Premiere Home Staging

“Be authentic and know that your time and talent are valuable.”

— Elizabeth Moseley,
eDecor

“Decide if you want to start a vacant staging business or an occupied staging business and stay in your lane. Trying to take on too much when starting out can be overwhelming.”

— Theresa Ceglio,
We Stage Jacksonville

“My top advice would be go to work for a successful home stager FIRST! People often have very unrealistic ideas about what this business entails.”

— Kathryn Lenhardt

“Be honest with yourself and your clients, don’t take on jobs your not comfortable with and always be open to advice from others in your profession. Experience and learning from your piers will help you to be successful.”

— Doris Owens,
Staging2Sell

1) Home Staging training is essential. A reputable source includes certification, and certification awards the perception- one is credible.

2) Partner with an agent. Some will refer home staging clients or offer to include a stagers services in their real estate package.

3) Join the local real estate association and Chamber of Commerce. Networking is key and these folks are high-powered influencers.

4) Always create a contract for all services.

— Che’rell Maynard Bilquist,
Staged to Show n’ Sell

“Do you like to lift furniture, move stuff in and out of your car, do whatever and whenever? It’s very physical.”

— Kathy Nixon,
Staged by Kathy

What do you think about these advice from working stagers? Are they helpful to you? Do you have anything to add? Let us know in the Comments section below.