~ Official Blog For 3-Day Certified Staging Professionals Course (CSP) Taught By National Trainer Celebrity Interior Designer Cathy Hobbs. A 5-Time Emmy Award Winning TV Host & Finalist On Season 6 Of HGTV Design Star, Cathy Is One Of The Most Sought After Home Stagers/Trainers In The Country.
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As a television news reporter and anchor for nearly 20 years, I told stories for a living. I covered and reported the news in some of the top local news markets in the country. In many ways, the storytelling techniques I used during my decades in news are the same skills that can be used to tell a story when it comes to home staging and styling.
In creating “the story” for any property, you want to make sure you are creating a marketing tool that will appeal to a targeted potential buyer. Most buyers need to have an emotional reaction to a property and that is what your story should convey.
In a recent project, in which I was staging a model residence in an urban area of Brooklyn that appeals to couples and families, I settled on a design recipe that included a travel theme. In designing, I never select the route of a literal interpretation; instead, it is all about design and subtle touches that I hope work seamlessly together.
The thought behind my design recipe related to the fact that I believed the target resident would be a couple, mid to late 30s, and well traveled. I further envisioned this couple as one who considered their travels a big influence to their design and decorating tastes.
In the living room, I selected luxury materials, including a walnut lounge chair with a black leather cushion and seat, walnut wood dining table, and black walnut trimmed “schoolhouse” style chairs. I also added unique accessories such as a candleholder made of cold rolled steel and a woodcarving art piece carved from white lacquer. As with all of my projects, I wanted to tell the “story” of the space, and in this case, the story involved the merging of modern luxury with industrial elements.
I wanted to tell a story as well in designing the sales office, which is where potential renters make their first impressions of a property. In this space, I felt the story should be more of one of “unbridled luxury,” which I translated into an equestrian design theme.
(Cathy Hobbs)
Since I began riding horses at the age of 8 and owned a horse until I went to college, I can relate to many aspects of the equestrian design theme. In keeping with this design, I selected an oversized, dramatic acrylic three-panel art piece that really anchored the space and served as a focal point.
I then grounded the space using color by selecting a sectional sofa in rich charcoal flannel, adding sumptuous custom-made toss pillows in a ribbon pattern similar to the reins of a horse’s bridle.
My approach to interior design and home staging is based on the philosophy behind my brand Design Recipes: determining how a potential user needs to live and function in the space, while also creating an environment that is aesthetically pleasing and always incredibly beautiful.
Five-time Emmy award-winning television personality Cathy Hobbs (ASID) (www.cathyhobbs.com) is the founder of Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes™, a New York City-based firm specializing in interior design, home staging, and model residences for luxury new developments. A nationally known design expert, Cathy has appeared on such programs as The Nate Berkus Show and HGTV’s Top Ten. Cathy was also a finalist on Season 6 of HGTV’s hit reality series “Design Star.”
Cathy is currently traveling around the country as an instructor for Certified Staging Professionals, teaching their prestigious 3-day certification course in Arlington, Va., Miami, Boston, Columbia, Maryland, San Francisco, Fargo, N.D., Nashville, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Long Island, N.Y., and Las Vegas, Nev. Contact 888-STAGING or www.stagingtraining.com to learn more.
By Cathy Hobbs, ASID Created: Sep 21, 2011 Last Updated: Sep 21, 2011
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Certified Staging Professional Cathy Hobbs in action, staging one of her many projects. (Courtesy of Cathy Hobbs)
Starting and building a home staging business is ideal for design enthusiasts, professional organizers, do-it-yourselfers, real estate brokers, and virtually anyone who has a desire to have their own business and has an interest in real estate, interior design, or decorating.
In 2005, when I became interested in adding home staging services to my existing interior design business, there was really only one course that stood out above the rest: the three-day Home Staging Certification Course offered by Certified Staging Professionals.
Similar three-day courses and online courses are currently being marketed, but the Certified Staging Professional Course (CSP) is the only course I discovered that provides home staging training plus the in-depth business knowledge that a new home stager needs to succeed in the competitive world of home staging. Their three-day intensive course consists of two days of in-class instruction, followed by a third day on-site where students actually stage a property.
Earning Money as a Home Stager
Home stagers can charge anywhere from $75 to $300 an hour, so for an avid marketer as well as someone with lots of contacts, the income potential can be tremendous. Just like with any other entrepreneurial endeavor, what one gets out of it is linked to what one puts into it.
The first step in launching a home staging business is letting everyone you possibly know that you are a home stager and are available to help them sell their properties. Most people at some point in their lives will need to sell a property and that is where you will come in!
What is wonderful about starting a home staging business is that there are minimal startup costs. In order to start a home staging business, one will need to have the following:
1. A computer
2. Business checking account
3. Professional liability insurance
4. A digital camera
5. A professional email address
6. A website
7. Business cards
8. A dedicated business phone line
9. A fax machine
What Does Home Staging Entail?
Staging can mean a number of things as it relates to selling a property. It can mean anything from painting and minor repairs to obtaining rental furniture and furniture arrangement. As a stager you will want to build a team to help you execute these tasks.
As a stager, you can expect to provide the following services:
1. Remove clutter
2. Pack away any and all unnecessary items and furnishings
3. Apply a fresh coat of paint or make paint color recommendations
4. Clean and steam carpets
5. Hire a professional cleaning crew
6. Recommend minor repairs
7. Rent furniture
8. Incorporate furniture and accessories to show function
Are Courses Required?
Unlike interior design, there are no education requirements for becoming a home stager. In fact, home staging is actually an unregulated industry. The question I would simply ask someone who is considering starting a home staging business is why would you not seek training?
It is hard enough starting an entrepreneurial venture, let alone setting out on one’s own without the necessary tools and basic foundation. Taking a professional business course such as the Home Staging Certification Course offered through Certified Staging Professionals is the key to having the foundation and resources in order to set you on the proper path.
The Certified Staging Professionals website as well as their expert staff and instructors provide a wealth of resources and knowledge as well as ongoing support to help make your home staging business successful.
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Certified Staging Professionals offers classes in Long Island, N.Y., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Nashville, San Francisco, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Miami, Detroit, and Fargo, N.D., just to name a few. If you’re interested in becoming a real estate stager, contact Certified Staging Professionals directly at (www.stagingtraining.com) or (1.888.STAGING). Good luck. And Happy Staging!
Five-time Emmy award-winning television personality Cathy Hobbs (ASID) is the founder of Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes™, specializing in interior design, home staging, and model residences for luxury new developments. A nationally known design expert, Cathy has appeared on such programs as The Nate Berkus Show and HGTV’s Top Ten. Cathy was also a finalist on Season 6 of HGTV’s Hit Reality Series Design Star. Cathy Hobbs is an ASID, LEED AP (BD+C), CSP.
VIDEO CLIP: HOW TO START A HOME STAGING BUSINESS
An interior staged by New York City home stager Cathy Hobbs. (Courtesy of Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes)
Home staging is about marketing and branding a property more than anything else. So often people believe staging is about interior design and furniture, when staging is in fact neither, but instead a powerful marketing tool used exclusively to showcase real estate. That said, there are some basic interior design mistakes that extend beyond interior design into home staging that can possibly sink a sale if a home seller isn’t careful.
Mistake 1
Problem: Hanging artwork too high
Solution: Eyelevel is at five feet. The center point of a piece of artwork should be hung at five feet above the finished floor. Adjustments up or down a couple inches may be needed, but I consider this to be my general rule of thumb.
Mistake 2
Problem: Painted ceilings
Solution: I tend to leave ceilings white in order to help visually raise the height of a room. While I am not completely opposed to painting ceilings a color, people often fail to realize that a painted ceiling automatically visually reduces the height of a room. I recommend painted ceilings only if looking to create a certain mood or sense of coziness.
Mistake 3
Problem: Decorating with too many colors
Solution: I love color! And I love using color, but I encourage people to design with one neutral color to be used as a general wall or fabric color for upholstered pieces, and then to use two to three accent colors that can be incorporated into accessories such as pillows, area rugs, artwork, pottery, and vessels. I also remind clients that it is okay to create a design scheme using shades and tones of the same color.
Mistake 4
Cathy Hobbs appears on HGTV’s Design Star as a design contestant. (Courtesy of Michael Rogers PR )
Problem: Purchasing furniture that is too big or too small for a particular space
Solution: As basic as this may sound, so many people fail to measure or even loosely create a floor plan before purchasing furniture. I cannot tell you how many times I have walked into rooms overstuffed with furniture or with pieces that are just too large or too small for a particular space. Before shopping, always create some sort of floor plan—even roughly on graph paper, counting the squares in order to create your own scale—so you know in advance whether or not a particular piece of furniture will fit.
Mistake 5
Problem: Purchasing “sets” of furniture
Solution: I find that purchasing the “5-piece” set seldom results in a successful interior design or staging solution. Purchasing sets tends to make a space look like a showroom instead of a home. In general, I believe purchasing sets are a big “no-no”. However, my one exception is bedroom sets, in which I tend to suggest clients purchase only, let’s say, a bed, nightstands, and perhaps one case good, such as a dresser. I believe it is a far better option to purchase one primary, solidly built, well-designed piece of furniture, and create a design scheme around it.
Cathy Hobbs, ASID, LEED AP
Five-time Emmy award-winning television personality Cathy Hobbs (ASID) is the founder of Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes™, a New York City-based firm specializing in interior design, home staging, and model residences for luxury new developments. A nationally known design expert, Cathy has appeared on such programs as The Nate Berkus Show and HGTV’s Top Ten. Cathy was also a finalist on Season 6 of HGTV’s hit reality series Design Star.
Cathy is currently traveling around the country as an instructor for Certified Staging Professionals, teaching their prestigious 3-day certification course in Arlington, V.A., Miami, Boston, Columbia, Maryland, San Francisco, Fargo, N.D., Nashville, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Long Island, N.Y., and Las Vegas, Nev. Contact 888-STAGING or www.stagingtraining.com to learn more.
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