Home Staging Consultations Don´t Require an Assistant

I´m asked quite often about whether or not I bring an assistant with me to home staging consultations. The answer is no.

When I arrive at an initial consultation, I´m not actually doing the staging at that point. As we walk through the house, I´m mostly taking everything in and making suggestions for improvements. For example, I might suggest that a large wall unit would look better on a different wall, or that the current living room furniture would work better in the family room. But at this initial consultation session, it´s not going to be moved. These recommendations will go on a to-do list for later.

I frequently move small items during a home staging consultation. I might say something like, "You know, your fireplace could be a fabulous focal point in this room, but I feel like it´s a bit lost under all this stuff on the mantle. Would you mind if I showed you how this can look a lot better?" Then the client will say, "Of course, go ahead." Then I jump in and start changing things around.

It´s actually doing small things like this that make your clients will light up because they can start to see a transformation and they´re excited about what you can do with the rest of their house.

I rarely bring an assistant with me to an initial home staging consultation. I generally only get help when I´m doing a vacant house that´s being staged from top to bottom in a single day. In that case it´s helpful to have someone to assist with hanging artwork, placing towels, hanging curtains, ironing bedding – that type of thing.

Most of the time, I work on my own with my clients and because I do, I get to keep more of the profits and I´m better able to stay focused on the task at hand.

Course 3 of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program answers all your questions about what happens during a home staging consultation. It comes with a bonus home staging check list and covers topics such as avoiding the free estimate trap, what to wear and what to bring to your consultations, how to turn a potential buyer into a paying client and much more.

Debra Gould

Debra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program.

Gould has trained 7,000+ Staging Diva students in over 21 countries to start their own businesses. All shared a natural talent for decorating and interest in real estate, but didn't know how to make a living in their own house staging business before learning her secrets.

Debra Gould's mission is to inspire and empower others to use their natural talents to earn a living. She followed her dreams and wants to teach others to be able to do the same.

Gould pursued an MBA in Marketing and began a corporate career before moving to advertising. In the 1980s, she launched one of the first integrated marketing firms, which she ran for 10 years. Wanting a more creative life, Debra gave it up to design home accessories. She created the Debra Gould Home Collection, landing a magazine cover story and book feature, followed by her first of several HGTV appearances.

Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a new staging career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since that time she has staged homes for hundreds of clients in addition to providing home staging training.

Gould is the author of "Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide: Home staging tips, tricks and floor plans", "Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: The easy way to pick colors for home staging projects", and "Staging Diva Ultimate Portfolio Guide: Winning clients with the perfect home staging portfolio".

In addition to HGTV, Debra Gould's media coverage includes: CityTV, GlobalTV, CBC, CBS Radio, CNNMoney, Wall Street Journal, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, MoneySense, Entrepreneur, House and Home, Home & Decor, Style at Home, Centre of the City, USAA Magazine, FabJob Guide to Become a Home Stager, Home Style, National Post Homes, This Old House, Home Business Magazine, Globe & Mail and others.

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