Home staging and design is an additional revenue stream for interior designers and helps diversify your income. Interior design is a luxury item for most clients, while home staging is a necessity for sellers. No matter the state of the economy, there will still be people trying to sell their homes; if the market is up, staged houses sell for more money, and if the market dips, staged houses sell faster.

A home staging project can be completed much more quickly than an interior design project, as there is a minimal back-and-forth with the client and no waiting for custom furnishings or special purchases. While interior design projects can take several months to complete, a home staging project can be finished in just a few weeks, with the installation taking a matter of hours.

Because home stagers are designing with the end goal of selling the home, not pleasing the client, there is less worry about clients changing their minds or not liking the outcome of a project. There should be no agonizing over design choices, no excess spending, and no catering to the homeowner’s taste. A successful interior design project ends with a satisfied client who feels connected to their home. A successful staging project ends with a sale.

Interior staging designers are hired to inject the homeowner’s style into space. They add colour, decor, and personality so that the homeowner forms an attachment to space. Interior design is all about the client and their happiness and comfort.

Staging, on the other hand, requires a design style that appeals to a broad range of potential buyers. Although the seller is technically a stager’s client, the design is not for them. Once a seller commits to sell their home, it is no longer theirs. It is best if the seller can emotionally detach from the home.

Home Staging Tips

• Adding staging to your interior design business does not have to be expensive, especially if you start slowly. Building an inventory can be done gradually, and stagers should accumulate neutral, versatile pieces that will work in multiple settings. With the help of furniture rental companies, designers can even avoid storing furniture and limit their inventory to “anything that fits in.”

• Staged homes should focus on the space and features of the house, which means stagers should “de-personalize, de-clutter, de-everything,”. Anything with eyes should be removed. Eyes are begging to be looked at, and if a buyer is looking at a person in a photo, they are not looking at the rest of the home. Bookshelves should not be full so the potential buyer can envision their things in the spaces. Windows should remain uncovered, and furniture and lighting should be scaled properly.

At the end of a project, always hire a professional photographer to capture the home from the best angles. Having quality photos to add to a listing can make or break a staging project.