Vacant Home Staging...Do You Really Have What It Takes?

I added on to a previous post that I feel is even more important with vacant homes sitting everywhere, and hobby stagers trying to get into the business.
With vacant homes on the rise in the real estate market more people are turning to Home Staging to give their home that competitive edge. What most people don't realize is the time and labor involved in staging a vacant home. Here is an example of what can go into the process from start to finish.
After the necessary recommendations and improvements from the Home Staging Consultation Report has been implemented the acutal Home Staging process begins.

The following usually takes place:

Visiting the property to take a look at each room, the space, feel, and style of home.
Visually figuring out what furniture and accessories will best fit the spaces to be done, also known as space planning.
Taking photos of each room.
Figuring out the cost of furniture and accessories for the house.
Ordering furniture, paperwork, contracts, and phone calls.
Delivery of furniture from Furniture Company, if you use one.
Going to warehouse to start picking out and packing accessories.
Getting a truck, or trailer to carry all of the items you'll need.
Loading all items, accessories and furniture into truck or vehicle of choice. (Hoping you don't need anything else and have to make several trips)
Driving to location.
Unloading items from truck, unpacking, and placement of items and furniture, known as hands-on staging.
Take after photos.
Taking all excess that's not used, including totes or boxes and load back into truck.
Drive back to warehouse to unload.
Drive home and Crash!
Wake up the next day sore from head to toe, with scrapes, bruises and cuts, (forget the nails).
House Sells...Then What?
Call furniture company to pick-up furniture.
Drive to get truck that you'll be using to bring items back.
Drive to warehouse to get totes and boxes to put items from home back into them.
Drive to house that has now sold.
Start packing, bubble wrapping, and placing all items in totes.
Load furniture and accessories into truck.
Drive back to warehouse.
Unload, Unpack, and put everything back into warehouse.
Take truck back.
Drive home and crash again!
The next day start all over!
This is just an example of what usually happens, every Home Stager does it a little differently.
The average time from start to finish can average between 20-25 hours.
So when someone asks what the big difference in staging a vacant house versus a home with furniture already in it put your pencil to the paper and figure out how much time you spend from start to finish.
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Feel free to add to this list!
Here were some add-ons from fellow stagers.
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For those in the unglamorous world of vacant home staging with their own inventory add:
Shopping for more furniture because all of yours is out - or you just don't have the exact thing for the space.
Shopping for just the right rug, pillows, accessories to compliment the paint color because you just don't have the right thing in your warehouse. (For us perfectionists)
Wrapping/padding all of your furniture so it does not get damaged in transit and stays looking new and fresh. (Repeat process when unstaging)
Unwrapping/unpadding all your furniture before set up.
Joan Inglis (Lake Wylie Home Staging)
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Staffing and sceduling of assistants, instalations such as draperies and window treatments (in some properties), STEAMING & IRONING of linens the night before or day of staging, cost of food, gas & supplies, Project Managment of upgrades such as flooring, painting, lighting, etc, hmmm~ I'm sure I'll think of more....
Connie Tebyani, Platinum Home Staging Serving Los Angeles and Ventura Counties (Platinum Home Staging, Inc.)
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I know the shopping and the trips back and forth can get crazy. The one thing thats no one thinks of is hauling all the stuff that a normal occupied house would have. Like an ironing board, an iron or steamer, a vacumn cleaner, a broom and dustpan, rags, just the stupid little stuff you need for spills and dusty tables, and fuzzy rugs.
Becky Raike & Nicole Forte -Staging Sells Your Home (Staging Sells Your Home )
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Don't forget the extension cords, tape of ALL kinds, velcro, glue, stapler...and I love ZOTS...there is awas something you have to tweak.
Renee Pratta ~ Renewed Rooms ~ SC (Renewed Rooms)
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You can add making sure any new items purchased for the job are included in your inventory list. Staging - especially vacant staging - is not glamorous! It is a labor of love.
Tracy Moses~Redefining LUXE~Staging ~ Redesign (Redefining LUXE)
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What it REALLY takes to stage a vacant home, and what MUST be added to the list is.......many doses of Ibuprofen!
$8.00 for a bottle of 750 tablets at Costco........about a 6-month supply for me!! The best investment in my business I can possibly make:)
Marianne Sweet, Home Sweet Home Staging, LLC Rochester Hills, MI (Home Sweet Home Staging)
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So the next time you have someone ask you how to justify the cost of vacant staging give them this list.

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Cindy Bryant is the owner of Redesign Etc. Home Staging & Redesign Specialist in Houston, Staging Your House To Sell By Professional Home Stagers! Our goal is to get your home sold for top dollar in the most cost effective way!
Contact Cindy today for a Home Staging Consultation. Please visit our website for more information.

Areas Served: Houston, River Oaks, Tanglewood, Bellaire, Piney Point, Mid-Town, The Heights, Montrose, Texas Medical Center, The East End, West Loop/Galleria/Memorial, Downtown, Museum District, West University, Spring Branch, Royal Oaks-Lakeside, League City, Clear Lake City, Friendswood, Kemah, Seabrook, Pearland, Sugar Land, Spring, Cypress, Tomball, The Woodlands, Kingwood. And all areas down to Galveston Island.

We also have a location for the Houston Bay Area- League City Home Staging.