Last week I received a phone call from a realtor whose client needed her vacant home staged as soon as possible.  I sent out a proposal based upon the rooms she wanted staged and said I could schedule the staging before the end of the week so she could have an Open House on Sunday.

The realtor called back the next day and said she found another stager who could stage the rooms for $450 less, but couldn’t get to it until the next week.  She wondered if I would be willing to change my price.

I had already taken into account that she wanted the living room, dining room, kitchen accessories, and powder room staged.  I determined she needed eye-catching pieces because there was no focal point in the living room (i.e., no fireplace or built-ins).  I selected unusual wall art and accessories, plus a colorful table setting amongst other furnishings such as lamps, end tables, pillows, and an area rug.  I counted up the hourly labor needed for loading and unloading for both staging and de-staging.  Therefore, my proposal was based upon real costs and truly could not be discounted further.

I’m all for competition in the marketplace and realize that I’m not the stager for everyone.  In fact, other staging colleagues and I routinely refer each other when it’s a better match.  Not all home stagers are alike.  Choose wisely!

Gina Newell, Premiere Home Stagers, 608-345-9396