I owned a graphic design company for a decade before it sold, subsequent to that a portrait studio. That was my work prior to embarking of the work of “Stay at home Mum”… arguably a far more difficult job. After having my youngest son I was unable to return to Design or Photography due to an eye condition that doesn’t work with extended screen time.
It was my Mum that told me a home staging business Perth was my next creative calling. Her property sat on the market for months without offer before she considered staging her home, either herself or professionally. Thing is, Mum lives in Kalgoorlie and her house is (or was) in the same suburb as me.
My personal homes had always been described as “Immaculately presented” by my agents. I said to Mum, “Let me stage it for you”. I had some furniture in my front living room and Mum paid for the rest of what she needed. I also just used furniture from home, I mean my two boys make my house look like a cyclone just passed through anyway. Plus they thought it was pretty cool to watch TV from a tent and cushions while our sofa was staged at mums place.
In less than 7 days of staging Mum’s home she had an offer of asking price… The agent didn’t even have time to arrange new photos. This was after 5 months of nothing…. Mum said “Keep the furniture, it’s time you started another business, a home staging business”.
Well, I figured it wouldn’t aggravate the eye condition. It was still in the creative realm. And I think it was something I would enjoy doing.
So here is what I’ve learned since starting that home staging Buisness.
“Did you reverse that trailer?” …. Not just one man, but many men have asked me when I’ve happened to have just parked a trailer in backwards… I’ve even had people cheer from a car as I’ve neatly backed a trailer in.
I wouldn’t say I’ve learned to reverse a trailer like a ‘gun’, FAR from it.. in fact, I would say, at best… ‘I get by’ *inserts laughy face* .. and my best varies from day to day, moment to moment. it also depends on what kind of trailer, single or double axel, I think! Sometimes I reverse it perfectly first time (like when no one is watching)…. but if I have noisey kids in the car, my trailer reversing skills go down the gurgler and fast. It might take me 15 goes to back it into my OWN driveway in broad DAYLIGHT.
Since starting my home staging business Perth, night time reversing, parallel parking, backing down long narrow driveways on battle-axe blocks and even 3 point turns in tight spots are all situations I’ve had the opportunity to reverse a trailer in – all with MIXED results, but thankfully no dings, dents or prangs so far – touch wood.
One thing is for sure, I did not ever think trailer reversing would be a skill I would acquire this year, or any time at all for that matter. But I am getting the hang of it, thanks to the business of home staging.
Having to wait 5 months for a piece of furniture to become available does not work when you’re trying to grow a home staging business, not in Perth anyway. It doesn’t matter how nice or good quality the furniture is. When you have a new stage job coming up you need your furniture fast. It’s a shame, because there is so much I love at some of these stores… But because I allow client demand to warrant investment in furniture and sometimes at short notice…. Long wait times is something my clients don’t want, and therefore doesn’t work with my home staging business…. currently anyway.
With my businesses before, I didn’t have to worry about noisey and screaming children in the background when a client phoned for a quote. I was always first to arrive in the office and last to leave. Especially when my businesses were new. The last years as a graphic designer I had staff and rarely did I need to stay back past 5pm. But that is not how it was in the beginning.
You put in long hours now (unpaid), you set the foundation. I know the assignment, and challenge accepted.
But when you’re primary job is Motherhood… You have dinner times and bath times, 563 snack times through the day… and no after school care on the weekends.
Starting work at 9:30am after school drop feels like half the day is passed. But when I’m sans kids, I 100% take the opportunity to start WAY earlier.
I am devoted to getting jobs done and providing an excellent customer experience… But I have to say it IS a balancing act when you have two little boys. And I’m most certainly incredibly grateful for vendors and real estate agents that get that you have kids, and you’re doing your best to make your home staging business, your client and family, happy 🙂
Thank you!
A lovely client said to me the other day how nice it must be shopping for new things to add to my home staging business…. Furniture, decor etc…. Bu I’ve never enjoyed shopping for leisure, I’m very much “write a list, go get it, job done” type shopper. Don’t get me wrong – I like the end result of home staging, that is probably the best part of the business, well and truly over shopping for inventory for home staging inventory.
For me, shopping for work is the means to the ends 🙂
In my previous business ventures I was able to do all the work myself until I got to the point where I had too much work to do on my own… At that point I it was time for staff. However, with a home staging business, I have discovered you have a strong reliance on removalists and/or casual staff and truck availability right from the beginning.
If I could change this one thing I would, as in general, I don’t like to have to rely on anyone to get a job done. Especially in a time of less than 2% unemployment. It means my Seek advert has rolling tumble weeds and chirping birds mostly.. and that can make the business of home staging more challenging.
I always had a lot of appreciation and acknowledgement through my former businesses. As a graphic designer, from fellow business owners ‘Wow, that looks amazing’… and as a photographer, if a mother shed a tear when looking at photos I’d just taken of her child or new baby… I knew I had nailed it. My photography business was heavily (and positively) reviewed and we received countless thank you cards & gifts from families and new parents.
But something happens when you give up your career to take on the job of home maker and full time stay at home mum. The hours increase, the emotional toll increases, most things become monotonous…. and the acknowledgement for the work you do. disappears. Well, for me it did anyway.
Even today my (wonderful) kids don’t thank me for spending 2 hours tidying their bedrooms after they go to their dads, they don’t notice I’ve changed their linen… They don’t say thank you for wiping the table down for the 163rd time that week. No sir-ee they don’t.
So what a treat it is to go into peoples properties, and to make it a ‘home’ ….. and to receive the messages of gratitude, appreciation and acknowledgement of the time and effort you put into staging their home…. It truly is the loveliest thing and makes you realise that what you’re doing is noticed and is going to make a difference in what they are trying to achieve.
So this is what I have learned from having a home staging business, a few months in.
Have lovely week.
Warm regards
Hope 🙂
Home Staging Business Owner : Perth Staged To Sell
Home Staging Perth Properties to make Vendors and Real Estate Agents lives easier 🙂
