Home Stagers Beware; Free Estimates Can Lead to Bankruptcy
Source: PR-USA.net (press release) (Original Article)
Home Stagers Beware; Free Estimates Can Lead to Bankruptcy
(PRWEB) June 13, 2008 — A new resource called the Staging Diva Sales Script has been created by home staging expert Debra Gould, also known as the Staging Diva, which will help home stagers avoid bankruptcy and burn out by not falling into the ‘free estimate trap’.
With the dismal state of the real estate market today, desperate homeowners are scrambling for an edge when the time comes to sell. Many of these individuals are turning to home stagers to advise them on how to best decorate their homes to stand out from the others in their community that will be in competition with theirs when it gets listed.
That line between ‘free estimate’ and ‘free advice’ becomes blurry when a home stager agrees to visit with a home seller to estimate what staging will cost. From the moment a stager enters the home, they are bombarded with questions; ‘What color should I paint this room?’, ‘Do you think I should move this furniture to the basement?’, ‘Is it okay to leave my dining room as the children’s playroom?’ While these questions are very important for any home seller to consider, asking them of a home stager is the same as asking for free home staging advice.
“A professional home stager can increase the perceived value of a home by between $10,000 and $70,000,” says Gould. “Home stagers deserve to be paid for their expertise and advice since the home seller stands to make a handsome profit from their services.”
In a fierce race for new clients, too many home stagers agree to visit home sellers to provide a free estimate for staging their home. This will almost inevitably end up in “a fast road to burn out and bankruptcy”, according to Gould, who teaches home stagers how to build a profitable staging business. Instead, Gould advises home stagers build a rapport over the phone Free Credit Cards with a potential new client, carefully …continue reading