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anna_cabo

Thinking of starting a staging career...need opinions

11 years ago
Hi! I have always liked to decorate and thought about going to school to become an interior decorator, I wished I had! I went to culinary school and now I have a student loan and can't afford another loan for school, I also have small children.

Due to health issues I can't continue my career as a chef and would love to start a new career. A friend suggested to become a stager. That was the first time I even consider it as a career. I am asking for advice from other stagers, designers or anyone familiar with this type of work. Some questions I have. Is there a market for this? Is it profitable ? My community college has a course, is it worth taking a class ? Etc.

Thank you in advance for anyone with advice!

Comments (5)

  • 11 years ago

    Check out Audra Slinkey, a Pro here on Houzz. Her page links to her website. I think you'll find what you need there and it isn't prolonged or expensive.


  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    The market for stagers will probably vary by city. You could visit a local real estate office, as they may be able to tell you the frequency of them being asked if they could recommend stagers. Look on the internet for a local stager and give them a call to see how busy they are and how they got started. There is also a staging association called Canadian ReDesign Association (CRDA) and their website may help with all the logistical stuff - before you register for the course. It can be a labour intensive job moving furniture, hanging drapery, etc. so you may have to decide on what kind of services you can offer and if there is enough income that can be generated.

  • 11 years ago

    If your health isn't good, how will you deal with the physical demands of staging? Moving furniture around, standing on ladders to replace lighting or to hang art, and painting all require some pretty decent physical exertion. You'll need warehouse space for the furniture and other props, as well as a van or truck to transport them to the job site. You'll also need a business license and insurance to be in someone's home. And you'll need another family member to provide income For sure in the beginning, as staging jobs are not that numerous even in a larger metropolitan area with a healthy real estate market. Getting established in a new business is always difficult, so good connections in the real estate community are important.

  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    You'd probably do better with makeovers than with staging. You can specialize in using what people have. There's going to be a growing market for re-design, as incomes shrink and home owners find themselves unable to sell and move to new homes or buy new furniture. You won't have to have a warehouse of props, you can leave the homeowner with a "to do" list once the furniture arranging and an overall plan is sorted out. Cultivate contacts you can refer among painters, movers, upholsterers, etc. You can even get yourself a deal with shops when you refer your clients to them to shop. You can offer a shopping service. I often took homeowners on shopping trips and charged a fee for doing so. There are ways to earn while not taxing yourself and still pleasing clients. Be creative about what you are able to do and how to accomplish it.

  • 11 years ago
    Thank you so much everyone for your advice. You all have given me great ideas and options to look into. I need to take into account the physical aspect of it. Thank you so much!