A recent question was asked, “I dread pulling inventory for a stage, do you have tips for pulling inventory for projects?”
At RESA® HQ our team is asked questions from home stagers throughout North America on a daily basis, from where to get training, how to keep up with inventory, where to find clients, the best resources for contracts, and more! For our Ask The Experts Blog series we take some of these questions to experts in our industry to get their advice.
The RESA® mission is for home staging to be an industry where high standards are well-established and practiced universally, and by sharing some tips from the experts we hope to help those in the staging industry be the most successful they can be.
Debbie Boggs left her career as an investment broker to pursue a more creative path. With her business background, she and Julie Young built BY Design Home Staging into one of the most profitable staging companies around.
Debbie has earned numerous awards for her interior design and staging work, including RESA® Top Ten Vacant Stagers and RESA® Top Ten Staging Teams.
Staging Studio, co-founded by Debbie, has passed the most rigorous vetting process to become one of the very few RESA-accredited staging certifications. Through Staging Studio, Debbie trains stagers and realtors, helping them build profitable businesses. The Master Color Consultant™ course was a finalist for the RESA 2019 Most Innovative Product of the Year.
“There is often a temptation to start with the ‘pretties’ – the accessories. Build your foundation first with furniture, then rugs, then art…”
Debbie Boggs shares her tips for pulling inventory for projects here:
1) During your property preview, whether that is in person or based on photos, create a list of the furnishings that are required for each room. We keep a stack of checklists on hand that help us remember the standard items, like rug, sofa, number of chairs, lamps, art, etc.
2) Start by selecting your most important piece of furniture for each room. This could be based on size (for example the sofa), or the limitations of your inventory (this is the only pair of chairs currently available), or the limitations of the space (requires a certain size, color, or style). If you have a limited selection of art or rugs, that might be your starting point that will define the rest of your package. Using an inventory system like Stageforce will help you visualize each room as you go.
3) Select all of the rest of the furniture and rugs for the home, keeping in mind a consistency of colors and style. We usually also include an extra console and pair of accent chairs, just in case.
4) Select the art for each room. Again, add in a few extras.
5) Select throw pillows, bedding, lamps, etc.
6) Select the accessories for each surface. Throw in some extras.
7) Bin and bag everything, labeling it with colored masking tape. Use a different color for each house if you have multiple projects going on at the same time.
This system will make your pulling much more efficient than a random process, or pulling by room. There is often a temptation to start with the ‘pretties’ – the accessories. Build your foundation first with furniture, then rugs, then art. Save the accessories for the final icing on your staging cake.
Together through the RESA® executive team, RESA® leadership, and the RESA Board of Directors, and our members, we have built a community of entrepreneurs and professionals that are stronger together. The RESA community supports, uplifts, and encourages one another to continue to grow as an industry. Together, RESA home stagers and affiliates are growing industry awareness and raising expectations.
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Staging Studio’s goal is to ensure that every stager has access to the best resources that will rocket their staging business to success. Debbie, and her best friend-turned-business-partner Julie Young, foster a supportive staging community with their free Facebook group, Staging Studio Society, and an award-winning staging blog full of the latest trends, news, and more from the staging industry.
Together with other industry leaders, Debbie and Julie co-authored the Amazon #1 bestseller, Marketing for the Staging + Design Industry. Debbie and Julie have won numerous awards for their staging and training program, including RESA Real Estate Staging Industry’s Most Influential People; RESA Top Ten Luxury Vacant Staging Team of the Year RESA; RESA Top Ten Home Stager of the Year - Vacant; HSRA Top Five Staging Companies; Freshome Best Interior Designers; and Feedspot Top Home Staging Blogs for StagingStudio.com/blog.
Staging Studio is built on the belief that the home staging industry should be open to anyone who loves home decor and has an entrepreneurial drive. That’s why they work to keep tuition low and donate 10% of all course fees. Those funds go to scholarships for Staging Studio students, to help them get the training they need to run a profitable business, and to nonprofits that benefit women and children.
- Tips for Pulling Inventory for Projects - February 3, 2023
- Hiring Lead Stagers - September 8, 2022
- Getting a Rug to Lay Flat – Ask The Experts - March 11, 2021
