Should You Do a Home Staging Consultation If Nobody’s Home?
If it hasn’t already happened during your career as a home stager, you might one day be asked by a homeowner if you’ll conduct your consultation even though they can’t be there. Even if they say they’ll have a check there waiting for you, you should always insist someone be there when you do a home staging consultation.
What value is the consultation to the homeowner if they’re not there to hear it?
How will they understand what you plan to do?
How committed can they be to this process if they won’t make an effort to be there with you for the initial consult?
If I’m going to be doing a major home staging project, bringing in furniture and having the place painted and all of that, I definitely need the client there with me to hear what I plan to do and I suggest you do the same. Otherwise, that can come back to haunt you if the client doesn’t like what you’ve done.
You’ll also want to be paid not only for your consultation on your first visit to a house, but for the rest of the work you’re going to be doing as well. You need your clients to be there in order for that to happen so you can agree on the amount you’ll be given to go shopping with, etc.
If the homeowner can’t be there with you, then ask for the real estate agent to be present but only if he or she is prepared to give you your checks while you’re there.