Do you dream of taking your home staging skills to the next level and turning your hobby into a career? Did you know that there’s a huge market for home stagers in Michigan and that local realtors are always looking for skilled home stagers to recommend to their clients?
There’s never been a better time to take home staging training in Michigan. You’ll learn so much and you’ll be on the right track for an amazing new job.
While anyone can become a home stager, gaining qualifications in this area is a sure way to prove your abilities to potential clients. If you’re searching for home staging certification in Michigan, first take a look at the courses we offer here at the Home Staging Institute. We’re sure you’ll find our courses interesting, enjoyable and incredibly useful to further your home staging skills. We teach you everything you need to know, from the basics of home staging to how to effectively run your home staging business.
So, how do you become a home stager in Michigan?
We’ll look at this from the point of view of starting your own home staging business. If you want to start with getting a home staging job, read our articles on resume tips, how to get a home staging job, and our overview of home staging careers.
Michigan has a fascinating history, signs of which can still be seen in its architecture. As a Michigan home stager you’ll have the opportunity to work with historic colonial homes, prairie farmhouses and craftsman houses, as well as properties at the other end of the spectrum such as industrial-style lofts. It’s this variety that will ensure the work of any home stager in Michigan is always interesting.
Have we piqued your interest in becoming a home stager even further? Then read on to find out what your next steps should be…
Steps to becoming a home stager in Michigan
From the busy capital city of Detroit to the University city of Ann Arbor, realtors need great home stagers to push the boundaries and present properties with maximum appeal. Once established as a home stager in Michigan, you can use your skills to help sell properties at the very best price. But first, you need to get your business off the ground, and here’s how…
Step 1: Take a home staging certification course in Michigan
With home staging, you start with your own eye for detail and creative talents, and you build on that. While home staging is an artistic profession, it’s also a business, and there’s a lot to learn. Where some excellent stagers fail, is that while they know how to effectively stage a home, they don’t know how to run a home staging business. But don’t worry, this can all be easily learned when you take a home staging course in Michigan. If you choose to study with the Home Staging Institute, you’ll learn all about every aspect of running a home staging business, and we’ll provide you with useful tools to help you with the daily management of your home staging enterprise.
A home staging certificate is the perfect way to showcase your abilities in a way that is meaningful to potential clients, and the information you learn will be incredibly valuable. From time-saving quick fixes and ways to use color and lighting to your advantage, to marketing expertise and how to build a professional portfolio. With a home staging certificate, you’ll have so much industry knowledge, that you’ll be well set for success.
Step 2: Understand the local Michigan market
When you’re building up a home staging business based in Michigan, it’s vital to understand the market. Do your research and find out all about the types of homes you’ll find across the state. Uncover the history of the area, so you can create staged homes that are sympathetic to the origins of the property. Bear in mind that more than 40 per cent of the state of Michigan is covered in water, and its shoreline stretches for thousands of miles, making waterside properties common here. From Grand Haven to Bay City and New Buffalo, take time to understand the nuances of each city and its properties, so you can deliver home staging that is outstanding, not just average.
Step 3: Learn from other home stagers in Michigan
Before you make the leap into developing a website or creating marketing materials, take some time to see what other home stagers in Michigan are doing. Sit down with your laptop, grab a coffee and a notebook and start searching. Imagine you’re a homeowner or relator looking for a home stager. Start typing in the keywords you’d be using such as ‘the best home stager in Michigan’ or ‘local Lansing home stager’.
Check out all the results in great detail. Make notes of the information each home stager provides and how they showcase their skills. Click through to their social media, and check out their business names. It’s all great inspiration. Gather ideas and put your own spin on the best aspects of each site you feel stands out.
Step 4: Start a home staging business in Michigan
So you’re brimming with ideas, you’re fully qualified, and now it’s time to get serious…
Some important points to remember…
- Find out what you need to do to register your business (details here)
- Open a bank account for your business
- Get good liability insurance
- Decide if you need a separate business address or phone number
- Get a professional website and logo designed (Use voucher code HSIDiscount to get 40% off at StagingWebsites.com)
- Set up your social media accounts
- Get an accountant, or learn how to keep your own accounts
- Build up a network of contacts (we provide a supplier list as part of our home staging courses)
Step 5: Begin marketing
You’ve got the skills, you’ve got the certificate to prove it, so now you need to sell yourself and your services. You’re one of the very best home stagers in Michigan, you know this, but does anyone else? Perhaps not yet, but with a little effort, they soon will!
Reach out to realtors. Start with those closest to you, then work outwards. If you’re willing to travel, you’ll be able to serve a wider catchment area, which will in turn bring you more work. In the early days, it’s perhaps useful to cast a wider net than you may ultimately prefer. Once your business has grown, and you can afford to be more selective, you can then narrow down the area within which you will offer your services.
Online advertising is likely to feature heavily in your marketing. These days, the internet is usually the first port of call for anyone looking for home stagers in Michigan, so make sure those searches result in your business showing up in the search engine listings.
Other facts about becoming a home stager in Michigan
How much do home stagers make in Michigan?
Our research indicates that home stagers in Michigan typically earn between $38,000 and $58,000 annually, with hourly rates ranging from $19 to $29. Those with more experience or working in areas with higher demand may see earnings exceeding $68,000 per year. Various factors such as location, clientele, and project volume can influence overall income.
Do I need a license to become a home stager in Michigan?
The state of Michigan does not require home stagers to be licensed. If you want to be able to prove your credentials, completing a course and acquiring certification is the best option.
Do you need a degree to become a home stager in Michigan?
No, you don’t need a degree to become a home stager. While a qualification in home staging is beneficial, it’s not a requirement. However, if you don’t earn a relevant certificate, you do stand to lose out on work to those who have gained certification as a home stager in Michigan.