From Nashville to Memphis, home stagers are in high demand in Tennessee. If you’re a Tennessee resident looking to start out on a new career that’s rewarding, exciting and allows your creativity to flow, then how about becoming a home stager?
Your creative talents will be put to the test, as you perfectly stage properties for sale. You’ll visit a wide range of different styles of homes in Tennessee, and set the scene both inside and outside the house, in order to attract buyers. Perhaps you’ll have a blank canvas, an empty property. In this case, you’ll fill it with furniture and beautiful ornaments to make the barren house look like a real home. Or maybe you’ll be working on decluttering and enhancing a lived-in family home. When it comes to home staging, no two jobs are ever alike!
You may work with a particular realtor, staging the properties on their books to get a quick sale and maximize profits. Or homeowners may get in touch with you directly when they need a helping hand to showcase their property to its full potential.
Could this be the life-changing career you’ve been looking for?
So, how do you become a home stager in Tennessee?
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.
Getting started in a whole new industry can be daunting, but there’s no reason why you can’t succeed if you have the determination, vision and drive to make it happen. Becoming a home stager is not actually that hard, as there are no barriers when it comes to licensing or qualifications.
Some people think you need to take a lengthy and expensive degree-level course to become a home stager, a course that will require you to dedicate years of your life on a full-time basis, but this is not the case. If you have other commitments, your current job, or childcare obligations for instance, you can simply find a home staging course that you work on from home in your spare time. Becoming a certified home stager really isn’t as complicated as you might think.
Steps to becoming a home stager in Tennessee
So, with your enthusiasm brimming over, it’s time to take a look at the next steps you need to take to become a home stager in Tennessee…
Step 1: Take a home staging certification course in Tennessee
As we’ve already established, there is no legal requirement for you to have a degree, or indeed any qualifications in order to become a home stager. However, as with most occupations, getting the breaks in the early days of running your business can be tough if you don’t have any proof of your abilities. Perhaps you’ll get lucky and score a bunch of clients early on, and then you’ll have the experience you need to create a stunning portfolio, but more likely, you’ll be competing with other home stagers in Tennessee, and you’ll need to make your skills stand out from the crowd.
But how do you prove your skills when you’ve yet to complete any home staging projects? The key is to become a certified home stager, giving you a recognised qualification with which to prove your abilities. You’ll find several options for home staging training in Tennessee, but be careful, not all will reward your efforts with a certificate, and without a certificate, you have nothing of substance to display proudly on your website or mention in your marketing materials.
Step 2: Understand the local Tennessee market
Tennessee has a wide range of properties, so you’ll need to adapt your style in order to showcase each type of property at its absolute best. You’re selling a lifestyle, and the lifestyle someone is looking for in a tiny timber frame bungalow in the woods is going to be quite different to that of the family searching for a large Greek Revival gable house.
The climate must also be taken into consideration. With a moderate climate, you will need to create spaces for all seasons. An impression of light, airy rooms for the summer months, while also having areas that feel warm and comforting, spaces to spend time together as a family in the winter months.
Step 3: Learn from other home stagers in Tennessee
Your next step is to gather together ideas and inspiration for your home staging business. Begin by searching online for other home stagers in Tennessee. You could also search on a city level to find those working closest to your own area. Now work through the listings and take note of anything that stands out to you. How do they portray their services? What sort of photos do they have on their website?
You should also click through to their social media and see how they’re managing this. Any ideas you get, write them down. Even if they’re not immediately useful to you, it could be something you may want to implement later.
Right now though, you need to focus on the design of their website, and the services offered, because soon you’re going to need an online presence, and you’ll have to be clear on what you do and don’t offer.
Step 4: Start a home staging business in Tennessee
Now it’s time to get real, and set up your very own home staging business!
Work through our checklist so you don’t forget anything important…
- Register your business
- Make sure you have the right insurance policies in place
- Create a website and social media accounts (we suggest Squarespace)
- Showcase the fact that you have home staging certification
- Get a dedicated cell phone and phone number for your business
- Keep good accounts – you may require dedicated software or services for this
- Research the services you’ll need such as furniture rental, movers and storage companies
- Compile a list of your favorite stores for decorating supplies and accessories
Step 5: Begin marketing
Marketing is vital, as without it, no one will find you! Hopefully, by now, you’ll have a great website with a portfolio of examples of your work. This will be the hub that you direct potential clients to, so make sure it’s error free, easy to navigate, and clearly displays your services and contact details.
Keep on top of your social media posts and look at paid advertising on these channels too. Eventually, you may be able to secure most of your work through personal recommendations, but in the early days, advertising online or in the local press can be a great way to kick-start your career.
Other facts about becoming a home stager in Tennessee
How much do home stagers make in Tennessee?
Based on our research, home stagers in Tennessee typically earn between $36,000 and $56,000 per year, with hourly rates ranging from $18 to $28. Those with significant experience or in high-demand areas can earn over $66,000 annually. Income can vary due to factors such as location, clientele, and the volume of projects undertaken.
Do I need a license to become a home stager in Tennessee?
There are no licensing requirements in order to become a Tennessee home stager.
Do you need a degree to become a home stager in Tennessee?
You don’t need a degree to be a home stager in Tennessee, however, it’s always beneficial to gain certification in your chosen field, and acquiring certification in home staging in Tennessee is not a hugely costly or complicated process.
