How to Become a Home Stager in Virginia

How to Become a Home Stager in Virginia

Home staging in Virginia is big business. With sellers looking to maximize profits and turn properties around fast, there’s plenty of work for the best home stagers in Richmond, Norfolk, Charlottesville and beyond. If you’re looking for a career change, or even if you’re new to the job market, becoming a home stager in Virginia is certainly an opportunity worth looking into if you are keen on interior design.

To succeed as a home stager takes motivation and dedication. It also takes skill, but many of the skills you need to excel at home staging can be learnt. You just need to pick the right course that gives you everything you need, from the basics to the subtle nuances of design that when implemented correctly, can make one home stager stand out from the rest.

From home staging certification in Virginia to promoting and marketing your business, let’s take a look at how to take the first steps towards becoming a professional home stager…

So, how do you become a home stager in Virginia?

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.

It’s wise not to leap in and start trying to sell your services immediately. Take time to think about your goals. Decide if your skills are fully rounded. Are there areas where you may require more expertise? Would it be beneficial to find some home staging training in Virginia before you embark on this new career? There’s always something new to learn!

So, let’s take stock, and put into perspective everything you’ll need to do to get started on the road to becoming a home stager in Virginia…

Steps to becoming a home stager in Virginia

This is an exciting time. You’ve decided to fulfil your dream of becoming a home stager in Virginia. You can do this, but you need to take it one step at a time. Lay the groundwork and you’ll reap the rewards in the end.

With knowledge and experience, your success will grow.

Step 1: Take a home staging certification course in Virginia

In Virginia, you don’t need any specific qualifications to become a home stager, nor do you need to be licensed. While this makes it quick and easy to get started, it also means that anyone can set up as a home stager, regardless of their abilities or qualifications. So when you have a wealth of home stagers out there, with differing levels of talent, how do you highlight the fact that you’re one of the best?

We believe the key to reassuring potential clients that you are a highly capable home stager with vision and flair, is to prove your abilities by earning a certificate in home staging. That’s why, when you successfully complete a home staging course with the Home Staging Institute, you’ll be awarded with a certificate that you can proudly display on your website and refer to in your marketing materials. 

Step 2: Understand the local Virginia market

Every state is unique, and Virginia is certainly no exception. It’s a state full of natural beauty, making it an ideal backdrop for any home staging project. By understanding the needs of the local Virginia market, and entwining this with knowledge of each area, you can stage homes that will appeal to both local people, and those looking to move to Virginia. Be sensitive to the style of each house, and set a scene that truly enhances its natural beauty and that of its surroundings. Don’t try to force your favorite city styling onto a log cabin in the woods!

Step 3: Learn from other home stagers in Virginia

Now is a great time to get on an information gathering mission. Search for other home stagers in Virginia and see how they are marketing themselves. Look at the services they offer. Are you capable of offering similar services? Or is there something you still need to learn?

Think about every aspect of each website and social media page you visit. What makes it stand out? Is it the color scheme or the stylish logo? Does the business have a memorable name or is it the images that make you take notice? Don’t forget to make notes, this is all valuable information you’re collecting. Whether it’s details you can implement now or ideas you can put aside for the future, by studying the competition, you can build your own successful home staging business in Virginia too.

Step 4: Start a home staging business in Virginia

When your skills are on top form and your talent shines, it’s time to make things official and get down to business…

There are many aspects to running a home staging business in Virginia, but here are just some pointers to get you started…

  • Find out what your legal requirements are (details here)
  • Be sure to get the right insurance policies in place
  • Get your website, marketing materials and stationery at the ready (Save 40% at StagingWebsites.com with our exclusive code HSIDiscount)
  • Purchase accounting software or employ an accountant to keep your books in order
  • Buy a dedicated cell phone so your business has its own number
  • Gather together contact information for tradespeople and suppliers (we provide a supplier list as part of our home staging courses)
  • Look into advertising opportunities online and in the local press

 Step 5: Begin marketing

Marketing is a key aspect of running most businesses. When you’re starting out, it’s the main way you’ll reach potential clients. Once you’re more experienced, hopefully, your past clients will recommend you, and you’ll be flooded with work, but in the meantime, you need to reach out far and wide. Advertising will help you a lot, particularly if it’s well placed. Contact realtors in your area and see if they need another home stager in Virginia to offer to their clients. And don’t forget to spread the word among your friends and family, you never know who they may be able to recommend you to!

Once you have some successful projects under your belt, don’t miss out on an opportunity to further use this experience for your marketing endeavours. Seek permission to use photos of your home staging work on your website and your social media posts. Ask for testimonials from satisfied clients to proudly display on your website. Positive reviews really do speak volumes, and when you back this up with some stunning images, it’s even more persuasive.

Other facts about becoming a home stager in Virginia

How much do home stagers make in Virginia?

Based on our own research, home stagers in Virginia typically earn between $37,000 and $57,000 annually, with hourly rates between $19 and $29. Experienced professionals or those in high-demand areas may earn more than $67,000 per year. Income can vary depending on factors such as location, client demographics, and the number of projects completed.

Do I need a license to become a home stager in Virginia?

Home stagers in Virginia do not need a license to work anywhere in the state. You can literally work anywhere, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Norfolk or Yorktown, with no requirement to be licensed at all.

Do you need a degree to become a home stager in Virginia?

No, if you want to be a home stager in Virginia, not having a degree will not hold you back. You can easily take a home staging course that can be completed quickly and easily, to gain relevant certification without having to pursue a lengthy and expensive degree level course.

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