There’s never been a better time to become a home stager in West Virginia. Homeowners and realtors are waiting to hire home stagers to stage properties across the state, from Charleston to Beckley.
Do you have a good eye for design and a high level of determination and dedication? If so, with some high-quality training, your dreams of becoming a home stager in West Virginia could soon come true. Perhaps even more quickly and easily than you think!
Home staging can be a tough profession to get into initially, so you need to make the very best decisions and take the right pathway when you’re setting out in this industry. The first step is to be 100% sure that you have all the skills and know-how you need to be a successful home stager here in West Virginia. Completing a home staging course, particularly one that results in certification, will most definitely give you an advantage. It’s the perfect choice for anyone starting out in this profession. When you have taken a home staging course, you’ll be brimming with confidence in your abilities as you’re so well prepared, with all the knowledge and wisdom you need to get the edge on being a great home stager.
So, how do you become a home stager in West 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.
Picture-perfect West Virginia provides plenty of opportunities for the home stager. You’ll get to stage your fair share of mountain, woodland and riverside properties with amazing views, but you have to remember that so many properties have gorgeous settings in the Mountain State, so you still have to maximize and flaunt the benefits of every home you work with.
So you’re interested in becoming a home stager? Then it’s time to find out what your next steps should be…
Steps to becoming a home stager in West Virginia
Gaining skills and knowledge, learning how to run a business, and checking out the market and your competition are all vital processes before you begin to sell your services for real.
Here’s how to get started…
Step 1: Take a home staging certification course in West Virginia
If you’re considering becoming a home stager, then it’s likely that you already have a creative streak and an eye for interior trends and design. This is a great starting point, but to become a professional home stager in West Virginia, you will need to take it to the next level, and the best way to do this is to take a course that will give you home staging certification.
When you take a course, you’re getting a whole load of important knowledge that will help you immensely, with both your home staging projects, and the running of your business. The courses we offer here at the Home Staging Institute, are comprehensive and can be completed in just a few weeks. Upon successful completion, you’ll be awarded a certificate that is recognized by realtors across the US. This offers proof of your ability as a professional home stager.
Step 2: Understand the local West Virginia market
When you’re staging homes in West Virginia, you’ll need to adapt your style based on several factors such as location, property type and property size. You’ll also need to understand the local people and get a feel for their needs. When you know exactly what buyers are looking for, you can try your very best to deliver exactly what they want. The more boxes you can tick for potential buyers, the more likely they are to fall in love with the property and be keen to purchase it.
Step 3: Learn from other home stagers in West Virginia
It is always a good idea to check out the other home staging businesses in West Virginia. Once your business is up and running, you’ll be competing with these established home stagers, so it’s important to check out how they are promoting their businesses, the services they offer and other design aspects such as the style of their logo and the images in their portfolio. Use this as an opportunity to be inspired. Don’t feel overwhelmed because they have more experience or an award-winning website. Everyone started somewhere, and now it is your turn. This is an exciting time, so grab all the ideas you can, so you can make your home staging business in West Virginia one of the very best.
Step 4: Start a home staging business in West Virginia
Once you’re fully trained and confident in your skills, it’s time to take the plunge and become an official home stager in West Virginia. As with any business, there are some practicalities that you need to think about. If you take one of our courses, you’ll learn a lot about the right way to set up a home staging business, but in the meantime, here are some important dos and don’ts.
When setting up a home staging business in West Virginia …
- Do register your business
- Don’t forget to keep good accounts
- Do open a business bank account
- Don’t risk not having liability insurance in place
- Do keep detailed records and paperwork
- Don’t price yourself out of the market, or undersell your skills
- Do put time and effort into your website and social media accounts
- Don’t neglect your marketing
- Do keep up to date with all the latest trends
Step 5: Begin marketing
Marketing your business is so important, because of course, if you don’t effectively advertise, you won’t bring in any business. This can be disheartening and can even cause businesses to close before they’ve even got started, so it’s vital to market effectively. If you don’t have online marketing experience, it can be beneficial to put your advertising and social media content into the hands of a marketing expert. Once you become well-established, you’ll then begin to benefit from word-of-mouth recommendations, but until then, your marketing campaigns are going to play a key role in your business.
Networking can also bring about business, so you should take every opportunity to meet up with realtors, vendors, and even other home stagers. Of course, most people will sell their house at some point in their lives, so everyone you meet is a potential client, whether that’s now, or years down the line, so make sure everyone knows what you do, then when they’re in need of a home stager in West Virginia, they’ll remember to come to you!
Other facts about becoming a home stager in West Virginia
How much do home stagers make in West Virginia?
According to our research, home stagers in West Virginia generally earn between $31,000 and $51,000 annually, with hourly rates ranging from $15 to $25. Experienced professionals or those in high-demand areas may earn over $61,000 per year. Earnings can vary depending on factors such as location, client base, and the volume of projects completed.
Do I need a license to become a home stager in West Virginia?
No, there are no licenses needed when you become a home stager in West Virginia. You can simply set up your business and get started!
Do you need a degree to become a home stager in West Virginia?
While home staging certification will always give you an advantage, there are no rules that say you must have a degree to set up a business as a home stager in West Virginia.
