38: Staging vs Interior Design + Tips For Your Home

Intro:
Hey, you’re drinking house coffee – unfiltered conversations brewed at the intersection of real estate life and coffee shop service. We’re Maggie and Rich – local business owners and friends sharing stories and welcoming you to pull up a chair with us. The door’s always open. Let us pour you a cup.

Maggie:
Hey, welcome to House Coffee podcast for a few minutes actually. Happy to be back with you. Me too. This is episode 37 and if you were counting season 38, okay? Oh, yes. It is 38 38 total all time total. Thank you and episode 5 and season 2 if you are. Counting those but yeah, I usually go for I like I like the number the higher number. We like to feel accomplished. Yeah. Sure. Sick, what have you been listening to I’ve been on the podcast grind lately. I’ve been listening to a lot of random stuff. No True Crime actually, so Taking a little break from that. I did actually I watched like I watched like half of a I got started on true crime video the other night just because I was doing some dishes and but it wasn’t the date line. I haven’t you should watch American Nightmare, okay. It’s a true crime on Netflix. Nice. I’ll look that up. I yeah, okay. Cool. Thanks for the record. I have been listening to some podcasts. I’ve been listening to 5th Wave which is like about the business specialty. There was a club soda about Ty specialty coffee. Because a lot of coffee, I as in like Thailand Thailand Thailand so the specialty coffee both production this happening, which is come a long way in the last 15 years 15 years 20 and then they were talking about both Arabica which is like what we all drink and all know at least. Yeah kind of worldwide like, you know people 100 or whatever but there’s like this dirty word and coffee called Robusta, which is probably talked about four but it’s it’s like a darker like more earthy sometimes bitter kind of like intense being it’s got more caffeine in it. So some coffee company is locally or around the world will use that for lower grade products lower cost products or just like to give some some Caffeine content boosts but there’s kind of this growing movement around like specialty Robusta. So like higher-end Treat it with the same respect and admiration and like care that you’re going to grow a radical with and kind of developing that industry, which is cool. Because in a lot of Asian countries in particular, I think Vietnam produces a lot of Vietnamese coffee is really yeah, right exactly. So you think about Vietnamese style like Vietnamese iced coffee is typically known for being a really strong flavor, but also sweetened with like swing condensed milk to kind of round it out because it’s so intense but they like that intensity at the same if you ever had that locally. Yeah. Yeah, I have there was probably any of the like Vietnamese restaurants would have something like that. It’s a little bit of a unique Style. To how you brew it. They’ve got like a special later. Yeah special little dripper. That’ll go on your your cup. and so you can you can kind of I think I’ve seen in a Van’s Vietnamese and all me and then there was a little street food joint that was In the gallery 7 Mall in Latham. There’s a place in Clifton Park that does it too cool. Yeah, so you could definitely get it. But so that’s gonna be like like Robusta is is going into that. There’s a company called win coffee. Supply maybe when coffee or just win Coffee Company and they’re they’re really growing into and so it’s a more like recognized. Brand, they’re going into like Whole Foods and other kind of chain stores. So this episode that I was listening to is talking about how that industry has come. Is coming about and and specifically focusing on Thailand. So it’s way with podcast. Yeah, it’s been cool. And that’s where I first heard that other guys talked about before Maxwell dashwood who I got his book. Oh, yeah. He had a little episode on there. There are starting a new series that I’m tuning into about how to start a Coffee Roastery so 5th Wave. Yeah, it’s cool. I wouldn’t I wouldn’t just seeing like the logo I wouldn’t have really taken it seriously, but then I listened enough and they put enough like recognizable names and Roasters and yeah big people on there. It’s only like a 30 minute. Listen. It’s pretty easy. good way to get introduced probably to like the like a side of specialty coffee to get a little bit. So yeah different podcasts. That’s probably the one I’ve been including to the most lately nice. What have you been listening to you? I have been listening to slash watching. I highly addictive Show on Netflix. American Nightmare Love is Blind gosh. Have you ever watched it? No, you haven’t? No. Do you know the premise behind the show? I you want to tell me the premise behind the show is there are 15 to 20 men and women who are on the show to find love and they beautiful photo quote. Date they have this date. in these pods where They don’t see the other person and they get to know the other person strictly on an emotional connection not on anything physical by physical appearances or whatever. And so these these people men and women that go into these pods and they have these dates with these. um people and And it’s for heterosexual couples. So it’s like men and women and there’s the women have a women’s quarters and the men have a men’s quarters and then they like have these different dates where they like they’re so like they’re all sort of like dating each other because it’s kind of like speed dating until there’s couples that make like more of a connection than the other. and then they get to know that person on a deeper level and the only way that they can meet is if they get engaged and so the whole point of this show is at the end of The Experience. There’s a wedding. Yeah, so it’s a four week experience they have. 10 days in the pods and then they have like three weeks where like after they meet and getting engaged. They go on a vacation with the other couples that just got engaged. And then after they get they get back from there, like island vacation. They have a trial where they like live together in an apartment and back in their City. and then at the end of The Experience Like there’s a wedding and you you find out whether or not they say I do at the end of the series. So like there’s a whole wedding and you get to the Altar and then it’s like they have to say right like they have to decide there if they’re going to say yes, and there are times where people say no. It’s like the whole wedding and that’s all right the whole thing. So they’ll set you all up all the way to that moment in time. Yeah, would you if you were married I asked us to Brandon and we talked about it. If you were married, would you embark on an experience like that where you were looking for? Love you were trying to meet someone would you would you go on these like dates in these pods with like people you’ve never met and then like proposed to somebody that you only know through. This connection you made through walls, right? That’s a really. Not to put you on the spot. No, I mean that’s that’s a really interesting concept. It does make you wonder yeah, a lot of things, you know someone Not to cop out right but like someone in my position. With the faith background that I have there is some like there is some there are some limitations. Okay. Alright, so I don’t think I could there are some couples who have faith background. So right I mean, that’s the thing like Ultimately, I don’t know ultimately. I don’t know right but as a thought experiment and also, you know been married for 10 years. So yeah total thoughts are yeah. Um, I think I could it would depend on probably like my my stage of life. I don’t know that relative age. I imagine it’s quite a range on their know. Yeah, like in fact I imagine even older 30s, right? Well, yeah hold her clothes. It’s kind of I mean like it would be for like people who are not super young who haven’t found love in a traditional wearing age cool. That’s what I would say. Okay, that’s fair. So like Yeah, if I hadn’t found love in a more traditional sense up till then, you know my adventurous enough to do that. I don’t I don’t know maybe maybe Yeah, I don’t know at this point in my life. Early 30s. I’m like, you know, I’ve seen things differently than I my once ideal self. Did of course I have been married since I was young 20s, so I haven’t really had to think about what that would have been like. to not to be in my my late 20s early 30s and and be unmarried that would be I don’t know what priorities I have. Yeah, I’m just be such a different thing. But yes. you question for sure Um, yeah, I don’t know. I think I would do it. Yeah, I could I was I could see myself doing it. Yeah, I could see myself doing it at this stage at this at this age and like the way I think about that kind of thing, but like that’s a big commitment. But also, you know, it’s for like reality TV. He’s like there’s there’s no come. There’s no commitment and it says other than I you should watch it and let me know what you think after you watched it. He’s asked Christina. She’s watched it all. Yeah curious to know so I was I was I’ve heard of it and it’s pretty like like you said it’s kind of a yeah phenomenal. So like part of the rules that the whole point of the show is like you’re you’re not supposed to like ask the other person about their appearances because you don’t want to sway. Yeah, like what their decision would be based upon their appearances. And so I mean, how about this like Christine and I dated long distance for like a year so in a sense bro, I wrote this show. Yeah, but you looked like and she you looked like yeah, that’s true. That’s true. But just to say just give us some credit we dated for not very long. And our entire relationship when she left for Honduras, she lived in Honduras for two years. She came back in the summer like in the middle and it was that second year. She was there after she came back that we like we’re we started out just friends while she was away. So it was while she was away. We started this this like conversation his friendship and Got to know one another long distance. So they’re kind of wasn’t the yes. Okay, we knew each other look like but there wasn’t the physicality at all. To lean on or like affect our feelings per se because we didn’t we hadn’t established that part of our relationship until months down the road. You know. and she lives in August. I went to Honduras in April. So like it was that much time in between just a visit for a week and yeah, and so I think I would go one on the show, but I don’t think I’m the type of person who could get engaged to somebody after 10 days. Right, there’s other there’s a lot of others not me. That’s kind of you have to be a little bit. I don’t want to say desperate, but you have to be a little bit open to Pretty yeah, you know. It’s just it’s way short term, right you got to be really open up that experience. You gotta know exactly what you’re going in for on that one. Yeah. Anyways, that’s what I’ve been listening to slash watching. and one last note about love is blind is I wish I did this when I started watching this season. But some people have been watching the first several episodes blindfolded. so that they are getting the like experience same experience as the people in the pots. So like you are like left there are listening to the show. Listening to these people like talk about their life and their dates and like not knowing what they look like because you know what they look like and I’m looking at the TV and me and my best friend Amy or texting each other like oh my God. I cannot believe what just happened to XYZ about this person that person and you want to say to the person on the screen, like don’t choose them don’t choose them and then they do and then you just watch the drama unfold. its I don’t have time to get it. Yeah, this one like that and it’s not doesn’t sound like most honest and I’ve never been a huge reality shows and I don’t know it’s quite my style but it does seem to be sweeping. It is the nation. It’s not new either but it’s been around for a minute. Right? No, this is the sixth season. Oh my gosh. Anyways, how did I do feel? Like I’ve been hearing more and more about it. So seeping in back to our regularly. so last week I ranted and raved. Gave you a sense of where I’m coming from with coffee this week. Is not quite the equivalent for Maggie know I do hope to get these days get her to do a similar type of Manifesto Style. diatribe about sustainability and yeah aging and stuff. I’m still I’m still manifesting all good all good. But today we’re gonna hear We’re gonna hear. dig into a little bit regarding the difference between staging which is what she yep. My business does he the biggest part a huge part of her business? What is the difference between staging? And interior design, that’s what we’re talking about. Yes. there’s a big difference and we’ve touched on this a little bit there wasn’t episode in this not too not too long ago where we I learned that they’re there’s a big difference between interior designer and how they’re more like was that when we talked about they’re more like like an architect even yes. That was that person versus staging is a lot different. So that was a revelation for me. But that’s what we’re talking about today interior designer has like is is like a license? Yeah, like you can’t just call yourself a designer. You have to have a license to practice. Which was which I don’t think is something people necessarily know. Yeah. So um, yeah. Yeah, what else was you say? Like, what what is is that the major difference between that is a bit the biggest difference between what would you say is the difference between staging interior design, so People think of interior design I think maybe they all think of like interior decorating. because design is something that you you need a license to do and if you are local to the capital region and upstate, New York. a great designer that I recommend is Lee Owen’s she’s she is somebody who owns an interior design firm, and she Has her license and she can help you design your space. Not just you know, pick out paint colors. There’s I think that’s a big difference. Whereas a decorator as somebody who can help you select furniture and rugs and paint colors things like that. For your space but a designer is somebody who kind of Works hand in hand with an architect and has years and years of schooling. Backed up to their expertise. So design is like for your floor plan like down to your floor plan. You can just design and entire room and how it can be functional and and then the whereas in a decorator is maybe more just like the accessories they’re going to make it look good, but they don’t yes aren’t concerned with the construction of it. Yes as much or per se I do. I have a staging business called Welcome Home Co and my staging business goes hand in hand with my real estate business. So I have a license to sell houses and I also have a background. in retail and new construction helping people decorate and and create a more like cozy homey livable space. So that’s where my background comes in. my staging business formed organically as I was helping my clients who were selling their homes. I was bringing in home furnishings and pillows and and decorative accessories to help them make their home look good for the photos. So the biggest difference between staging and interior design. It just really depends on your intended audience. So the intended audience for interior design would be the individual or the couple or family that lives in the home. So if you and Christine were to hire somebody to help with your space and your home where you currently live. With staging someone like me who comes in my job is to help. with The buyers so my intended audience as a Stager. Are the potential buyers who are buying your home? So you would hire someone like me if you were going to sell your house to Stage it so your house appeals to the people who are walking through it and potentially buying it. That’s a big the biggest difference that makes yeah, that makes sense. How important is it for? I kind of like have an answer in my head, but I want to phrase it as a question, right? How important is it for like the seller? to so think about the audience is so, you know, there’s people who are going to be dwelling in this house. And the designer is Their audience is people who are dwelling or are going to be dwelling in the house. So it’s it’s but but if you’re if you if you’re selling your house. You don’t. Care what it with the stage and looks like or do you you know, so the question is like how I don’t think how important is so maybe in your experience how important is it to sellers how the staging looks how you choose to decorate or design in your stage and work? That’s a great question. So The type of staging that I do. Most of the houses have already been vacated nobody lives there anymore. So Blank Slate, it’s a blank slate. Nobody lives there. It’s ready to go and I’m hired to bring in Furniture to make the space look like somebody lives there. Sometimes I will be hired to do. What I call hybrid staging which is where the person has moved out already, but they still have some of their core pieces of furniture in the house. And when I say core pieces of furniture, I mean so far comfortable chairs dining table that those are core pieces of furniture stuff that they have left. Upset point because it’s hard to move. Yeah, and they haven’t like sold it yet or put it in its new destination. Like like I I stayed a house recently and They live in another state. and so they had they had like they are relocating they’re moving out of state none of their like Clothing and like all the dressers were empty. All of the like cupboards were empty. Like they they already took all their like jewelry and like, you know prized possessions and there might have been a few things left in the kitchen cupboards like spoons and you know, whatever like the things they don’t use every day spices. but they just haven’t hired movers to come and take the rest of their furniture or sell the rest of the furniture. It’s still in the home. So that was recommended by their agent to stay there until it until they sell rather than get rid of all the furniture. Cool, so you could use it. Yeah, so I could I could repurpose it for staging. Yeah. nice And there are some businesses out there. who have who do interior design and also stage but again like When you’re when you’re thinking of hiring someone for your own home, it’s for your own intended purposes. So like the end user is you your home. But if you’re going to sell your home, the end user is you want to appeal to the person who is buying the home. Right, but you only need to appeal to them. In the sense that you want them to see themselves living there, correct. You don’t because none of that stuff is gonna go with the house, right? You know, so they how often and I don’t know if you know like how often do you think your designs? Your staging has inspired a future. iteration of decorating and you know, well homelessness I do I have been fortunate enough to get feedback from people a couple people who have purchased homes that I’ve staged and that’s cool one was the actual Owner who I met randomly because she was related to the agent who helped her by the house. And she was asking me about where I got my chairs and where I got certain things and how she wanted like she was like asking me for like links to stuff so she could buy them. And then the other the other person was the buyer’s agent and she messaged me. She sent me a text and said that my staging is what helps her fall in love with the home and she loved it so much she wanted to Have her home decorated and and laid out the same way that I staged it. Okay, so that was a pretty cool experience and just yesterday. I was at an open house. And another agent. Who I’ve never met before don’t know him. But he made an offer on a house I staged. so it wasn’t my listing, but I was hired to Stage the home and he he mentioned the house and I was like, oh, yeah, I know that house. I staged it. He’s like wait a minute. You staged that house. I was like, yeah, I I was the stage and he’s like I made my clients made an offer on that house. They loved it so much, but our offer wasn’t chosen. He’s like you did such a fantastic job. They loved it. And it was it was just really cool to hear that feedback. Yeah from somebody I had never met before was just rant another random agent. Who happened to like say the address of the home and I was like, oh, yeah, I know that house. I staged that’s crazy. Yeah. That’s cool. But you said those people? Made it was they made an offer but they didn’t get the house. Yeah for whatever reason. Yeah. Well, you know. So we were talking about how tell us about like. pricing yeah with With home, is it worth it? Well, yeah, I mean, you know, there’s there’s probably a lot of ways to think about about this but does your do you know if your staging cost? ever influences the the pricing of the house, I guess in what ways does your staging cost? So it was the price that I don’t know staging costs influence the price of the home. Yeah, and that could go like. did they ever tack on try to get more to cover the cost of staging I don’t know if you ever seen that or does it like just you know, they have the list price and they just know they’re going to pay you to to Stage it because that’ll have a benefit. Yeah. so when it comes to my staging I I think that. In terms of my I think my pricing structure is pretty competitive. because I have very low overhead. like for example after charge. Yeah, so I’m not paying for a storage unit. Yes, I own. Yeah, I own my inventory. and um I don’t. have like my only cost is my employees. Yeah that I pay to help me stage. so where is some stagers and I only know this through like conversations I’ve had with them. This isn’t me just guessing. This is me. Just having you know conversations with people in the industry. Some stagers will have to rent furniture or rent a moving truck to move. Their inventory. I know one specific stage or who I’ve bought furniture from used to keep everything in her basement and whenever she had to Stage a house, she would have to rent a U-Haul truck and then pay movers to move it from her basement to the truck move the truck to have somebody drive at the truck to the house and then pay the movers just to do it that day. That’s a lot of that’s a lot. Yeah, I wouldn’t want to manage a lot to manage and obviously a lot of extra costs another person. I have done business with but she’s actually she actually just retired and she sold me a bunch of her stuff. And she told me that like she would actually rent the furniture from a local furniture rental place. and then like use those core pieces of furniture and she owned all the accessories like pillows and plants and fake fruit and stuff. She could move stuff. She could move. And she would charge like a per item rental for that. And that’s how she did her business. Yeah, that’s interesting to think about and I have a completely different business model. So because you own your trailer, I own my trailer you own my trailers also my moving truck. Yeah, everything’s in there already and your husband Brandon moves very fortunate. Yeah the ball and moving the trailer as needed. You talked about like a new shed or whatever. Yeah, like yeah storage sheds storage shed. Yeah, so everything’s kind of like in ya on my on my yeah. Everything’s kind of In-House in property. Yeah. So that’s yeah, I’m really picky about what I what I keep in my inventory. It has to be like wait and some and things that can be easily transported and and moved so and I designed my business that way no pun intended specifically for that reason. Yeah. And now as I’m growing I’m willing to take on. Little bulkier heavier things because it’s not no longer just me moving everything. But I still want to be pretty selective about what I have. Yeah. And I mean that that makes sense. For practical reasons. I think that is very isn’t that very in line with like your values too. I mean the whole thing is like for you. how you get that inventory is very often most often like a sustainable It’s it’s in this sustainable approach. Yes, and um Thrifty if you will, you know, you’re trying to break the bank anytime you’re getting new stuff which is which is a really cool aspect to it. I think it’s really impressive what you’re building, you know, there’s there’s different in a sense cortical anyone could could kind of do a staging in the sense that they could like get some little accessories or you know, there’s a lot of models to this but you’re really building out like An infrastructure You’re Building. I don’t even know what to call it. Like it’s and then you know, you don’t have you don’t have like a brick and mortar store. Right? But you have a lot of assets. You have a lot of things that are that are just just they’re your they belong to you to your company and this is its in-house that creates. I’m sure a lot of flexibility as much or more flexibility. Anyway, I guess you could argue like someone could argue. Well, you know having the flexibility of not owning the stuff curious different flexibility or opportunities, but I I’m willing to bet that years is the the it’s a safer way more reliable way to and again a more cost-effective for me. It’s cost-effective. It’s because I have the resources available and people available to me. Who? Who can make it who can move things? Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it’s such a feature of like that’s how any small business I’m Scrappy. Yeah. Well, that’s it. That’s exactly that’s why we’re happy and and we respect the hustle, you know for sure but but it goes to speaks a lot of the unique circumstances that any I don’t I don’t know if it’s true of any small business but really every small business does kind of have its own Story and there’s like There’s the unique set of circumstances that allow for growth opportunities at different times. Right? Not everyone’s gonna have a spouse who can be so invested in doing some really crucial aspect of the business. But yeah both of us and That’s just one. That’s just one example, but like you’ve got property you can have the stuff on. You have the trailer and and just all the different connections that come along the way it’s like it’s like part luck when it comes to building. I don’t know so many of the small business stories that you hear. Yeah. There’s just those like really cool unique facts. And I mean, I I like to think of it as like pursued my passion like that. Yeah, when when it boils down to it, I’ve always been somebody who is loved decorating my space and making it feel homey and having that. like individuality of my space right so Yeah, unleashing the expression. Yeah, exactly. Just so we’re talking about pricing we’re talking about. Oh, yeah, so it’s around that. anything else to say yes, so When it comes to pricing. numbers because obviously Trade Secrets bro, it’s not even trade secret I Aries from house to house so I don’t have a fixed cost. like you couldn’t like the most common question I get is what do you charge for staging and there’s no Straight answer for that, but what I can say is and I’m going to be quoting from an article from the National Association of Realtors. And we’ll cite our sources in the show notes. And it’s says that staging is an investment that helps maximize the rate of return on the sale of the property and usually costs less than the first price reduction with an average of one percent of the sale price into staging about 75% of sellers. Saw an Roi return on investment of 5% to 15% over the asking price according to data from the real estate staging Association. Wow, so I would say for my market. That’s 100% true. Yeah. what I charge for staging is typically less than what your first price reduction would be And with an with an average of one person of the sale price, give or take plus or minus depending depending on if it’s like a vacant house or a hybrid version. Okay in terms of like. Well for that last for the vacant house for thyroid is that you’re talking about the costs of the staging? Yes, and the cost of renting. renting my furniture Right. So your cost is going to your cost to Stage a place going to vary how much it cost to you to come stage is very depending on how much your own stuff you got to bring versus there. Yes. Okay, and then talk that’s yeah, that’s that’s Heavy that’s heavy duty stuff tell us so talk to me about because I’ve never bought a house, right? I don’t really and I don’t have plans to buy a house at this point. So talk to me about like what what do we mean by price reduction? When is that come into play Okay, so for a price reduction if if a house is I’m going to use like like simple numbers like if a house is listed for 499 thousand Which is above average for this Market sure, but that’s about the price point that someone’s going to be hiring. Like the four to 500,000 dollar Mark for me is what I typically see people are hiring stages. Great. Okay. Yeah bring you in. So if the list price is 499 and it’s an empty house. No furniture nothing. And the house doesn’t sell. typically like within 21 days usually yeah, usually within 21 days, but at least that’s Depending on your it really there’s no like cotton drive, but about average of 21 days. I’ll talk and yeah, that’s within a month. Yeah, I’m talking like several months necessarily. So if there are sooner than I would have if there are no offers on the house, then the listing agent will go to the owner’s and say You know, I recommend a price reduction. We’re getting lots of showings or we’re getting lots of saves on Zillow, but we don’t have any offers and this tells us one of two things. The price is too high or the condition is not as good as what other houses in this market are demanding. and a price reduction would be anywhere between 10 and 20,000 dollars sometimes 25 Depending on the condition and the feedback from the buyers who have seen it. So. If I was hired to Stage the house and again, it depends on the square footage depends on the number of bedrooms. Living rooms, you know dining spaces all the spaces that require furniture. on it would to hire me to Stage to the house. would cost that seller less than 20,000 dollar price reduction weight loss or even seven even time because if it’s an average Roman numbers one percent. Yeah of the yeah of the cost. Um to have a staging service. Yes. Then that’s only five Grant. Yeah on this house. Yeah, but you’re gonna do a reduction to get some to get more attention. Yeah of 10 minimum right probably or more. So yeah, I mean that’s but but yours so like to bring that around but to hire you for five. in this case yeah in this example is gonna bring a greater return on that way. Anyway, so you might even get above the original house right for having paid. Yeah a smaller amount. Yes. So I mean it’s worth it ultimately right? It’s it’s it should be paying for itself and then really and really returning and like here. the thing for me specifically nothing makes me happier than when I contact the listing agent of a house, I’ve stayed and they’re like, we just received multiple offers and it sold for this many thousands of dollars higher sometimes tens of thousands of dollars higher than the list price thanks to your staging like that makes me so happy and I get to celebrate with my team and I get to like You know like celebrate that yeah, because that makes me so happy, right? And I just want to keep doing that. I just want to keep making. people happy with with their home and get what they need. Yeah, it’s a win-win-win. That’s really cool. You’re all can I get that in writing? We’ll test them a little client the house. I’ve I won’t say how recently but a house I’ve I’ve staged in this last year. sold for 58000 dollars higher than the list price so that’s nuts five eight thousand. Yeah. Gosh, yeah. How often do you think? This probably doesn’t happen but like when it comes to so staging won’t mask problems. No with the house. No, right. They’re not really good Photoshop. Yeah, you need is a walk through you know, right? so There’s not really it’s not like people are gonna bring in staging to cover something up either. That’s not no that’s not a thing. do you think it so that’s an interesting concept too for me to think about is just like what is the relationship between you know, the perceived like lesser value from the asking price due to flaws or issues with the house, but it’s all but it’s staged so beautifully so actually we’re gonna you know, I wonder what that trade-off so staging definitely helps distract from some of the more minor flaws in the house like scratches in the floor or holes in the wall from photos that were recently taken down. Yeah, or maybe some discoloration and the paint I don’t know, you know that does staging definitely distracts from that because if the house was empty and you’re walking through like those flaws are Were there more? Yeah, they’re way more visible. Yeah, so in our people so picky again not I’ve never looked at a house to buy it but like are people so picky. They’re like just adding up all these little things and yeah, just get every yeah. Sent off of that price that they can yeah, depending on the house. Yeah. So staging kind of potentially creates a little more of a buffer staging creates the illusion. Yeah that somebody lives and cares for this home. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cool, just curious thinking about that little little side of it and like some of the things that I like to do with. My with like the details of my staging. I like to include. Little details that make people wonder does someone live here. Yeah, or did they is this stage? That’s the best like not like to trick people but I really like we’re saying I love it when people are like does somebody live here and And nobody does yeah, that’s how good we are. That’s how you know, you got that good mix of like homey lived in yes vintage or not really, but just like authentic real homie stuff versus like he just went to The store and Boston. Yeah, cold hard stuff right off the shelf totally. And that’s very much. That that former example is very much who you are and what you bring to the table with this which I think is is really cool. So tell us like I think if there’s some questions. how I guess so we’re touching on like your your touch points like yeah, what makes you unique a little bit right and Tell us more like what again not to get into your Manifesto sure. We’ll leave that off there the next time but but tell us a little bit more about welcome home coal, which is the name of your company and the name under which you do all of this staging and selling now. What makes you what else did you say about what makes you different from? I don’t know other local other stages. Yeah. I think the biggest difference. What sets me apart in my staging business is what I mentioned earlier is. I own all of my inventory. and all of my inventory For the most part is in my trailer. I have a staging trailer that. Is basically a mobile storage unit. and it’s custom designed to hold. things like decorative accessories lamps pillows bedding so fast rugs And yes, I said sofas plural. I have two sofas that are identical and there are slipcovered so that they can be washed between houses and they can stay clean. and all of my other furniture is curated in such a way that either if it folds or Stacks or inflates, and that’s how I’m able to keep Like how is worth a furniture? in in a smaller You know compressed space. Yeah, so you’ve really intentionally. Yes. approached how you’re going to like Operate yes this business. So it’s something that is just pure operation stuff totally in fact so much so that Joey my staging my right hand man. Other than Brandon, but you know for Welcome Home clothes right here in the field. Yeah, um has has been like asking me like he’ll send me inspiration and he’ll say like do you think we could like? Alter this and make the legs fold so we can store it. You know what I mean? Like he’s coming up with ideas modify things here so it can it can fit this situation. and he’s also like sending me things that he’ll come across on Facebook Marketplace and be like, oh you should spray paint this so it matches this piece that we already have and it just makes me so happy that the Dream Team he’s like thinking ahead and wanting to yeah make well he is taking on as much ownership. Oh that’s ownership as I am and like Like that makes me so happy I could cry like I just love that it just feels so amazing. Yeah, yeah. That’s a super valuable. I mean that’s a super valuable asset as well as yeah having that kind of that kind of team member and and having that relationship and that trust and unspoken understanding it just builds, you know. you I think you and I and and Christine we have with some of that too around story and We I know how I know how people that can. Yeah, that can be to have the other thing about what makes welcome home call a little bit different is we use a lot of our furniture is upcycled. So I try. first if that all possible to purchase the hard Furniture like tables and accessories decorative items. from local estate sales or garage sales or Marketplace first before I shop a bigger box store number one because the quality will be much better. It will have already that lived in homie field to it. There’s less packaging that gets. Put in the landfill because there’s there’s no packaging because it’s from someone’s house. and it just it goes along with some of Welcome Home co-host values of being more sustainable and environmentally conscious. And I guess the last thing is. I talked about how like details really matter to me and I have been known. to Do things like replace Cabinet Hardware in in like bathrooms and kitchens? Because it will photograph better and we’ll just look better. Yeah overall and I’ve done that more than once where I’ve gone out to. the store and have purchased some hardware and some knobs and I’ve like taken the old ones off and replace them. For like more modern looking finishes. And that I know has made a difference. Yeah, that’s that’s a serious level of attention to detail. Um, do you do you leave them with the house? I don’t yeah, I do. Yeah, because They’re so. Yeah, good change it back out and then keep that in your inventory. No. No, it’s just part of it’s just it’s just A no-cost extra. Yeah, it’s a company. It really is a complimentary service that I offer minus the cost of the hardware. So like I’ll reach out to the agent or the owner and say like I’d like to spend x amount. I like to replace the hardware, but I’m not going to I don’t add that. As like I’m not gonna charge them an arm and a leg to do that. It’s actually if it was my idea. Yeah, but they’ll reimburse me for the cost of the hardware got it. So it’s a win-win. Yeah. When when? how All right, so you’re kind of an expert in like Thrifty sustainable. Like style for Less. Yes. Stuff I would I would say I think it’s safe to say that and that’s definitely what you you go for in life. How do you Keep up or maybe either for yourself or for others who are listening. You know, how what would you say if we’re trying to keep up with some like fresh Trends fresh ideas and you know eclectic Grandpa was hot. So we’re trying to get in. and stay relevant out here and but also, you know, we want to be sustainable. We want to we want to not break the bank and What tips what? Do you have to say for those of us trying to stay fresh with Trends, but also stay sustainable. So for me personally. I the first thing I do when I am looking for inspiration and I feel like I’m in a like style wrought. is me personally I take a little trip to my local Pottery Barn and I walk inside and I just walk around the different styled. the lifestyle that are in there and different like bedroom setups different living room setups seasonal holiday table settings because those even though they are a bigger. You know clinical bigger box store or whatever like, you know, there’s gonna buy those. I don’t go buy those items, but I will I do appreciate them. Like I have problem like I remember the first time I got a Pottery Barn catalog and I like would cut things out of the catalog and make like vision boards for space is and so I do appreciate the thought and the designs or the shall I say like Yeah this style and that goes into it. And so I’ll go into those spaces a space like Pottery Barn for inspiration there. We don’t really have a Creighton Barrel locally. Or like a Rejuvenation or some of the other like high-end design places. If we did I would go to those places too and just walk around sometimes even like Ikea like even though they’re like For like the broader public I still like get inspiration from those places. I am not somebody who finds inspiration necessarily from Pinterest or like the internet because that’s very distracting to me and it’s a black hole so true and I am very much affected by my physical space. So that’s why I like to go into places, even if it’s like honestly HomeGoods like or like places like that. You can just see what’s trending. and then if I see something that like that’s popping up. In different ways in in those bigger box stores, then I’ll keep my eye open for that when I start going to a state sales and I’ll just look for something similar or a style of something that I could paint or refinish. And then if I don’t see that initially after going to a few estate sales. I’ll search for it on Facebook Marketplace and I’ll try to find something similar to it on Facebook Marketplace. It’s very rare that I will see something. And just buy it. I’m I am very much somebody like in the store. Yeah in a store. Um, unless I’ve been thinking about it for months and months and months. That’s fair. That’s that’s kind of my like rule of thumb. Yeah, and I let things sit in my Amazon cart for like two weeks before I buy them. That’s just it’s just because I want to be sure about my purchase. Yeah. I’m I try not to be very impulsive about Things like that, but that’s how I get like, that’s how I get inspiration for like staging. Joe actually creates mood boards and his like and he’ll send me mood Boards of things that he’s created. And so he’ll give me directive like look for this type of item when you go to a state sale. And for example, he told me to look for a chain of wooden beads that he could style on a coffee table or over. It’s very specific. He’s like look for those. He also I know Bluebird which sadly is going out of business used to sell those He also told me to look for. also, very oddly specific like bathroom decor that’s like wooden so that something that could be styled on like a vanity. Yeah. Empty perfume bottles things like that that you could put on a tray to make it look. Yeah, like sounds like he’s keeping up with the trends. Oh, yeah. He absolutely is. and lastly I will. I do follow a lot of designers online and or I’ll just look through what I like if I’m scrolling on social media. I’ll save something. I get I definitely get targeted a lot by because I like a lot of design stuff like a lot of DIY wires. I get I get a lot of like filtered algorithm knows that I like DIY type stuff. So I’ll get inspirational save some stuff from there and Yeah, I just tried to find things that. Look homie, that looked like they are. in good quality, but that they’re not just like out of a box. Yeah. or from the dollar section at Target great, so a lot of those so I mean any of us could walk into a local furniture store or I mean, maybe not it’s not the right way to put let me just say one more thing. I just want I don’t want my staging to look like and this is something that Joe and I have talked about and it’s this is also maybe part of one of my like Manifestos so like put a pen in this if you want to talk about this in the future, but I what I really don’t want my staging to look like is like I don’t want people to recognize something like oh I saw that at Target or oh I saw that at home goods are oh, that’s the room essentials lamp that yeah, like I don’t want that. I want something to look like it’s been like and that here like bought it at a flea market and it’s been in the family and it’s like that that like heirloom quality piece, which It’s a lot to ask in for just staging but that’s just those are part of my values and that’s what makes. what I do like so So important to me here’s a take for you. That’s probably part of what makes it sustainable. Yeah for you to do right because this is tedious. Yes heavy duty work. We already talked about the gym membership required for you to be able to sustain this lifestyle. All right. I was a couple episodes ago. Um, there’s like In any small business, which you still are. Despite the price tags that might come with this this kind of work, right? You gotta have that creative spark. That’s that’s driving you and and we said this in the past two small business is so much. There’s so much of you as a person up in your small business, unfortunately, but also fortunately because that’s part of what makes it unique and allows you to Sustain that thing right and and really nurture it for as long as it takes to become something that’s got more structure to it. And it’s just kind of self-sustaining at a point. So so to be able to be so tapped into like who you are and what you’re bringing to this that makes it your unique thing that has to help. You just keep going and also it’s that unique thing. I think that brings that that we bring to the table that causes our audience. Not our podcast audience necessarily right now, but like our business audience that we will eventually gather. It’s going to be people who resonate with what we’re doing, but also the why right we’re doing, you know, So it doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s a hear that that’s you know big part of it for you and I think makes a lot of sense to me because I relate yeah. Yeah, cool. um Well, how are we looking you got you got one? Looking good. We got one more question in us or or what? They’re I had this I had this question. This could probably wrap up with this one. Okay. If you had 24 hours. to turn around a House, yeah. I don’t know have I don’t know how how specifically what I think the photos are in 24 hours. Yeah photographers come in. Okay. Um, yeah 24 hours. What? Okay. What would you do quick tips? It’s a photographer was coming in 24 hours. And you were not going to have your home professionally staged. So like yeah, I’m not calling you. I’m like I yeah, you’re on my league. You’re too good. I gotta like whip something up. Yes for these real estate photos. Okay. Okay, I got. A few to brand new mat for your front door like a welcome mat. That’s like fresh clean. brand new welcome mat And put a reef on your front door something like seasonally appropriate like green and pretty. You those those two items I give you permission to buy from Target. Times are desperate. Yeah, you have 24 hours. You got to go to. Target run I want you to wash your windows inside and outside. That makes a huge difference and make sure Windows look. brand new inside and outside wash your windows. Yes. Um if you have pets Put away their supplies. So if you have dogs put away your dog beds put away their toys in a basket. Like some place that’s like out of sight. If you have cats put away the litter box. definitely empty it clean any like Like vacuum like any like hair or anything off of your furniture? and like put away any like I don’t know like toys or whatever that they like bat around the house. I don’t have cats but that’s what I can imagine. Yeah, okay. There’s a Love of All Things staging close the toilet seats. That’s like the simplest easiest thing. I think the my biggest pet peeve or photos is when the toilet seat is open close the toilet seats and the whole everything closed it closed the lid down. All right. And no dishes in your dang sink put your dishes. I don’t even if you don’t have a dishwasher no dishes and your sink or on the counter just put them away put them in a tupperware bin and put them in your basement for the day for like don’t just don’t put them anywhere. So grab that bin while you’re grabbing your wrist. Yes. Yes. Yeah a Target. Yes. and I think the last thing I would do is like I think this just goes without saying it was like deep like do a deep clean like vacuum dust change out light bulbs. Like if you’re if your bathroom vanities missing a light bulb like or your chandelier over your dining room table like Put all the same light bulbs in this like the same type and color like don’t have a blue light bulb consistency. Yeah, like some some are warmer. Some are cooler. And that will that will make your home look cohesive. And that’s I think that’s that’s what I got. Yeah. Oh garbage cans. like if you have a garbage can in your kitchen like Like put it out of sight and if you have garbage cans in your bathroom. Like get lidded ones or just like empty them or put them out of sight same with your bath mats, like put the bath mat just put it in the bathtub put it away. Nobody wants to see it. Nobody wants to step on it like put that away. Okay hurt done. dang, dude, did you just does off the Dome the last few were off the Dome? Yeah. Cool. Those are great tips. Actually, that’s some of us could do a lot of those slash any of those. Yes, pulling maybe a friend. Yeah, if you want to be real throw about that, but that’s a sick list this whole episode was worth it just to get that because between you and me, I can’t afford you. Do you like just wait to top tier from me, but It’s okay, cuz I ain’t got a house to sell. Yeah. Cool, very simple super cool. Well, thanks for delineating a lot of that for us. No problem. Yeah, you know interior designers. We know you know him you love him. But this ain’t that. All right, this is Maggie. She’s here to Stage things for you so you can get way above asking price That’s my eye. If you’re selling your home slash dude, just hire her like you know, what you don’t even need an entire decorator or I just get Maggie to come out. She gonna take care of you. It’s gonna feel a lot better in there. So happy to Well, what are you excited about rich, man? That’s a great question. Yeah, why why is this so difficult to imagine that I’m excited for something. Um well as a cool conversations, this is what this is what I was about. But having some cool conversations with some just some people some key. Okay key friends. Yeah key folks, you know on the future of story and that’s a possibility and excited about the future of stories excited about the future of stories. You know, it’s 2025. Locking some things. Well, I’m thinking ahead to 2025. We’re locking some things in or thinking about what’s possible and And we’re lining things up. Yeah to get there. So. It’s an exciting time. Yeah, love that for you. Thanks. Bye, it’s got you excited. I am excited because I am currently training a new agent. Her name is Kristen Shout out to Kristen, and she has just joined the welcome home team, and she’s gonna be assisting me with helping buyers, and she’s already helped us with some staging and she’s just taking like really great initiative, and I’ve just really been enjoying like training her and like working with her. She’s just she’s just good people. So awesome. Congrats. Thanks. Welcome Kristen. To the fam. Yeah. All right. Well next week we’re coming in hot for with the coffee episode. That’s true. Don’t know quite what it is yet, but but well. We’ll be Brewing it between now on that. All right. Thanks for hanging in send your real estate or homestaging questions to House Coffee podcast at gmail. Love getting your emails and hearing from you. So we’ll see you soon later. Peace out.