PRES staging has been receiving a lot of fantastic PR the past few months about the benefits of home staging. Dana Smithers, founder & creative director of the PRES Staging Resource Centre has been interviewed for newsprint and television since her new book Start & Run a Home Staging Business was published by Self-Counsel Press.

The Vancouver Sun article – Setting The Stage To Sell gave some great tips to home sellers about what they need to focus on when they are selling. Alison Applebe a freelance writer for the Sun also interviewed Patti Houston of Fluff Rentals and Susan Evans of Home Suite Home Staging.

Van Sun At HOME - Setting The Stage To Sell

Van Sun AT HOME - Setting the Stage (2)

There are lots of resources on the PRES website for home sellers to tap into. If you are thinking about selling your house you can also check out Dana Smithers’ ebook DIY Home Staging – Getting Ready for An Open House in 10 Easy Steps! And something we hope you picked up from the article is that hiring a PRES home stager is not expensive. Especially when you compare it to the cost of not-staging your home and having it sit on the market!

As home stagers we realize that sellers often have a ‘bare bones’ budget and we try and assist them as much as we can with the preparation of selling their property. During the consultation we will give them as many ideas as possible within their budget to get the property looking at the very least, better than it looks for living.

The PRES staging school recently assisted a working divorced mom with two teenage daughters and a really, really tight budget to get the home ready for the market. During the consultation it was recommended that the client ‘borrow’ some better looking furniture, tables, art and accessories. She did let me purchase some bedding for her and it has made all the difference in the final look for showing.

The only thing the seller needs to do now is to paint in the neutral palet that was chosen for her. I often suggest if you only picked one colour for the entire condo then go with the evergreen look of Benjamin Moore CC90 Natural Linen. It’s a nice soft neutral beige that works well with almost any flooring. Always use the trendy colours for accessorizing and keep in mind the next buyer can live with the neutral beige more than any other colour!

Master Bedroom with no good focal point!

Master Bedroom with new bedding - next is painting!

Fireplaces are often focal points so they need to look good...

Borrowed art is better than no art!

‘FREE’ Webinar – Join Staging Guru Dana J. Smithers LIVE on her Introduction to PRES Staging & Redesign course Tuesday June 7th from 5 – 6pm (Pacific Standard Time)

This will be your opportunity to ask WHATEVER you want to the founder & creative director of the PRES Training Programs! Dana will walk you through the most often asked questions and give you a preview of what the 5 day course teaches you!

All you need to do is to go to your computer and open up your internet browser. Type in the information from Step 1. Then phone in to the telephone number in Step 2. You will be given a PIN number which allows you to be live on the call with Dana. Your PIN number will come to you either through the operator or to your email IN BOX. Just enter the PIN number on to your telephone keypad and you will be on the call and ready to ask your questions!

Step 1. Please join my meeting.

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/782556411

Step 2. Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) – a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.

Dial +1 (416) 800-9295
Access Code: 782-556-411
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting

SPECIAL OFFERS:
» Sign up and be on the call and receive a ‘FREE’ ebook Trade Secrets to Hanging Art Like a PRO!

» Stay on the call to the end and you will get another BONUS of $200 savings to you!

NEXT COURSE DATE IS JUNE 20 – 24TH
REGISTER NOW!!!

If I may offer you some words of wisdom if I was you making a career decision this is what I would ask myself:

1. Am I passionate about creating beautiful spaces? Can I work with what people have in their homes and/or make suggestions as to what they should buy?
2. Is the course I am looking at established, provide me with a recognizable certificate in home staging AND redesign, and does it have professional ‘local’ instructors who have their own businesses in this industry?
3. Will this training school offer me skills in both hands-on in-the-home training and training theory with a reference manual AND will I get monthly support and a hugely discounted coaching package to get me started on the right track?
4. Are the class sizes small so that I get personalized training?
5. Is this the right investment for me at this time or do I want to stay in something I really ‘hate’ doing, day in and day out?

If you answered ‘YES’ to all of these questions, then what will it take for you to make the next step and take your ‘leap of faith’ into a new and rewarding career? It can be as easy as a click here to REGISTER.

Here is a PRES Recent Graduate Raving Fan Testimonials…

“I cannot believe how fantastic this course was. I am totally pumped. The course was even more than I expected. It was a busy week, but when you are learning and doing something you love, it doesn’t feel like work at all. The hands on learning to properly hang art and putting the 10 step formula into action in real homes for staging/redesigns has given me the confidence to get the job done efficiently. Before taking this course, I knew 100% this was my passion, but starting up my own business seemed way to overwhelming and way out of reach. I didn’t know where to begin or what to do…. now I have the knowledge and confidence to start my own business and work my passion. It was an amazing week! Dana, thank you for your sharing your knowledge, your passion and encouragement. And last but not least, a Big thank you for providing me the last chair to squeeze me in! ”

“WOW …I am so impressed with what this course taught me – I thought I knew a good portion of what staging was all about – I soon found out I knew NOTHING! I’m leaving this course feeling fully qualified having done the classroom theory and the hands-on in the homes. I feel so empowered and I know what I am doing!”

“Dana covered all the bases – theory, field work, practical business advice for starting a small business, and, a generous does of good sense of what to expect in the business world. A real pro! “

You don’t want to miss this and SPACE IS LIMITED.

REGISTER NOW!

2011 VANCOUVER TRAINING SESSIONS
June 20 – 24
July 11 – 15
September 12 – 16
November 7 – 11

SAVE $200 REGISTER NOW!!!

Regular Price $2795 plus HST

SAVE $200 by just being on this call!

There is limited space left so REGISTER NOW TO SAVE YOUR SPACE – $500 plus HST deposit saves your space!

PLUS A ‘FREE GIFT’ AT THE END OF THE COURSE!

SMALL CLASSES FOR ACCELERATED PERSONAL LEARNING!

Be taught by Canada’s best…Dana J. Smithers ‘Staging Guru’
PRES® Staging Resource Centre Founder & Creative Director

The Meet Up City Stagers group is comprised of enthusiastic professional home stagers and other industry related professionals who meet once a month to share, grow and encourage each other. Tonight I am speaking to the group about ‘Starting, Growing & Sustaining Their Home Staging Business’.

Since my new book Start & Run a Home Staging Business has been published, it is a good time to get speaking engagements and share my knowledge to help others. I do not do this not to impress, I do it to impress upon them how necessary it is to continue to grow their business and to establish themselves as experts in their field. However, in doing this I also continue to establish myself as the home staging expert or as I have been called the ‘Staging Guru’. (I like the ‘guru’ part because I bring in a lot of the Law of Attraction principles to my work.)

Look for speaking engagements in your area and you will find there are people out there who want to hear what you have to say! As a home stager libraries and community centres as well as private groups are always looking for good content for their patrons and clients.

PS If you can’t join us tonight, I will also be speaking at the Vancouver Public Library on May 26th at 7pm. I am truly hoping the Canucks will win before Game 6 as this will certainly lesson the attendance – in fact, I might not be there. (joking…)

Many people wonder how a 5 day PRES professional home staging & redesign course can prepare a home stager and/or redesigner to help them with selling their house. Well the answer is simple – the majority of new stagers and/or redesigners have been doing staging, redesign, decorating for years either for themselves or for friends.The difference is – up to now they have done it for FREE!

PRES stagers & redesigners just starting out may be new to seeing themselves as highly successful business women or men, but in fact this is the goal. Taking a professional course is a way of showing the public that they have invested time, money and energy into themselves to get credentials to do the work. They have taken written and hands-on tests to become certified and must uphold the PRES code of ethics when working in the industry.

So if you are looking for a great stager to help you sell your house, you have come to the right place! If you are moving in or just need to refresh the look of your home then check out our fabulous PRES stagers and redesigners.

Other services and experience some of the PRES stagers have could be in the areas of home renovations, home remodelling, home improvements, home decorating and home styling, colour consultations, sourcing for purchasing new furnishings or rentals.

Check them out under our Locate A Stager page www.PresStaging.com.

Stay tuned as we will be featuring our PRES Stagers throughout the year!