Home Staging Tips

One of the many aspects of starting your home staging business is getting a website.

If you have no experience in this area, it can seem like one of the most difficult steps in getting your home staging business (or any small business) up and running.

It’s not a good idea to put off getting a website - it’s one of the keys to looking like a professional in any business.

First, you need a domain name. You may have done this step already, because many people choose a business name by checking which “dot coms” are available.

You may end up choosing a name for your home staging business based on available domain names, in other words. Many good home staging business names are already taken as domain names, unfortunately, so this can be tough. This is another benefit of using your full name in your business name, chances are “your name staging” is available as a dot com.

If you haven’t already, you can get on godaddy and choose a domain name for your home staging business website. You can register it at godaddy, or you can just use their domain search until you find a name you like that isn’t taken.

If you want to set up hosting right now (I’d recommend it) just keep your name in mind and go over to Bluehost. Bluehost will give you the name for free when you sign up for their hosting service. This saves you about $10 and makes things easier.

The next step is to sign up at Bluehost for the least expensive plan they have - that’s all you need to start your home staging site and you can always upgrade if you need to. You have to pay either 12 months or 24 months in advance to get the best pricing at Bluehost, which will work out to about 7 or 8 dollars per month. This will save you their setup fee and get you the free domain name for your home staging business.

If you already have a domain name that you bought at godaddy or another registrar, it is easy to transfer it during your Bluehost sign-up. Remember, hosting is what gives your domain name a place to live on the internet. The domain name is just the address.

The great thing about Bluehost is that they offer easy Wordpress set up, if you would like to use Wordpress as a content management system.

This site is made with Wordpress, and I love it. It’s easy to use, easy to update, and you can choose from thousands of free themes. Themes are basically design templates that give you the look and feel of the website.

Wordpress is also very search engine friendly - so people searching for home staging in your area can find you!

An alternative to Wordpress would be using Bluehost’s Site Builder. It’s a drag and drop system that lets you design your own staging business website, add your content, home staging photos, etc. and it is also super easy to use.

Bluehost support is quick and helpful, too. I like them or (I wouldn’t recommend them); I’ve used several hosting companies and the two that have distinguished themselves for reliability and customer service have been Hostgator and Bluehost.

The advantage of Bluehost is the one click Wordpress installation. Both have the easy Site Builder, and both are inexpensive web hosting options.

Get Bluehost Easy Web Hosting $6.95

Here are some free home staging tips courtesy of www.homestagingsuccess.com. Whether you’re a FSBO home seller, a real estate agent, or a professional home stager, you can use these essential tips when staging a home for sale.

Home Staging Tips for Kitchen & Dining Room

If the home has an eat-in kitchen it should have a table and chairs in it. Borrow a set or rent one. Buyers like to see an eat-in kitchen but often don’t have the vision to see it as such without the furniture.

Plastic paper towel holders have to be removed. Keep paper towels in a cabinet while the home is listed.

Remember we are trying to cut down on all visual clutter and create a spacious, opened-up home. All of the little things contribute to the overall look we are after when we stage homes.

Buy a new, attractive dishtowel.

Bowls are baskets of fruits are excellent. Use the real kind, no plastic.

You can update cabinets with new knobs and pulls for not a lot of money. You may want to paint them if they show much wear and tear.

Organize, neaten, and clean the inside of the cabinets. Store non-essential items elsewhere. Many buyers check inside the cabinets and they are looking for SPACE–so make them spacious.

More home staging tips soon to help sell your house fast.