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Congratulations! You’ve grown your staging business to the point where your inventory, when it’s not in use (hopefully not often!), is filling every nook and cranny of your home. It’s time to rent a storage space. Whether you’re based in a city or a rural area, choices abound for spaces to rent to keep your inventory. Some options to consider are other people’s unused garages, sheds, extra rooms, public storage units, and warehouses. With my own staging business, I rented a small self-storage unit at a storage complex a couple blocks from my home. Location, size, and cost were the key considerations for me at first, but I quickly learned that there were other important factors I hadn’t thought of at the beginning.

First of all, signing a contract to rent a storage unit is not something to take lightly. It’s an extra overhead expense that you probably haven’t had to incur until this point. You’ve got to be sure that you can cover this expense, or that your business is growing at a healthy enough rate to cover it. You’re signing a contract which is a legally-enforceable commitment – take it seriously! In my opinion, it’s best to find a storage space which you can rent on a month-to-month basis, with a time period in which to give notice of leaving it that is as short as possible.

As for the size of the unit, you probably won’t need as much space as you think. If business is good, hopefully the unit will be empty much of the time! But, as we’ve all experienced, there are ups and downs in this business, and you should anticipate that much of your inventory may be back in your possession at some point – especially around the holidays.

You should feel comfortable in the space you’re renting. Get to know the manager by sight. Security is key: Who else has units near yours? During what hours can you access your unit? What type of security is there? When is a manager on duty? Is there adequate lighting in your unit? At one point I had some transients essentially living in the unit across the hall from mine – I always felt a little uncomfortable opening my unit when they were around to reveal all the beautiful new furniture I had!

Make sure that you will have access to the units in the early mornings and evenings. I would always be loading my truck at the crack of dawn, and often returning at dusk. Believe me, it sucks after a long day to realize you can’t unload the truck as you’d planned! Also note how you will load and unload – are you near a loading dock or parking area? Climate, water and pest control are other things to inquire about before renting – how awful it would be to have termites destroy your inventory!

Be sure to notify your insurer of this exciting development in your business. If a fire destroyed your unit, it would be devastating to lose everything only to find that your insurance didn’t cover items kept off the premises of your home or business address. Many storage rental contracts state explicitly that their insurance will not cover loss of your stored items. Finally, as always, read the fine print in the rental contract before you sign. Remember that you most likely have a lot of options in this area, and you have the ability to negotiate terms you may not like. Happy storing!

So, just because I’m a lawyer doesn’t mean I always have to write about legal stuff, right? The inspiration for this latest post comes from a recent experience that resonated with my “stager side.” A few weeks ago, I was in a position to observe a real estate agent explaining to some sellers how the process of selling their home would work. Being clued into the idea of staging, the sellers asked the agent if there were any things they should do to improve the house before it went on the market or if she recommended changing anything.

A little background about the house: the furniture and decor made obvious the age of the person who had lived there. It is a small house, but well-cared for and in a great neighborhood. And, besides the size of the lot the house is on, its best selling point is gorgeous, maple colored hardwood floors. Which, unfortunately, in the living room, happened to be buried under an aqua-green turf-like carpeting.

The agent’s response to the sellers’ inquiry floored me (no pun intended). She replied that continue

Fortunately for many people, hiring a lawyer is not something they do often. Many stagers I’ve met are reluctant to meet with an attorney, thinking that they can do everything they need themselves, or that nothing will happen to them that requires hiring an attorney. This is not a phenomenon unique to stagers – it happens across the board in small businesses. Reluctance to hire an attorney is understandable. Many people think that it will be too expensive, or that just by consulting an attorney they’re “jinxing” themselves and inviting litigation to come knocking on their door. Others know they can pick up any Yellow Pages and find hundreds (if not thousands) of lawyers listed, but are afraid that they will randomly pick the worst kind of shyster from the bunch.Not consulting with an attorney in forming your small business and drafting documents can be disastrous, though, and result in expenses far greater than the up-front continue

It’s the burning question: what do I need to consider putting in my staging contract?

Many home staging training companies present their trainees with sample contracts. These are great starting points. However, you need to read through the samples, consider your individual business goals, and tailor them accordingly. Also, don’t assume that these sample contracts have been reviewed by an attorney - always take your contract to an attorney licensed in your state for review. Laws differ by state, county, and even town. This is your livelihood - don’t take any risks with what is arguably the most important document you’ll create for your business!

That being said, I’ve laid out some important considerations below. Again - the laws applicable to each of these may be different in your area - these are continue

With market conditions being what they are and houses sitting on the market longer, many people are turning to the Ancient art of Feng Shui to sell a home. Both Realtors and Homeowners alike are trying this and some are seeing astounding results.

For many years people have believed in the Power of St. Joseph Statues, buried in the backyard (upside-down) to make their homes sell and many still use this method as well. But with the new consciousness of Energy, more and more people are turning to Feng Shui Methods to help sell a home.

Everything around us is Energy. We are surrounded by it every single day by every single place that we occupy. Have you noticed that some homes just “FEEL” better then others? Although they may be similar in both location, price and amenities, one may just have a different feeling to it that draws us in.

Feng Shui is literally translated to mean “Wind/Water” and its methods seek to change the energy flow in a space to a positive one; to make a home feel warm and inviting and give it a sense of peace and harmony. Often times Realtors will work with Feng Shui Consultants to get that home off the market and get those moving trucks moving.

Feng Shui adjustments do not need to be expensive. We believe in the thought process as well so present owners need to Intentionally “let go” of their home before it can sell. What might be some of the adjustments a Feng Shui Consultant might use to achieve the goal of selling a home? We first look at the outside “forces” : Street energy, T Junctions and Cul de Sacs can be addressed easily and inexpensively with mirrors. The Front door, also know as “The Mouth of Chi” is also very important, it is considered to be the place where all good energy enters. A good pathway to the front door, a fresh coat of paint, a welcome sign are all wonderful additions.

Inside we seek to instill a good flow of Energy in the home. Using the furniture that is presently there, we may often rearrange it to allow the energy to flow smoothly through the space. Changing the energy flow has a deep and profound impact on people as it’s what helps instill positive feelings that we can create in a home. We also look at the Five Elements. Color selections and lighting to achieve a feeling of harmony and balance that draws new occupants IN and makes them want to stay there.

One thing that is often not discussed quite often in Feng Shui that absolutely helps clear a home of the old and stuck energy and infuses it with new energy are blessings. They are non-denominational and rid the home and the grounds of any negative energy from former occupants or anything that occurs on the land.

Remember, there’s a reason why some homes seem to reach out to you and you just “have to have it” because you’ve fallen in love; and that reason may very well be Feng Shui!

By: Carole Provenzale
Certified Feng Shui Consultant
http://www.FengShuiLI.com

What is the number-one mistake stagers make in their businesses? Not having a staging contract!! This is such a big mistake that it needs to be the subject of my first staging and lawyering post. Stagers, I beg you - invest time, money or whatever it takes to make up a solid staging contract. Not only can a contract solidify your business policies and give you consistency from client to client, but it can also save you from a lot of heartache if something goes wrong.

So, what is a contract? I know, it sounds like a stupid question - as part of modern society we deal with contracts on a daily basis. But so many times we enter into contracts and don’t even think about it - we may not even realize we’re entering into a relationship that falls into the definition of a “contract”!

A contract essentially is an agreement between two parties to do - or not do - something in exchange for something else. Contrary to popular belief, contracts do not always have to be in writing, nor do they have to be signed (but these are two steps that will be essential in your staging contract!).

There are some essential parts of a contract: continue

I am super glad that Ann is going to write for our company blog. The concept behind our blog is to foster a community that can provide valuable knowledge and resources to our readers, clients and community at large. An addition like Ann is really a rare treat and a very exciting move forward for our blog, since most real estate stagers or agents (I think the NAR’s, National Association of Realtors, stats on realtors who blog are about 4%) do not blog, not to mention having blog contributors in complimentary fields of real estate.

Ann is also an excellent writer and very well versed in both the staging and legal arenas.

Here is a brief bio on Ann:

Ann O’Connell is an attorney specializing in real estate and home staging issues.  Before joining the Denver law firm of Pendleton Friedberg Wilson & Hennessey, P.C., she owned and operated her own home staging business in the San Francisco Bay Area, Solstice Staging.  Ann is licensed to practice law in Colorado (active), California (active) and Nevada (inactive).

The Staged4more company blog currently publishes 3-5 times per week and covers staging tips for real estate agents and home sellers, as well as real estate staging industry trends and issues. Ann’s guest blogs will appear on Staged4more blog twice a month starting next Thursday. Other contributors are also in the works (so let me know if you would like to be one!)