Policies and procedures

Presented to Buffalo Niagara RESA

January 2012

Kathleen Emhof

Transitions Home Staging & Redesign

Keeps you focusedEasy to replicate (think McDonald’s, Sears,

etc.)Helps to develop your contractsYou are perceived as a serious business

personHelps you in pricing, packages, etc.ConsistencyCan be updated as needs change

(c) 2012 Kathleen Emhof



(def.) A proposed or adopted course or principle of action; a contract of insurance

What you will and will NOT do

Associate conditions with other conditions

(def.) An established or official way of doing something; a series of actions conducted in a certain order or manner

How you will do what you do

First, then…etc.

Procedures=Process


We accept these forms of payment:CashCheckVisa ®MasterCard ®PayPal ®

We use Square® to collect your credit card information

Procedure



EstimatesDistressed/Short SaleConsultationsRealtor® PricingVacant Hands-OnOccupied Hands-OnProfessional

PhotographyDelivery

Per-Hour CostPurchase of

Accessories/Personal Shopping

Redesign


Estimates for Vacants are given over the phone as per formula

Estimates for Occupied Homes are given over the phone as a RANGE (+/- $500)

Consultations are explained

Distressed/Short Sale pricingE.g., $50 for top 5

to-do’s, $100 for top 10 (30 minutes); paid up-front.

Written report within 24 hours.


$ XXX up-front20 miles beyond my zip code is $50 more50 miles beyond my zip code is referred to

another RESA stagerAfter 5 Consults purchased by a Realtor®,

the 6th one is FREE. They can also purchase 6-packs in advance.


Consults and Coaching is about 1.5-2 generous hours of time

Speak with homeowner, outside if possibleChildren and pets out of the wayDesigner visits the home, and uses Market

Ready Real Estate softwareTour home alone to allow for creativityInvestor of vacant may accompany for 2nd

tour, to allow for coachingDesigner takes photos of all areas, 2-3 of

each area, including outdoor areas


After visit, homeowner and / or Realtor® are provided a copy of report and recommendations within 48 hours

Designer returns for tweaks for Open House or professional photos

The cost of the consultation is free if the homeowner opts for hands-on staging (min. $200)


Minimum investment $ XXXX; 1% of square footage up to 4000 sq. ft. for 2 months. Furniture, accessory, artwork, lamp, plant rental monthly thereafter.

0.75% > 4000 sq. feet.$ XXX less per room if budget is a concern. $500 nonrefundable booking fee to retain,

balance due at completion of final day of staging.


Min. $XXX (and includes the written report) and paid upfront as a deposit to retain the date

Half-day hands on: $xxxFull-day hands on: $xxx$xxx each additional hourAdditional furniture, accessory, lamps, and

artwork rental is extra, using the formula below*Bedding, towels, pillows are not available for

rent to occupieds with pets, children, occupants other than the owner, or to smokers. Alternative is to suggest that they purchase themselves.


*Accessories, artwork, plants, furniture (except when rented from 3rd party) will be rented at 25% replacement cost, per month, at a minimum of 2 months.

Professional Photography is available for an extra $150. Includes exterior photo and 8-10 interior shots, on a CD, to provide for real estate listing. Our proprietary photographer is Drew Zinck.

The cost of delivery and pickup (truck rental, gas, mileage and deliverymen) will be added to each vacant or occupied staging.


Credit cards, checks and cash are acceptable forms of payment.

All clients who rent furniture, artwork, plants or accessories--regardless of payment choice-- must fill out a credit application form.

Intuit GoPayment is the credit card merchant, and the information is entered into the online program via smartphone or iPad.



Soft goods including towels, bedding, pillows, drapes, throws are available for rent to the owners of vacant stagings. In some cases, they will be made available to owner-occupied homes, as long as there are no children, pets, smokers, or homes where the homeowners are absent. The policy will be to suggest, in those instances, that the soft goods be purchased by the owner


Lamps, artwork, plants may be made available to occupieds. The rental cost is 25% replacement cost of the items. It will be stated in our contract that any items rented will be left in place AS IS and used exclusively for marketing the property. Any damage or usage by the client will be billed for the cost of the items plus a 20% re-stocking fee. We reserve the right to remove all of the rented items when we give 5 days' notice to do so.


Accessories will be not rented to occupieds, but rather, items from the existing home or that belong to the owner will be used creatively in staging the home. Accessories may be purchased from Transitions Home Staging and Redesign, for a 20% markup from the purchase price. These can be presented to the homeowner for approval.


A house key will be made available to Transitions Home Staging & Redesign in vacant stagings. This is to allow us to come in after every weekend to check on our items. If homeowner/investor prefers, we will put a key lockbox on the property. This procedure is part of our service.


Credit and Debit cards are accepted (Visa, Mastercard).

Cash and personal checks are accepted.In rental situations, a credit application is required.All payments are due in full at the completion of

staging.Vacant Staging: $xxx minimum, $xxx nonrefundable

booking fee up front.Occupied Staging: $xxx deposit upfront, which is the

minimum.Redesign Services: $200 nonrefundable booking fee

minimum, upfront.


Home Staging Marketing Materials will be left in the home for visitors. These will include a framed logo, business cards and brochures. These are not to be moved during Open Houses or any showings.

There will be no items moved, removed, added, or

otherwise changed after the staging is complete without our authorization. We reserve the right to remove all of our items from the home, giving 5 days' notice to do so. This will be an area of the contract that is to be initialed.

De-staging will be done with 10 days' notice from homeowner. A $200 surcharge will be added if less than 10 calendar days' notice.


$XXX/hour; 2 hour minimum. Travel fee of $50 for 20-49 miles from 14220.

Additional services available for redesign clients:Personal shopping for accessories and artwork

($XX/ hr.)Color consultationDrapes and window coveringsOrganizationMove-in furniture placementLighting, flooring, wall covering consultation

($XX/ hr. for research)(c) 2012 Kathleen Emhof

Homeowner should be available at all times.Children and pets must be out of the way.Homeowner may assist with furniture

placement. We do not move pianos, statues, taxidermy, or very large or high pieces of artwork. All valuables must be moved by the homeowner to prevent breakage.

The cost of delivery will be added to every staging and redesign.


Our work is 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. We will return the room/s to its original state if the client is dissatisfied.


The contract can be cancelled at any time by THSR with 5 day's notice.


Content for Policies and Procedures were culled from LinkedIn , Active Rain blogs, and from interviews with other professional home stagers and redesigners.

My Policies and Procedures Manual is a living document, and is constantly being updated as part of my Business Plan.

I prefer to use Evernote as my storage for these Policies and Procedures, so I can update them at any time from any computer.


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Policies and procedures