Home staging and room refresh designer

Home sellers, real estate agents, landlords and developers with show suites.

Consultation fee, a fixed staging fee and monthly rental charges if you supply furniture and decor from your own inventory.

• An eye for how a space photographs and feels
• Moving and arranging furniture
• Selling and building agent relationships
• Working to tight deadlines

• Commercial general liability insurance, plus cover for stock and items in clients' homes
• Storage and transport costs can eat into margins, so price them in
• Check whether your province regulates the title 'interior designer' and avoid using it if unsure
• Work is often seasonal, with winter usually slower in many regions
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on how much decor and furniture you buy or rent, plus insurance, storage and transport. Storage and transport costs can eat into margins, so price them in from the start.

Monthly revenue estimates typically run around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many projects you take on and how you price storage and transport. Work is often seasonal, with winter usually slower in many regions, so plan for quieter months.

Check for commercial general liability insurance, plus cover for stock and items in clients' homes. Also check whether your province regulates the title 'interior designer' and avoid using it if unsure, and register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold.