Today we’d like to introduce you to Candice McCall.
Candice, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When my husband and I moved to Houston from Detroit in 2005, one of our favorite pastimes was to look at model homes when we were looking to settle into our own home. I remember the feeling of awe and excitement I felt walking through those homes, and it made me look forward to starting our new lives in Houston. Looking at those beautiful model homes fueled my passion for home staging and inspired me to start my home staging company, Step It Up! Staging, in 2010 so that I could help others experience those same feelings I felt. Since then, I have enjoyed not only being a wife and mother to my 2 children, but also working with clients and networking with other home stagers as I continue to learn and grow in this amazing industry.
Has it been a smooth road?
When you’re starting something new, there are bound to be some challenges along the way. I have definitely experienced some personal and professional challenges since starting my company. In 2013 I took a break from home staging to focus on growing our family, and in 2014 I gave birth to my beautiful daughter Laylah. Soon after, I went to work as a school counselor to provide more stable support for our now family of 4, but my passion for home staging never left. As I slowly began to relaunch Step It Up! Staging, the biggest challenge has been re-introducing myself to clients and educating them on the benefits of home staging when selling their homes. There were times when I doubted myself or my abilities, and trying to juggle a full time job and take care of my family can definitely be overwhelming at times. Although there have been many challenges along the way, I see them as learning opportunities to help me become a better business owner, which will in turn, help my company become better.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Step It Up! Staging story. Tell us more about the business.
Step It Up! Staging provides home staging and redesign services to clients. Home staging is basically the art of preparing a home for sale by combining marketing with design to help potential buyers envision themselves living in the home. I work with real estate agents and homeowners to identify the key selling features of their homes to highlight, which will help it sell quickly and for more money. In addition to home staging, I offer redesign services which include room makeovers and color consultations, and seasonal decor services to help clients get their homes ready for the holidays.
I think that my background in counseling has given me a unique position as a home stager because I am better able to connect with my clients. Selling a home can be a very stressful process, so being able to listen to their needs and identify a solution to those needs is a valuable asset that I provide for them. I feel very proud when a client trusts me enough to come in and work in their home, which it is so important and valuable to them, so I am committed to treating them and their home with the utmost respect.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Home staging is still a growing field, but thanks to the popularity of all the new home design shows, people are starting to understand how important home staging is in the real estate market. Statistics show that staging works, but more people still have to believe that it’s worth the investment. I hope that in the future, staging becomes an industry standard and not just an optional service. I believe that once more people become educated on exactly what home staging is and how it can benefit them in the home selling process, the staging industry will eventually get to that point.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stepitupstaging.com
- Phone: (248) 346-5540
- Email: cmccall@stepitupstaging.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stepitupstaging/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stepitupstaging/
Image Credit:
KFB Photography
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