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Staging ideas for selling a house


Staging a house: 15 home staging tips from real estate experts

(Image credit: Future / Richard Powers)

Staging a house prior to selling it is one of the best investments you can make to ensure it gets a quick offer and achieves the highest sale value. Research has shown that a staged homes sells three times faster than a non-staged home – and 70% of real estate agents stated that home staging increased the offer value on a house by up to 10%.

Homes & Gardens caught up with experts in the field, Anne Carr of Los Angeles-based Anne Carr Design and Alex Willcocks, managing director of London-based Burbeck Interiors, to discuss the features home buyers want, the benefits of home staging – and how to do it.

Staging a house – top 15 home staging tips

'Staging is really important for two reasons,' says Anne Carr. 'Most people cannot see beyond what is in front of them. They get caught up in past perceptions, so you need to show them what is possible.  

'Sometimes rooms are awkward and you need to show people how a space can be best utilized. The second reason is that the person may not be very good with space planning. Rooms tend to feel a lot smaller without furniture, so how we place furniture gives buyers a sample of what is possible.'

No matter your budget these golden home staging tips are sure to have an impact.

1. Declutter your home

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

Decluttering is the first job you should tackle when home staging. Clutter is distracting for buyers – their eyes will be drawn to your belongings and not the rooms. The rooms themselves will look smaller and untidy if cluttered, too.

'Nearly all of us have too much ‘stuff’, which has been accumulated over years if not decades. Decluttering each room is an excellent investment of your time,' continues Alex Willcocks. 'It's important potential buyers can envisage themselves living in the property, for that to happen it has to feel like you don’t.

'Try to free up as much surface space as you can on shelves, coffee tables and especially in the kitchen. Wicker or rope baskets are excellent for throwing items in that you need but don’t necessarily want to see. Storage units and containers are another great option should you require more space.'

2. Invest in storage – but don't overload it

(Image credit: Jan Baldwin / Future)

Now you've decluttered you can clearly see where there might be a need for extra storage to make rooms feel really neat and organized. Ideally, you should ensure your storage units, hidden behind doors or otherwise (remembering that buyers will open cupboard doors), shouldn't be overloaded. 

When staging a house, you want buyers to think your home can cope with their belongings because your storage is ample, not under pressure.

3. Clean, clean, clean

A clean home will feel well-cared for, which is important for most buyers – even renovators don't want to buy somewhere that gives the impression of being neglected. Plus, a clean, aired home will feel fresh and welcoming – this will help buyers envisage themselves living in your home. 

'If you do nothing else, make sure your home is clean, clutter and odor-free (you may be used to your pets’ pong but buyers won’t be!), and that there are no "yet to be finished" DIY jobs as they’ll give the impression that your house will need a lot of maintenance,' advises Alex Willcocks.

4. Tackle home staging must-do DIY jobs

(Image credit: Anna Stathaki / Future)

Just as a property needs to be clean to feel well maintained, a home also needs obvious maintenance tasks ticked off in order to secure an offer fast. So, make a list as you assess what needs doing to stage your house: fix that dripping faucet, mend the guttering, fill holes and cracks in walls, repair that door... anything that looks broken or doesn't work can put buyers off.

5. Refresh rooms with light reflecting colors

(Image credit: James Merrell / Future)

It's well worth reconsidering, for example, living room color schemes.

'A fresh coat of paint makes a huge amount of difference. It brightens a room, it can make it look bigger and, it gives an overall appearance of a well-kept home,' advises Anne Carr of Los Angeles-based Anne Carr Design. 

And while you may love bright or dark colors or bold wallpapers, it's often best to stick to what's safe to secure a sale when staging a house. That needn't mean white, neutrals, naturals and pastels can all create a space-enhancing feel buyers will love.

6. Renovate your kitchen and bathroom

Interior design / Tom Howley

(Image credit: Paul Raeside)

Staging a kitchen may be more than just decluttering and cleaning – if yours is holding back your chances of getting an offer, you may need to consider a remodel, the cost of which, done wisely, can be recouped when you sell. 

'A new kitchen has the most impact on a new buyer. It demonstrates to buyers that the house has been updated. You always recoup your investment from upgrading kitchens and baths,' continues Anne Carr.

This may not mean remodelling – painting kitchen cabinets can make a world of difference.

'Bathrooms and landscaping are important, too,' advises Anne Carr. 'Redoing floors is worth it if you are staying in the home, but not needed for a sale. Built-in cabinetry is another one.'

7. Rework room layouts

(Image credit: Curated Nest/Kyle J Caldwell)

Staging a house might involve reworking rooms' layouts. This is particularly important when staging a living room – especially if it is an open-plan room that doubles up as a kitchen diner, in which case you may need to investigate new living room layout ideas.

'I arrange the room to look its best – not for practicality's sake,' says Anne Carr. 'For example, sometimes a table may be too close to a cabinet for proper opening and closing, and that's because we are just after a balanced look, instead of necessarily trying to be practical. 

'The same goes for television placement. Some brokers get hung up on whether the TV placement is viewable from different furnishings. I say it doesn't matter for selling purposes, because no one is watching TV while viewing the home!'

8. Remember accessories when staging a house

(Image credit: Future / Jonathan Gooch)

Staging a house isn't just about adding new pieces to your home – you may also need to get rid of some well-loved furnishings, too.

'Get rid of all stained rugs and furniture. It gives an overall bad feeling to prospective buyers. It makes a home look beaten up. If you can’t replace it, you can buy inexpensive sisal rugs and place them on top of the existing rug, advises Anne Carr. 

'It is not as pricey as people believe to reupholster furniture and it can make a huge difference. If you like the shape of a piece, reupholstering can really revive it. You just have to choose a moderately priced fabric. 

'New, fresh looking furniture will elevate the entire room. If you cannot redo the kitchen, and your kitchen is dated, painting the cabinet fronts can give a kitchen a huge facelift without a big investment.

'Colorful throw pillows that work together also give a home a look of well-balanced look as well as matching throw blankets. 

'Accessories make a big difference, too. Consider placing a coffee table book with a candle or an interesting decorative piece.'

'Making small changes to a room can often have a big impact on its ambiance. I would recommend always replacing bed linen and towels with new crisp white replacements,' advises Alex Willcocks. 'The same rule applies to bath and hand towels. Scented oil diffusers and candles are always a good idea to create a warm welcoming environment.'

9. Stage a house for comfort

(Image credit: Alicia Taylor)

'Comfort is much more important because people are staying in their homes for long periods of time,' says Anne Carr. 'We are getting requests for large comfortable sectionals for long Netflix watching with the entire family. 

'Unlike the early 2000s where everyone wanted open concept living, clients are realizing that they need privacy and quiet to work or go to online learning. Many clients are changing room formats so that every family member has an office.

'I think buyers like to see up-to-date furnishings that don't look too cold. There was a trend a while back for everything to be white, but it also has to make people feel like their lifestyle could fit in with this on a daily basis, so it's important not to give any space an impersonal, hotel look. '

10. Add pops of color for personality

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

'People do like to see a pop of color in pillows or in an occasional chair,' continues Anne Carr. 'When home staging, we also like to add an element of surprise through art with color. The psychology of color says that the majority of people gravitate towards things that are blue. In more modern homes, we will use a neutral palette with more black than we would in a farmhouse style of architecture.

'In Southern California the look doesn't really change that much in different seasons, however we do tend to use more subdued colors in fall and winter. We may add a chunky throw and more organic materials to add texture to the design. Summertime is always a happy time, so we try to throw in some bright colors in our design, especially in the outdoors.

11. Make a good first impression by staging your front yard

(Image credit: Dan Duchars)

'This timeless expression is applicable to selling your home,' says Alex Willcocks, managing director of London-based Burbeck Interiors. 'A buyer's decision making process doesn’t start once they are in the property, it started 100 meters before that. As such any remedial work or improvement that can be made to the entrance of the property will pay dividends.

'This can be as simple as weeding the path leading to the front door to a new coat of paint on the door itself or investing in some lovely front yard flower bed ideas. Try and clean any windows you can, especially the one at the front of the property. As summer continues new flowers or a hanging basket can give a positive impression, their aroma can also create a good first impression. '

12. Use real plants in home staging

(Image credit: Mark Bolton)

Using house plants in staging a house can be effective.

'We like to use real plants if it's possible for us to maintain them on a weekly basis,' says Anne Carr. 'Again, it feels less like a hotel to buyers and more like a place they can see themselves living. We rarely use faux flowers, unless they are really high quality and difficult to decipher from the real ones.'

13. Don't forget to stage the back yard

(Image credit: Emme Lee)

'If you are lucky enough to have any outside space, you really need to maximize this as much as possible,' continues Alex Willcocks. 'It doesn’t matter if it's 6ft by 6ft or 300ft long, you need to get this to do the selling. 

'Just like with the front of the property, assess what needs to be done to make it as presentable as you can. Treat it as an extra room and home stage it accordingly. Start by measuring your outdoor area and deciding what type of furniture will best suit your needs and lifestyle – a bistro two-seater table and chairs is perfect for romantic al fresco dining on a city balcony, whereas a large sofa set is a good choice for a sociable family household – all these backyard ideas will help. '

14. What not to use in home staging

'I try not to use metallic accents. I feel it is a dated look and can cheapen a room,' concludes Anne Carr.

'I would always advise homeowners to go out when buyers are due to visit – let your realtor show them the property,' says Homes & Gardens Editor in Chief. 'In my own experience, they will feel more relaxed, be more likely to spend more time looking around, imagining themselves living there, and the house will feel less like yours, and more like – potentially – theirs. For this reason, too, de-personalizing is a must. Family portraits should be put away for now and those on the wall replaced with more neutral art.'

15. Stage a house to suit its age and style

Staging an older home is the same as staging a modern one except that any home will look best if the interior complements the home's age, architecture and style. Having a cohesive look that runs throughout an entire home can make it look bigger, too.

Why use home staging to sell a house?

Staging a house is one of the easiest and best ways to add value. Home staging incorporates a vast array of different services, from basic decluttering to a complete interior makeover. These, you can tackle yourself, perhaps with the advice of your realtor, although professional home stagers will make the process smoother, quicker and, potentially, more successful. 

Prices for home staging can vary depending on the scope of the work that needs to be undertaken, however there is a lot you can do to increase the marketability of your property – and this is what we're looking into here.

Who pays for the staging of a house?

Homeowners pay for the staging of a house since it is in their interest to gain a quicker offer, sale and, hopefully, a higher price. 

How do I stage my home myself?

To stage your home yourself, follow these simple steps:

Thanks to Burbeck Interiors and Anne Carr Design

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.

How to Stage Your Home for a Quick Sale

When real estate agents talk about staging your home, they're referring to a method of preparing a property for sale on the real estate marketplace. Staging is designed to showcase a home's best assets, impress buyers, and sell it quickly for the highest possible price.

Because not all sellers stage their homes–especially homes in lower price ranges–you'll be at an advantage if you elect to take the extra step of staging your property. Here's how.

Key Takeaways

What Is Home Staging?

Good staging is “a form of visual merchandising that draws on some of the fundamentals of interior design,” says Gordon Roberts, a broker with Sotheby’s International Realty. “The object of staging is to flatter the property but not be too obvious about it, like being dressed without drawing particular attention to what you’re wearing.”

Melinda Massie, who owns a Fort Worth home organizing firm, says that good staging lets the buyers imagine themselves in the home, shows off its good features and hides its flaws, turns weird spaces into usable spaces, creates a mood (stagers call it “emotional” staging), and makes the home look significantly better in photos. 

Home staging is not the same as decorating. Decorating is about personal style, while staging makes your home appealing to the largest pool of buyers.

Why Home Staging Is Important

When dealing with such a significant financial transaction as selling a home, you don't want to settle for a lower selling price or a longer marketing period than you have to.

Relative to the amount of time and money involved, staging may be one of the most lucrative projects you ever undertake. Potential buyers aren't just looking for a structure to inhabit—they're also looking for a way to fulfill their dreams and improve their lifestyles. Staging can create a more emotional purchase for the buyer, which ultimately can generate more money for the seller.

Home staging is also beneficial because potential buyers don't want to see work that needs to be done upon moving into the home. For every problem they see, they'll deduct its cost from their offering price. If they see too many problems, they may pass completely on buying the home.

Benefits of Home Staging

Staging a home makes it visually more appealing and allows potential homebuyers to envision how the home might look once they move in to it, making it look more move-in ready. Having furnishings and wall hangings in place is often more inviting than empty rooms and blank walls.

According to the 2021 Profile of Home Staging, a report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 47% of buyers' agents said that staging positively affected most buyers' opinions of a home.

The report also found that 82% of buyers' agents say staging makes it easier for buyers to visualize a property as their future home, which can help the home sell faster. According to the report, staging the living room was found to be very important to 46% of buyers, followed by the master bedroom, at 43% and the kitchen at 35%.

Options on How to Stage a Home

Many full-service realtors today will take care of staging your home, many of whom may hire a professional stager to assist in the process. They will find and procure the appropriate furnishings and accessories to keep the home looking good while you're moved out and showing the property. The cost to stage may be split between the homeowner and the realtor's expected commission, but expect to pay between 1% and 3% of the home's selling price on staging.

New trends have homeowners opting for DIY home staging (as opposed to hiring a professional stager) and limiting the number of buyers who come into the home for in-person showings. Yet staging remains an important tool because a well-staged home looks better in photographs—and most buyers are looking for homes online. Be prepared to pay for things like painting, storage organizers, furniture and furnishings rentals, floral arrangements, and cleaning supplies.

Below, we list a dozen tips for how to go about staging your home.

12 Home Staging Tips

According to the NAR report, the most common rooms that are staged are the living room (93%), kitchen (84%), owner's bedroom (78%), and the dining room (72%).

Of course, time and money determine the level of staging that is practical for your home. Try to employ the following techniques in as many rooms of the house as you can afford and have time for.

1. Clean

A clean home shows potential buyers that you've taken good care of the property. Ideally, you should clean every part of the house, from the floors to the ceilings—and everything in between.

If you don't have new appliances in the kitchen, make sure the existing ones are spotless. Likewise, make sure your bathrooms sparkle, from the corners of the tub, to the sink drain, to that spot behind the toilet you don't think anyone can see. Your goal should be to make everything look new.

$1,500

The median amount spent on home staging, when using a specialized staging service was $1,500, according to NAR's 2021 Profile of Home Staging Report.

2. Declutter

There are two major problems with clutter. One is that it distracts buyers from your home's features. The other is that it makes it seem like the home has less space.

Now is the time to box up and put into storage the things you don't need on a day-to-day basis (think: knickknacks, games, papers, seasonal clothes, and messy hobbies). It's also time to get rid of things you no longer need—like the expired food in the back of the cabinets, and the clothes and toys the kids have long since outgrown. The more empty storage space you have, the better.

3. Depersonalize

Buyers need to be able to envision themselves in your home, so remove all the family photos, keepsakes, and refrigerator art. Keep clothes hidden away as much as possible, and make sure the bathroom counters are empty (except for hand soap, of course). Likewise, put away all the toys and anything else that is highly personal or evocative of the home's current inhabitants.

4. Focus on Fresh

A few potted plants can do wonders to make your home feel fresh and inviting. If you have a lot of plants, space them out strategically so they don't overwhelm any one area (unless you have a greenhouse). Of course, dead and dying plants don't do much to make your home look well tended.

Another way to make your home seem fresh is to get rid of odors. Pets, kids, last night's dinner, a damp bathroom, and many other conditions can make your home smell. Inexpensive tricks for ridding a home of odors and giving it an inviting aroma include baking cinnamon-coated apples or cookies in the oven (be careful not to burn them), or burning vanilla-scented candles.

It's also a good idea to wipe down the kitchen sink with half a lemon, then grind it in the garbage disposal to remove sink odors. While you could use an air freshener to deodorize your home, it's best to avoid these since they can trigger allergic reactions and asthma in sensitive people. If you're a smoker and you normally smoke indoors, start limiting your smoking to outside the home and take extra steps to deodorize indoors. Finally, don't forget to take out the trash.

Essential oils (mix one cup of water with eight to 10 drops of oil in a spray bottle, and spray toward the center of each room), herbs and flowers, beeswax candles, and air purifiers are chemical-free ways to freshen the air in your home.

5. Define Rooms

Make sure that each room has a single, defined purpose. And make sure that every space within each room has a purpose. This will help buyers see how to maximize the home's square footage. If you have a finished attic, make it into an office. A finished basement can become an entertainment room, and a junk room can be transformed into a guest bedroom.

Even if the buyer doesn't want to use the room for the same purpose, the important thing is for them to see that every inch of the home is usable space. This includes alcoves, window seats, corners, breakfast nooks, and other areas.

6. Wallpaper and Paint

It is unlikely that a potential buyer will like your wallpaper. Your best bet is to tear it down and paint the walls with a neutral color instead. It's best not to paint over the wallpaper because it may look shabby and send a signal to the buyer about work they may have to do later.

Potential buyers will likely feel the same way about custom paint colors. You may love your orange bathroom, but people's tastes in colors are very specific and highly personal. You might think white walls are ideal because they create a blank slate that allows buyers to envision their own décor and gives them an easy starting point. However, it's actually better to paint your home with warm, neutral colors.

7. Flooring

No one wants to live in a home with dirty, stained carpet, especially when someone else was the one who dirtied it. And linoleum is outdated and looks cheap. Although pricey, hardwood floors add value and elegance to a home. They are also low maintenance, provide great long-term value, and are perfect for buyers with allergies. In other words, they appeal to almost everyone, and if not, they're easily carpeted over by the buyer and preserved for the next owner.

Common areas like the living room, dining room, and kitchen should be your main focus if you are going to add hardwood floors. Ideally, you should upgrade the bathrooms, too. They have relatively little floor area and therefore won't be too expensive. In kitchens and bathrooms, go with ceramic tile or stone if you can afford it. If not, use high-quality vinyl tiles that mimic these more expensive materials.

8. Lighting

Take advantage of your home's natural light. Open all curtains and blinds when showing your home. Add fixtures where necessary, and turn on all the lights for showings (including those in the closets). This makes your home appear brighter and more inviting, and it saves buyers from having to hunt for light switches. If you think your existing fixtures are fine, be sure to dust them and clean off any grime. Otherwise, outdated and broken light fixtures are easy and cheap to replace.

9. Furniture

Make sure furniture is the right size for the room, and don't clutter a room with too much of it. Furniture that's too big will make a room look small, while too little or too small furniture can make a space feel cold.

Don't use cheap furniture, either. You don't have to pay a lot of money to switch out your existing furniture—and you may even be able to rent furniture to stage your home. Either way, make sure the furniture looks nice, tidy, and inviting. You can use throw pillows to add contrast and a pop of color.

You'll also want to arrange the furniture in a way that makes each room feel spacious, homey, and easy to navigate. In the living room, for example, seating should be set up in a way that creates a comfortable conversation area.

10. Walls and Ceilings

Cracks in the walls or ceiling are red flags to buyers because they may indicate foundation problems. If your home does have foundation problems, you will need to either fix them or alert potential buyers to them; fixing any foundation problems would be better in terms of getting the home sold. If the foundation only looks bad but has been deemed sound by an inspector, repair the cracks so you don't scare off buyers for no good reason.

11. Exterior

The exterior and the entryway—which factor into the home's "curb appeal"—are important points of focus because they can heavily impact a buyer's first impression. They may even determine someone's interest in viewing the inside of the house.

Make sure your lawn, hedges, trees, and other plants are neatly pruned, and be sure to get rid of any weeds. Wash windows well, and consider adding flower boxes to brighten them up even more. If you can, power wash your home's exterior—this can make it look almost freshly painted but with less effort and expense.

Make sure the sidewalk leading up to the house is clear and clean, and buy new doormats for the front and back doors. If you have a pool, showcase it by making sure it's crystal clear. Creating some sort of outdoor living space in the backyard, such as a deck or patio with outdoor furniture, is another way to use the exterior of your home to its greatest advantage.

12. Final Touches

Just before any open house or showing, make sure that your staging efforts have the maximum impact with a few last-minute touches that will make the home seem warm and inviting. Put fresh flowers in vases, let fresh air into the house for at least ten minutes beforehand so it isn't stuffy, light a few candles (soft and subtle fragrances only), and put new, plush towels in the bathrooms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of home staging?

A well-staged home will sell for more than one that's not been gussied up. Home shoppers, when they enter a nicely staged home, can imagine themselves living there. A home that's not staged will force a buyer to look past all of the seller's possessions to imagine the home as theirs. Photos of a properly staged home look better in online listings, which help sell the property.

How important is home staging?

Relative to the amount of time and money involved, staging may be one of the most lucrative projects you ever undertake. Potential buyers aren't just looking for a structure to inhabit—they're also looking for a way to fulfill their dreams and improve their lifestyle. Staging can create a more emotional purchase for the buyer, which ultimately can generate more money for the seller.

Is it better to sell a house empty or staged?

Some people argue that selling a house empty is better since potential buyers can better envision their own belongings and furnishings in the space and use the blank template to let their imaginations run. Plus, you would save on the costs to stage. Still, industry reports show that staged homes do often sell faster.

How expensive is home staging?

The median amount spent on home staging, when using a specialized staging service was $1,500, according to NAR's 2021 Profile of Home Staging Report. Still, a seller can spend more if needed, or if they feel the added expense will yield a better price. Expect to pay between 1% and 3% of the home's selling price on staging.

The Bottom Line

Even if you have plenty of cash, don't put too much money into the staging process. You want to emphasize the home's best features, but keep in mind that what sells the home and what makes the home usable for the buyer are not necessarily the same thing.

Overall, to get the most bang for your buck, your home staging efforts should be designed to appeal to the widest possible range of buyers. The more people willing to submit purchase offers for your home, the higher the selling price will be.

Business ideas for mom on decree

All the pros and cons

Starting your own business is a serious process and requires deep thought. Let's analyze all the advantages and disadvantages of doing business on maternity leave.

FOR Vs
Additional income Combining work and household chores
Free work schedule Little profit at the beginning
Personal growth Danger of running into scammers
Financial independence
Comfort workplace
Absence of chief
Doing what you love

A new mother must weigh everything and decide if she can handle such a load. The first time, most likely, will not be easy, the business requires financial investments that will not pay off as quickly as we would like. However, if you do what you really like, do your job conscientiously and correctly allocate your time, the planned project will bear fruit.

How to choose a direction for business

There are a lot of opportunities to earn money from home while on maternity leave. In order to choose a field for work, you need to answer a few questions for yourself.

  1. How much time per day are you willing to devote to work? As we have already said, this may be the time for the baby to rest, or the child may occupy himself for some time when he is awake. It's great if there is someone in the wings who can play or take a walk with the baby.
  2. What are you best at and what are you willing to do? Perhaps you love to play with children, cook, sew, have a talent for persuasion, use modeling programs, photo editors, etc. On these and other abilities, you can earn decent money.
  3. For what purpose are you looking for a job: for earnings or for pleasure? The choice of the direction of business depends on the answer to this question, since some areas pay off faster and require less costs.

Having determined the direction of activity, the purpose of earning and understanding how much time you can devote to work without harm to the baby, you can find your calling.

Business ideas for moms on maternity leave

A win-win option for earning money at home is to work by profession. Thus, you will not only receive additional income, but also do not waste your professional skills and, on the contrary, will be aware of current trends in your specialty.

Tutor

If you have a pedagogical education and like working with children, you can try yourself as a tutor. Educational services can be provided at home, visiting students or online via video link. For a young mother, most likely, the latter method will be the most convenient. You are unlikely to be left without clients, especially before preparing for exams.

Writing essays, term papers to order

Students often use services for solving problems, drawing up drawings, writing dissertations, term papers and essays. With enough knowledge, you can provide yourself with a decent income. With timely and competent work done, the students themselves will advise you to their classmates.

Lawyer, psychologist

Before the decree, did you work in the field of law or psychology? Then you can successfully conduct online consultations, trainings, draw up contracts, applications, etc. If the employer agrees, you can perform some of the duties remotely.

Designer

Are you a designer? You can also arrange with your employer to provide services at your own individual schedule or work online. On the Internet, there are often announcements about the creation of web pages, booklets, leaflets, interior design, etc.

Accountant

Some businesses use the services of outsourcing companies or individuals involved in accounting. This is a great opportunity not to lose your skills and earn.

Masseur

If you have graduated from a medical school, you can additionally take massage courses. Many parents are looking for such a specialist for their baby. In addition, all family members will be happy with your new skill.

Photographer

You can continue working as a photographer while on maternity leave. True, one cannot do without the help of relatives, it will be necessary to agree on the time of shooting and agree that the spouse or grandmother will sit with the child. Beautiful shots can be taken on a walk with your baby, and high-quality photos can be published on photo stocks.

Artist

One of the most popular gifts is a painting. You can draw from life at home or make portraits from photographs. Let your imagination run wild and come up with illustrations for books, cartoons, comics. If you wish, you can direct your talent towards creating interiors, painting furniture or other items.

Confectioner

If you worked as a confectioner before maternity leave, caring for a child will not prevent you from doing your own thing. The home baking business idea is attractive not only for professional pastry bakers, but also for women who love to cook. You can also try yourself in this role because almost every kitchen has equipment for making cakes and other pastries. Cake is a treat for all occasions, which means that you definitely won’t be left without orders.

Seamstress

You can work on maternity leave if you have a sewing machine at home. Even if you do not have the appropriate education, now there is an opportunity to learn this profession on your own, for example, take courses in sewing. You can sew clothes for yourself, your family and for sale.

Earn money on a hobby

While still at school, girls learn basic techniques of sewing, embroidery, knitting, etc. in labor lessons. If you wish, you can further develop your skills, and put the fruits of your creativity up for sale. Handmade gifts are very much appreciated.

Knitting

In the cold season, knitted items are in great demand: hats, scarves, mittens, socks, sweaters. You can knit not only clothes and accessories, but also toys, decor items. Hand made gifts will certainly be remembered for a long time.

Embroidery

Embroidered items are unique and popular. You can embroider with threads, ribbons, beads. And what products to decorate with handmade, here let your imagination fly, it can be independent paintings, clothes, bags embroidered with patterns, brooches and much more.

Creation of educational children's toys

A modern mother cares about the comprehensive development of her child. In every family where there is a child, you can find a business board. Try to make it yourself. To develop fine motor skills, buttons, buttons, zippers, any rustling elements, fasteners, locks, and so on can be attached to a board or fabric. The kid will definitely be interested in such a toy. What is not a way to earn money?

Making jewelry

Mothers love to dress up their daughters in beautiful outfits, and you can complete the look with a handmade headband, elastic band, hair clip. You can also make jewelry and jewelry for family shooting in the same style for mom and daughter.

Candle and soap making

A young mother can learn how to make soap or decorative candles at home. To do this, just watch the training videos and purchase the necessary raw materials. And then everything is in your hands, mix colors, come up with intricate shapes. These items are perfect as gifts.

Creating party attributes

Children's birthdays and holidays are often decorated in the style of a cartoon. To do this, parents buy balls, garlands, hats, everything for table setting in one theme. Some of this can be done with your own hands and sold in kits, completed by style. Handmade wedding attributes are also in demand. This includes glasses of the newlyweds, pillows for rings, a box for money, invitations and more.

Scrapbooking

With this technique, you can create amazingly beautiful photo albums, postcards, photo frames, etc. Albums of the first year of a child's life, wedding albums are especially popular. And how nice it will be for customers to fill them out and remember the most memorable moments of life.

We have presented, of course, a non-exhaustive list of hobbies that can generate income. If you are doing what you love, creating a unique product, customers will be drawn to you. Create pages on social networks, post your work, show the process of creating your products, so you will definitely find your buyer. Nobody has canceled word of mouth, a satisfied customer will surely share his emotions from the purchase with friends and relatives, which will certainly benefit you.

Professions that can be learned in a short time

On maternity leave, a mother can try herself in a new profession. You don't have to graduate from a university, you just need to take a course. Now masters of the beauty industry are in great demand. Training for these professions (hairdresser, manicure and pedicure master, make-up artist, etc.) does not last long. Being a good specialist, you will quickly gain regular customers. There is a high probability that once you get into this area, you will not return to your previous job.

Business on the Internet: 99 ideas

Keep in mind: even the best product will not promote itself. To get the maximum result in terms of website traffic, conversions, leads and sales, you need a comprehensive business promotion.

Table of contents:

Sales

Handmade

Online education and information products

Entertainment

Blogging

Useful services

Consulting for individuals

B2B services

Crazy ideas menu

Table of contents:

Sales

Handmade

Online Education and Infoproducts

Entertainment

Bogling

Useful services

Consulting

B2V services

9000 Crazy Mo many ideas 9000 9000 9000 more 35 % percent of Russians made purchases online, and these numbers are only growing. Open an online store and sell those products that you are well versed in. You can do this on your website, sell through a landing page, even just through social networks. Or use third-party services - Avito, Ebay, Amazon and others.

Read also

All about SMM: 114 articles and videos that will make you a pro How to make money on the Internet for a beginner: proven methods and pitfalls The new pain of the economy: young people do not want to consume like normal people
  1. Electronics breaks all sales records on the Internet. If you can find a way to compete with the big chains and minimize the risk of your gadgets getting damaged in transit, that's a good option.
  2. Clothes . Many things can be picked up without trying on, and people actively buy them on the Internet - you can minimize costs by selling through social networks and offer good prices. Read in our blog about how to create an online store "VKontakte".
  3. Books. Yes, yes, paper. It sounds old-fashioned, but it is on the websites that they now prefer to order, because the prices in offline stores have skyrocketed.
  1. Goods from China. Absolutely any: order clothes, accessories and gadgets in Chinese stores and resell online in your region - you will have an advantage over AliExpress due to faster delivery. It is only important to find a reliable supplier so that the poor quality of the goods does not lead you to losses.
  2. Promoted communities and accounts. First, of course, they will have to be untwisted. Buy bots and sell cheap or honestly recruit live people and sell expensive - it's up to you. For "white" SMM promotion, you can contact us.
  3. Organic food. You can negotiate with local farmers, gardeners and mushroom pickers, find buyers online and arrange delivery.
  4. Antiques. Suitable only if you understand it or want to understand it. Among the population there will always be a layer of connoisseurs of antiquity - the main thing is to reach out to them and offer a relevant product.
  5. Products for animals. Oddly enough, people can save on themselves, but not on their cats and dogs.
  6. Goods for children. Another high margin niche.
  7. Goods for everyday needs. If you can pack people with detergents, razors, wipes and shampoos once a month with delivery, you will find grateful customers. And for an online store, be sure to choose the right CMS.
  8. Affiliate marketing. Sell any other company's products for a commission. Such a business on partnership terms will require a minimum investment.
  9. Cybersquatting. Register and resell domains.
  10. Hobby goods. People who are fond of scrapbooking, embroidery, wood carving, fishing or hunting know exactly what they need - so they are easily and quickly ready to make online purchases.
  11. Cosmetics. Easy to sell with little investment, easy and inexpensive to deliver, long shelf life - a convenient product for e-commerce. You can open an online store on Instagram.
  12. Used goods. Buy and sell used appliances, clothing and household items in good condition.

Let's promote your business

In Google and Yandex, social networks, mailing lists, video platforms, bloggers

More

Handmade

If you can not only sell other people's products, but also produce your own, you have a competitive advantage. You can sell on your own resources and on third-party sites. There is a "Fair of Masters" for finding buyers in Russia, there is Etsy, where you can sell your handmade items all over the world.

  1. Individual tailoring. With the decline in quality in the mass market, there is an increasing demand for clothing made from quality fabrics, tailored to individual measurements. All you need is a sewing machine and the ability to use it, and buyers can take all the measurements themselves and send them to you on the site.
  2. Accessories and bijouterie. Made from polymer clay, wood, metal or fabric - maybe you know how to make jewelry, but you just don't know it.
  3. Household goods. It can be textiles, frames, coasters, candlesticks or dishes. But making quality things is not a guarantee of success, because it is very important to find your buyer.
  4. Interior paintings. They are usually large and abstract, and can be made to order for specific buyers. The main thing is to find this buyer.
  1. Furniture. For ease of delivery, small-sized or disassembled parts are better - like in IKEA. You can try to negotiate cooperation with interior design studios.
  2. Personalization of common items. You can engrave to order or give a second life to old things of customers.
  3. Confectionery. Cakes and pastries can be made to order and shipped to your region, gingerbread and sweets can last a long time and be delivered throughout the country. Choose the right content for the online store - then it will be convenient and interesting for users to work with your site, and you can increase sales.

Online education and information products

A modern person studies all his life. And more and more often he chooses education online, so as not to waste time on the road, not to adjust his schedule to the courses and be able to learn from professionals from anywhere in the world.

  1. Language training. You can create an online school with your chips. In comprehension of foreign languages, people are picky, lazy and constantly looking for new methods - therefore, it is quite possible to find ways to compete with giants like Skyeng.
  2. Training in practical skills. Any of your professional activities in which you are well versed will do: you can teach people targeting, design, photography, programming, SEO promotion, management. If you don't know how yet, it's okay - come to TexTerra's internet marketing courses.
  3. Training for self-development. This is financial literacy, time management, oratory and much more. You can attract not only young people, but also older people who have a lot of free time and who are interested in learning new things. By the way, in our blog there is a material about the promotion of courses for an audience of 50+.
  4. Teaching highly specialized subjects. Perhaps you can teach programmers a new language or designers how to use a new program.
  5. General education courses. Monetize the human thirst for knowledge: courses in modern art, religious history or English literature also attract a lot of people if you make them entertaining and interactive.
  6. Expert books. Write them and sell if you are deeply versed in some area. Create a serious product and think over every little thing: content, promotion, presentation. Get inspired by our book 100+ Internet Marketer Hacks.
  7. Teaching aids. If you don't know enough, compile electronic manuals based on less convenient or foreign publications - and sell them.
  8. Video tutorials. You can teach people something specific by showing them by example. You can teach what you yourself know how - from cooking to photo retouching.
  9. Author's courses. Develop course materials for lessons and sell them - just like a textbook, without any online consultations and verification of work.
  10. Tutoring for children. Any school subject can be taught via video link.
  1. Additional education for children. Open an online school for programming, journalism or any other subject - teach schoolchildren what may be useful to them in later life.
  2. Courses for parents. Recently, they are gaining popularity.

Entertainment

People also often spend their leisure time on the Internet - use it.

  1. Dating service. It seems that everything has already been invented, but you can do it with your own chip. For example, there is Haters, an app that matches people based on what people hate. Come up with your own chip and implement it, study the target audience. And we will help to understand how men and women behave on the Internet.
  2. Social network. Of course, you don't need to compete with VK. You need to focus on a narrower audience with similar interests.
  3. Online games. This may be a large-scale project with virtual and augmented reality technologies. Or simple games in mobile applications. How to make money on this, we have already written.
  4. Content project. Make a website, write articles and shoot videos on interesting topics - about travel, human stories, sci-fi or interesting facts.
  1. Aggregator of events in different cities of Russia. Not all events are published in Kudago, and not all regions are represented on the site. You can cover more interesting things, it is convenient to systematize it and take money for posting announcements.
  2. Event planning . If you are naturally creative, develop and sell holiday scenarios according to the wishes of customers.
  3. Organization of events . This can also be done online - you can select venues, presenters, photographers, decorators, animators for events and coordinate their work.

Blogging

One of the most popular types of modern Internet business: developing an Instagram account, a YouTube channel or a blog with articles - you charge money for advertising.

  1. Photo blogs. If you travel a lot or just see the world from an unusual angle, you can keep subscribers with beautiful pictures and witty captions. Learn how to professionally use Photoshop to take your content to the next level.
  2. Blogs with longreads. You can sell it on the social network, on your website, Zen or Medium. Write about something that may be interesting or useful to a wide range of readers. And we will suggest 7 win-win topics for any blog.
  1. Product testing . Choose an area and tell your subscribers about your experience with different brands of cosmetics, fishing tackle, equipment, and any other products.
  2. Interviews with experts and interesting people . If you can vlog and find interesting guests, you will never run out of ideas for content - you will earn on the stories of your heroes. You can repeat Dud's experience and keep an entertaining blog, or choose a field and lead discussions for specialists.

How to promote a channel in Zen and make money on video - a guide

Useful services

On the Internet, any information is publicly available, but a resource will be successful where it can be conveniently systematized and presented to users. And also, in addition to information services, you can coordinate the work of some offline services using websites and applications.

  1. Online libraries. There are already Litres and others in RuNet, but there are not so many of them yet.
  2. Library of application forms to various authorities. You can create a resource where people can quickly find and download any form.
  3. Discount aggregators. To reduce competition, you can choose to specialize in certain products. The structure of such a site can be quite complex: take care to write a competent TOR for developers.
  4. Bulletin board. Make a convenient service for placing any ads: sale, purchase, exchange, service offers and job search.
  1. Online flea market. It is convenient to implement this through the application, but with a small budget, you can even get by with social networks.
  2. Real estate sale and purchase service. Less and less people turn to realtors and more and more often they are looking for housing via the Internet. To be taken seriously in the real estate market, take care of the little things that build trust in the site.
  3. Buy tickets and tours online. A modern person will also prefer a convenient site to travel agencies, and you can take a percentage of the amount.
  4. Photobank. Everyone needs good photos - designers, SMMs, business owners, and sometimes individuals. And they are willing to pay for them.
  5. Food delivery service. And you don't need to keep your restaurant at all - the main thing is to organize the work of couriers, make a convenient website and succeed in promotion. And learn how to write delicious texts about food that will attract customers.
  6. Courier service. Delivery of anything is now processed via the Internet.
  7. Service Exchange. You can make a resource for a wide range of services, like YouDo, or create a specialized exchange for freelancers in a particular field. For example, an exchange of copywriters, programmers, designers. Study your competitors: we have published an overview of popular freelance exchanges.
  8. Platform for tutors and students. Like Preply or Upstudy.
  9. Photo editing service. There are many of them on the Internet, but it is difficult to navigate them, and not everyone has Photoshop. An editor tailored for specific needs, for example, specifically for SMM or retouching, may be in demand.

Consulting for individuals

Individual consultations on a variety of issues are gaining popularity on the Internet.

  1. Psychological assistance. If suddenly you are a certified psychologist or you can hire psychologists to work, online consultations will be a good business project.
  1. Career guidance for children and adults . Now everyone wants to find a calling and a job they love - some will definitely need help.
  2. Employment advice . Finding a dream job is a separate difficult task, and there is no worthy competitor to HeadHunter. If you can track job offers all over the internet and provide them to candidates, you can make money off of it.
  3. Family relationship counseling. And for any relationship. Such services can be sold in private messages.
  4. Nutrition advice. At the same time, you can negotiate with brands whose products you will recommend.
  5. Fashion. Since shopping is moving to the Internet, the services of a virtual stylist may also be required here.
  6. Legal advice for individuals. Of course, you cannot work as a lawyer online, but you can answer people's questions and suggest legal solutions to their problems for money. You can promote services with the help of useful content - the TexTerra blog has material on how to write good legal texts.
  7. Consultations on education abroad. It is always relevant, because many people want to leave, but it is difficult to understand the intricacies on your own.
  8. Computer help. Some people can't reboot their router or install a browser on their own and are willing to pay for help.

B2B services

A large and separate layer of ideas is various business services. Outsourcing is gaining popularity: if a specialist is needed for a few hours a month, he will not be kept on staff.

  1. Legal assistance. You can solve any business issues: from copyright protection to settling disputes with partners.
  2. Mystery shopping exchange. Usually such employees are not kept in the state, they are needed for a short period of time. You can create a site for easy search of artists and monetize it.
  3. Accounting services. More and more small businesses are choosing outsourced accountants.
  4. Internet audit. Analyze the performance of websites, communities and social media accounts.
  5. Remote call center. You will need employees from anywhere in the country who will receive calls for several organizations.
  6. System administration. Usually, the full-time presence of a system administrator in the office is needed only when problems arise.
  7. Trainings. Large and even medium-sized companies are willing to pay for employee training: from upgrading core skills to negotiation techniques, management and other soft skills. Such courses can be successfully promoted through social networks.
  1. Software development. Businesses need a lot of programs and all sorts of different ones.
  2. Remote technical support. You can help employees work with programs or fix errors on websites.
  3. Recruitment agency . It seems that with the Internet, the job market has become more open, but it is not. Company representatives don't want to go through a bunch of resumes themselves looking for the right people - you can help them with this. Even the first interviews are now often conducted online.
  4. Marketing agency . Why not.
  1. Printing house with online order. Businesses always need flyers, posters, merch and more. And with the current low-cost delivery, the scheme will work quite well: the client ordered on the site, you printed it and sent it by courier to the address.
  2. Creation of websites, landing pages and applications . New businesses are opening every day, and everyone needs websites. In the TexTerra e-book, you can read how to make a website yourself if you are a humanist.
  1. Translation services. Can be engaged in the translation of documents, correspondence with foreign companies or the search for simultaneous interpreters for events. However, there is a lot of competition in the field of translations.
  2. Warehousing. If you have an empty room, you can organize a storage service via the Internet - this will be relevant for many stores.
  3. Fundraising. Unfortunately or fortunately, you can also earn money by collecting money for charitable organizations.
  4. Equipment rental. Through your website, you can rent equipment for any field of activity.
  5. Design services. Promotional products are needed by every business on a regular basis, and each time is different.
  6. Administrative services . Help businessmen with financial planning and paperwork.
  7. Sociological research . Conduct online surveys so businesses can improve their marketing and sales.

Crazy ideas menu

If you're adventurous and don't like formulaic solutions, you might consider more creative ideas. Among the advantages is low competition.

  1. Surprise service. The customer pays the money, names the addressee, you buy a surprise gift of your choice and send it. Beautiful content on Instagram will help promote an unusual business.
  2. Prank service. The customer pays the money, names the addressee, you play him. Perhaps the drawing can also come up with a virtual one.
  3. Making things according to children's drawings. A client sends you a drawing and you bring it to life - for example, you make a toy or a household item.
  4. Service for pet lovers and owners. On such a dating site, the owner of the dog, who has no time to walk with her in the morning, will be able to meet a neighbor who dreams of walking the dog in the morning.
  5. Goods for singles. More and more people are living alone, but food packages in stores are often designed for families. If the idea is presented correctly, singles will be happy to get rid of overpayments - and you will be able to sell small portions of food with delivery through the website and social networks.
  6. Virtual friend for an hour. Since you can buy a real friend for an hour, there are also people willing to pay for lunch with a virtual companion. It is important to correctly identify the target audience for such a project.
  7. Paid newsletter with useful reminders . Apps are already emerging that remind users to get up at 8 am, do 100 sit-ups, or finally get down to business. It is easier for people to engage in self-development when they are motivated - even if it is virtually.
  8. Online store where you can buy a surprise for yourself . The buyer pays a certain amount, and they deliver a product that is commensurate in cost, the more unexpected, the better.
  9. Rental of various status items : jewelry, dresses, huge bouquets for photos and people to accompany at events.
  10. Delivery of any goods from shops abroad . Not everywhere there is delivery around the world. Therefore, services that organize this are now relevant: you just need to find performers abroad who are ready to send the goods your customers need.
  1. Organization of separations. It is difficult for people to announce the end of a relationship to their loved ones, and this weakness can be monetized: hire a psychologist who will tell you sad news over the phone for money. Such a service can be promoted through social networks - learn how to choose the right pictures for posts and attract the attention of a wide audience.
  2. Divination and predictions. A specific occupation, but there are always those who wish.

You can come up with many more than a hundred ideas: reasonable, strange, requiring staff and large investments or not requiring any investments. Read more about possible difficulties in starting a business and how to overcome them.

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