Stagers make the best of soft market

It doesn’t matter if a house is for sale for $3 million or $300,000 - home stager Michelle Maurice says that in every price range, there are sellers who have no clue that a smelly kitty litter box has no place in the living room, or that dirty diapers on a changing table in the kitchen are a turn-off.

“These things are common sense for most, but for others, it’s astonishing what they don’t realize,’’ says Maurice, who is a Bedford, Mass.-based certified home stager.

Maurice says that a staged home sells two to three times faster, and for 6 percent to 9 percent more than an unstaged home. Home stagers prepare the property for showing, with claims of enhancing curb appeal and making first impressions count.

“You can’t just throw a for-sale sign in front of the house and get tons of bids anymore,’’ she said.

Although costs range according to client need and budget, Maurice earns $75 an hour, with a typical staging appointment lasting three to four hours. “To be successful in this business, you need to be creative, organized, and have a thick skin and the ability to work with a lot of different people,’’ says Maurice.

Is this a recession-resistant home business?

The recession has been a double-edged sword. People need to be more proactive in selling their houses, but conversely, realtors aren’t making as much money, so they’re more reluctant to hire a staging service now. I work both directly for homeowners and am also hired by realtors. I have no financial interest in the commission, so if I tell someone that the master bathroom is a hideous yellow color, it’s easier for them to accept.

Why is staging a house necessary?

Most people can’t see the faults of their own houses. When trying to sell a house, the most important thing is that the house is generic. If there’s anything personal or offensive, like war memorabilia or religious icons, this is the kind of thing that gets packed away.

What’s the worst house you ever staged?

Houses that have lot of stuff and are very dirty are difficult to deal with. One house was so jammed with things that I literally couldn’t move the bed. But I did a lot of work with the owners, cleaning up, changing fixtures, and adding accessories, and it sold in one day.

Do you practice what you preach?

I do. If you walked into my house right now, it’s not cluttered. I’d have to touch up the paint a little, but the house is laid out the way it should be, and I’ve maximized the space.

Demand for truckers expected to grow

Tractor-trailer truck driver Richard Coffin estimates he’s driven over a million miles in his 30-year hauling career, and, oh my, how times have changed.

When he steps into his 2004 purple Freightliner Columbia, he braces himself for a cutthroat highway ballet.

“I sit down behind the wheel and say, ‘Here we go again. What will I put up with today?’ ’’ he said.

The veteran 18-wheeler owner-operator says that routes he used to be able to do in 12 hours or less are unmanageable now, with traffic congestion and crazed drivers.

“There’s too many people and not enough pavement,’’ says Coffin, who delivers tanks of liquid sugar to plants in New York, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Truck driving is one of the nation’s largest occupations, employing 3.2 million people. Although the recession and fluctuating diesel prices have hit the industry hard, with less freight shipped nationwide, there will always be a need for truckers, especially big rig drivers.

Demand for heavy and tractor-trailer drivers is expected to grow 13 percent by 2018, especially as older drivers retire and economic growth resumes.

Q. What do you haul?

A. I haul corn syrup, liquid sugar, or various types of fructose, delivering it from sugar processing plants to large bakeries. Customers pipe it from the tank into their facility.

Q. What’s your cab equipped with?

A. A refrigerator, sleeper berth, stereo system where I can play my iPod, and of course, a CB radio so I can talk to other drivers. I have capabilities for a TV but haven’t put one in because I don’t want to be living in my truck too much.

Q. Your job can be tough, but what are the perks?

A. There’s no one to bother you; when the money’s good, it’s great; and I can take a vacation whenever I want to.

Q. What advice would you give to someone interested in entering this field?

A. Unlike when I first started, now you have to go to training school, where you’ll learn how to adapt to pulling a unit, doing maneuvers, and shifting. But the school vehicles are typically only eight to 10 speeds, which is different from 18 speeds, so once you’re really on the road, that takes more practice.

Q. What’s the worst traffic jam you’ve ever been in?

A. If you leave New York City after 1 p.m., and head on I-95 North, you’ll be in “The 45 Mile Backup.’’

Q. What do you think about on the road?

A. I think of things I could have done better, or should have done better. And I listen to music. I have 10,000 songs on my iPod, from heavy metal to jazz. Without music, I’d go out of my mind.