905-370-0460

They have to have a few suckers to keep raking in the money and pretending they;re legit.  They have to have someone they can call.

Did anyone else get told they need to be 'resourceful' or more resourseful?  Well I'll show them how resourceful I can be!!!!!!  Yippie!

Thank you so much for sharing your insight on taking the course.  I just spoke to a Haverhill rep. and gave them my information and then cancelled because I wanted much more information and  your column really helped.  I, too, enjoy decorating very much and had just told my kids my one regret in life was not becoming a professional interior decorator.  My daughter in-law mentioned Haverhill.com and thus my actions after thinking about it for a couple of months.  I want to make a decision today sometime so if you could let me know how you feel about it NOW, please respond.  Thank you so much.

Just go to Barbara Jennings home staging.com

I too would appreciate seeing all the 55 questions posed by the Haverhill computer.  I have taken the test twice, the first time the computer system failed and had to be restarted twice. The second time I wrote the test and completed it in the allotted time, only to increase my score by 2 points. I would like to see the test and my mistakes as I believe there are issues with wordings in the test which should be clarified and need to be resolved. I wrote to Haverhill about the test, asking to see my wrong answers, I was told to schedule a telephone conference with a marking instructor for clarification on what to study to improve my score.
I do not believe that memorizing the contents of a book creates a successful stager....it only means you can memeorize.  I am waiting for Haverhills response.

I asked for the test questions also, please sent to dodavidson@bellsouth.net.  Thank you in advance

Hello Jayme,
Congratulations on receiving your Haverhill Certificate. I have just completed my course with Haverhill and received a 79% score.  I do have a conference scheduled to discuss the possibility of retaking the test. My question to you is: As you were not hired, did you go to Canada for an interview and was deamed ineligible while there or was your ineligibility for employment shown on your Staging Course (computer screen).  I was told that I may be ineligible for employment if I retake the test.  I have not yet decided to retake the test. Were you offered independent work from Haverhill? Thank you for taking the time to answer me.

Just wondering if you work for Haverhill!  Obviously, they are the only ones that are forced to give the company a positive feedback.  I was given one of those "you should have studied" questions and took it straight from the book word for word and got it wrong.  I called them on it and the answer I got was...Oh well, that statement is in the color section and the lighting section.  When I asked them how I was suppose to know which section they were referring to, they immediately accused me of accusing them of changing my answer on the test!  That is how they grade your test and home assignments to keep your grade low enough to keep your money and turn you down for employment.  I made the highest grade possible with Haverhill....a 79. And then I was told by Rick that I would be called in a few weeks to interview for a job.  I politely said "no thanks"  I wanted NOTHING else from Haverhill.  I am ashamed I took their course and do not want to be associated with them in any way.

Thanks so much, Debbie.  It is gratifying to know that I am helping many to achieve their goals and reach a place of confidence to go forward.

A note to Just Wondering....First let me ask, If you have no affliation with the company or if you are not interested in taking the course, how do you know the questions on the test are "common sense" types? Now, please allow me to me explain a few things.

I am currently enrolled in the course because I have a natural gift for decorating and want to follow my passion. I  think that I can help homeowners re-decorate their homes to enjoy for years to come, or hopefully reduce the time on the market while maximizing their profits (for those who are selling). Don't get me wrong...I earn a great living right now as an educational writer, and I possess a Masters degree in education. In my current position, I develop curriculum and write educational materials in math and science for K-12 students. I mentioned this to let you know that people in this course come from a variety of backgrounds and educational levels.

The Haverhill curriculum is poorly developed. The course is actually written backwards. They have students stage homes first, and then teach them about design styles and have them write their mission statements last. For pratical purposes one would begin with a mission statement, outlining their philosophy, etc., then learn about design styles, how to layout rooms, find tradespeople, and finally do the actual staging. The three booklets for staging, (staging, de-cluttering and focal points) are redundant, since students need to do all three when staging a room. These cannot and should not be isolated. Students should be able to use the same rooms to show how they have cluttered, chosen focal points, and completed the staged room. They should use pictures and discussions to explain and discuss each of these three areas (but for the same room when possible) As a curriculum developer, I can tell you that this course is poorly put together and I am inclined to believe that it is a scam. I will be able to evaluate the test questions to determine whether they truly measure a student's knowledge, or if it is basically thrown together as a part of this poorly designed course.

Please do not make assumptions. These students are correct when they say that there is no one to ask questions (only through a FAQ board), no teacher-student contact. I am very resourceful having owned my own business for a number of years, and can get through a course on my own. However, I could have spent a few hours at a library and learned more than I have learned so far in this course. My money was definitely not well spent!

Yeah...how much?  Sound like a loser to me!

My daughter passed exam with 21% and total score of 84%. That was 3 months ago since she completed the application - what is it? Guaranteed full-time employment" or Guaranteed Opportunity for full-time employment. Regardless, we have not received a refund. We requested it a month ago and were told that you could only get a refund within the first 7 days of receiving course materials. Rip Off

Hey Rick,

Can you please send my refund for the amount paid for my daughter's corresondence course with you. She passed on your criteria with the required scores and was refused a refund since was was not hired. She made application for full-time at $31.45/Hr. even though it was no longer an option; it was replaced by Independent Contractor which are not considered employees. This was done 3 months ago. Your terms indicated that a refund would be made, if you are not hired. I have not been hired.

If you can handle this, let me know and I will send you the information.

Hey Rick,

Can you please send my refund for the amount paid for my daughter's corresondence course with you. She passed on your criteria with the required scores and was refused a refund since was was not hired. She made application for full-time at $31.45/Hr. even though it was no longer an option; it was replaced by Independent Contractor which are not considered employees. This was done 3 months ago. Your terms indicated that a refund would be made, if you are not hired. I have not been hired.

If you can handle this, let me know and I will send you the information.

I too found the test to be ridiculous! I timed out too! Only a few of the questions were multiple choice, true or false, and most of them were short essay questions. When doing essays, their time allotment is not enough time. Your test you took is not the test I took. Here are some of the questions.
1:   When going to a job, the recommended way to park your car is:  On the street
2:   True or False De-cluttering can be done by both the Home Stager and/or the homeowner. True
3:   The best way to remove crayon marks from walls is with:
An eraser        
Toothpaste x correct answer        
A blow dryer         
Fresh paint         
A razor blade     
4:   Changing flooring can ________ break up a space, making is appear _______.  Visually, smaller.
5:   _______ paint will allow you to achieve a non-reflective finish: Flat
6:   What should a Home Stager bring to a consultation? Home Evaluation book
7. What is a home stager's first task when beginning the staging process with a client?: a walk-through with the client
8:   What is the "first" thing a Home Stager should do to prepare prior to meeting with a client?; Confirm the meeting time and place. Being late will form a bad impression.
9:   Progression or ______, sets a ______ through a series of progressively ______ shapes.: Graduation, rhythm, large.
10:   ______ and ______ are two elements you can use to address proportion issues.: color, pattern
11:   What is the main foundation of Home Staging?: De-Cluttering
12.   ______ describes the relationship of an object's parts to each other.: Proportion
13:   Whether staging or re-designing, try to keep ________ to a minimum.: Accessories
14:   When staging a property, what goal should be kept in mind regarding the windows and how do you achieve this goal? Light
15:   How does repetition create harmony?
16:   On the color wheel, what are the three primary colors?: Red, yellow and blue
17:   As a Home Stager, should you ever guarantee a property to sell faster and for more money once it has been staged. Why or why not?: No do not guarantee it will sell.
18:   What is accent lighting?
19:   What are the 2 most important aspects of a rug or floor covering?
20:   If you cannot convince your client to rent furniture, what is the best solution?
21:   An element of ________ that affects the entire home is the quality of ______.cleanliness, air.
22:   If there is an offending odor in a property, what should you do or suggest?
23:   What does Home Staging do for a property?
24:   The 3 types of balances we use can usually be known as...
Symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial balance.
25:   What are the three properties that affect our perception of color?:
Hue, value and intensity
26:   When ______ room roles, sometimes it is a good idea to ______ a room's ______.  decieding, draw floorplan.
27:   What are 3 (three) questions you should ask as you assess what's available to you for the kinds of rooms you're going to create.
28:   There is a major difference between a ________ and ________, therefore vacant homes need to have a minimum of ________ to enable a buyer to see some potential.
29:   What is another name for a Focal Point and why is it important to have one in every room?
30:   Name an area of a property that is a typical clutter trouble area and explain what you might find in it?
31:   While staging a vacant property and there is a limited budget, what can you do to dress up each room without furnishing the entire house?

Here are the first questions on the test I took. I hope it helps some of you. I did not pass the test, but I scored very high on the course work so I still got my certificate of completion.

As you can see my questions were very different from CBG's test.

Have you checked out their website in the last two months? First they were offering home owners the opportunity to name their price. Average bids 1/2 day $394.00, full day $753.00. They have removed this and now are posting set fees for 1/2 day $399.00, full 8hr day $599.00.  They change their pricing it seems every month. How would you feel if you were one of the ones that paid more for their services than some one who paid for the same service with Haverhill and paid less? Especially the full day old average price of $753.00 versus $599.00 now?

check the BBB for the org before you sign up too bad l didnt do that  but l just want to help someone out there. Good luck
http://www.bbb.org/kitchener/business-reviews ... 67543#complaint

I am currently taking the Haverhill course. I do realize that their material is outdated. I have done extra research in this field. I am currently using two of Barbara Jenning's books in addition to a lot of other resources. I had to request a 2 month extension. I have never had any problems with them as far a questions go or calling them for that matter. I will let you know if I pass the test.
They are no longer accepting student's for their hire on program.

I didn't fail miserably, I passed, and they offered an "Income opportunity" and I did not become a Home Stager, I became a door to door marketer hoping that someone will call Haverhill after leaving a door hanger on their front door that has there house up for sale...Haverhill is a scam, you still do not become a Home Stager like there commercials advertise!  And you will waste a ton of gas looking for 300 houses for sale in 2 weeks!  You will lose more money even after being hired!

I hope you didn't take the course...