Once upon a time, Abigail Halal found herself trapped in a job that drained her. Every day was a struggle under the weight of a toxic boss. Like so many of us, she knew she was meant for more—but the path forward wasn’t clear.
That all changed with one unexpected knock at her door. A stranger, a simple question, and a moment of realization set off a chain reaction that led Abigail to walk away from her old life and into a new one—on her own terms. Today, she’s the powerhouse behind Home Staging by Abigail, a thriving business in Jefferson, MA, that has transformed over 150 homes and counting.
But Abigail’s journey isn’t just about beautiful spaces—it’s about resilience, reinvention, and the power of following your gut. In this exclusive Women On Topp interview, she shares how she built her business from the ground up, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and why creating enjoyable spaces is more than just a job—it’s a mindset.
What does “creating enjoyable spaces” mean to you on a deeper, personal level? How does this philosophy extend beyond your work into your daily life?
Before even learning about home staging, I’ve always said: “I enjoy creating enjoyable spaces.” Home should feel like a personal oasis. Outside, we face the stressors of life but once we walk through the door and come home, we should enter an environment that makes us feel comfortable, safe, happy – joyful! The idea is to surround yourself with furniture, art, décor, textures and colors that speak to you and your personal style. Interior design has nothing to do with trends and everything to do with the pieces that make you happy. I am a firm believer that interior design and your environment can positively impact mental health by creating spaces that are calming, visually appealing and conducive to positive thoughts. The benefits include reduced anxiety, improved sleep and mood and increased confidence, creativity and productivity. I often work from home and I can speak to this personally… If my home is not in order, neither are my thoughts. It’s not uncommon for me to feel overwhelmed with many properties on my calendar to design but I’ll always make sure my own home is in order before I tackle another design project. It helps me feel calm, think clearly and get more done!
It sounds like your home staging business was born out of an unexpected encounter. Have there been other “chance moments” that have impacted your personal or professional life in similar ways?
Yes, my home staging business was certainly born out of an unexpected encounter! Essentially one day someone walked into my home and said, “Your home is beautiful! Is it staged?” “Staged?” I responded. “What the hell is that?” Three days later I quit my job and the rest is history. Sometimes you just have a gut feeling that something is the right path for you. There have been plenty of other “chance moments” that have impacted my life – especially professionally. Shopping is a large part of my job and I’ve met many of my now repeat clients just by bumping into people who are baffled by my large shopping sprees and curious as to what I’m up to. It’s not unusual for me to leave a local Home Goods or IKEA with six stuffed shopping carts. Often times I meet agents and sellers just in line while checking out or in the parking lot while I am packing my personal pick-up truck or box truck. Just being friendly and chatty can get you business!
Home staging can be very emotional for clients. How do you manage your own emotions when dealing with challenging clients or when projects don’t go as planned?
Home staging is incredibly emotional for clients… For sellers in particular. Not all moves are happy moves. I just worked with a family who is selling their home because their child has cancer and they need to relocate closer to the hospital for her treatments. As you can imagine, they were motivated to receive top dollar for their property and quickly in order to help fund their child’s treatment. I’ve also worked with families who have lost children and they want to sell because they just cannot bear to even enter their child’s bedroom anymore. Often times children have lost their parents and are now selling their childhood home, or are assisting their parents with the sale of their home so they can downsize. Not all moves are happy, and even the ones that are happy, are still stressful because they are times of transition. Transitions are always challenging. My goal is to be patient and empathic, but not emotional. I try to be systematic and keep the staging process as organized and streamlined as possible. I pride myself on being a clear and strong communicator and I think that makes a huge difference.
You mentioned a lot of surprising and funny moments in your business. What’s one unexpected, humorous experience that stands out to you most?
I’ve often thought about writing a book about the surprising and funny moments while running this business… The first that comes to mind is arriving at a vacant property to destage. This property was a bit older and had been vacant for months before we came in and staged it. I walked upstairs to the primary bedroom and opened the door to find a raccoon sleeping in the bed! I mean, quite literally, tucked in under the comforter with its head on the pillow! I quickly shut the door because my first thought was it could have rabies… Although, it looked like it was having more of a spa experience. But seconds after I immediately burst out laughing at how ridiculous this situation was. There’s really never a dull moment!
What has been your biggest lesson learned from dealing with difficult clients, and how has that shaped your approach to both your work and your relationships in your personal life?
My definition of difficult clients are those who do not respect me, my time and usually breach my contract. When you first start a business, you work with everyone because you quite literally have to in order to pay the bills and build the business. But as time goes on, you’re able to weed out those difficult clients and work with those who value you, your time and your services. I always say I would go out of my way and bend over backwards for my best clients, but my best clients would never ask that of me. Simply said, my biggest lesson is that those difficult clients are actually expensive and I do not need to work with them… Weeding out bad business opens doors and allows more time for good business. I apply this mentality to my personal life all the time. I only put effort and energy into relationships that serve me well. I used to take interactions with difficult clients so personally because business is personal! But usually these exchanges and experiences have nothing to do with me, my business or the service I am providing. I’ve learned not to take it personally or focus my energy on this clients. Upwards and onwards!
When you started out, what were some of the initial challenges you faced in building your business, and how did you overcome them?
Overhead! A home stagers biggest expenses are inventory and storage. There are so many ways to own and operate a home staging business. I knew that I wanted to own my inventory rather than rent third-party. I knew it was important to cut out the middleman not only to keep my prices competitive, but I also wanted to be able to speak to the quality of the furniture I was delivering and the best way to do that was by owning all my inventory rather than renting. But, this approach is challenging for the business owner in the beginning because you have to invest upfront and overtime, your inventory makes you profit but only after it is paid off. My goal in my first year of business was just to stay profitable. I operated without any debt. I wanted to make sure I had a business, not a hobby. Businesses are profitable whereas hobbies cost you money. It’s important to recognize the difference!
What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about home staging, and how do you go about educating your clients on the true value it provides?
There are many seller misconceptions about home staging! Let’s get into them…
“Staging is just too expensive!”
Well, it may feel expensive at first and up front. But staging is an investment with the goal of selling a property for top dollar – and it is ALWAYS going to cost less than the first price reduction on your home. Compare the cost of staging to the cost of a home that lags on the market (monthly mortgage, utilities, landscaping/snow removal, etc.) The cost of staging is far less.
“I don’t have to stage; my home has been professionally decorated.”
Yikes. The word itself – “decorated” – is dated. So when I hear a seller say “decorated,” I know immediately they “decorated” a decade or two ago. Interior design and staging are completely different. Although sellers may love the way their house looks and it suits their needs perfectly, it may not appeal to the taste and style of today’s buyers. A professional home stager has the experience and objectivity to prepare a home for mass appeal in the current market to engage as many buyers are possible.
And then of course, my favorite misconception: “Do we really need to stage? Won’t my house sell eventually?”
Let’s paint a picture… Yes, your home will sell eventually. Doesn’t everything sell eventually? But is eventually the goal? Typically for sellers, quickly and top dollar is the goal.
By skipping the staging, sellers may be leaving money on the table. And statistically speaking, they are leaving money on the table since staged properties sell faster and for a higher price.
So I always tell sellers that while they may be comfortable leaving money on their table, their neighbor or that seller around the corner is not. They’re also working with an agent and they’re going to take their advice and stage! Their property will stand out and attract more buyers which is only going to lead to a multiple offer and the ideal scenario of a bidding war. But, yes, your property will sell eventually… And most likely below listing price.
In a highly competitive field, how do you keep your business fresh and unique, ensuring that you stand out to potential clients?
Competition is the thief of joy. I never follow or give my attention to other stagers in the field. That approach is distracting. I instead focus all my attention and energy on my own services and my own designs with the goal of consistently delivering the best service I possibly can to each and every one of my clients. Some may ask then how do I know what my competition delivers? I do know many stagers in the field who are friends and we constantly talk shop… However, following other stagers, specifically their work, is not how a professional stays up to date on the current design trends! We work with vendors directly.
Your business seems to thrive on collaboration with real estate agents. How do you ensure these partnerships are mutually beneficial and based on trust and respect?
Yes, the majority of my clients are real estate agents, flippers and developers. Sellers will reach out for staging services but they are not typically repeat clients as they most likely will not sell again in the more recent future. However, sellers will refer me to their family, friends and neighbors, so it’s important to prioritize them just as much as my repeat clients!
Working with agents is great because we have a mutual goal to get the property staged and sold quickly and for top dollar. My busiest agents need properties to sell quickly so they can move onto their next listing. They don’t have time to be hosting open houses every weekend. Also, working with professionals makes them look even more professional. Everyone wants to be the person who knows a person: “Don’t worry, I have a stager who is going to make your property stand out.” The agents I work with over and over again trust and respect me because they know I am responsive and consistently deliver quality in an timely manner. They know I won’t disappoint them or make them look bad in front of their client. This is why I work with over 150 repeat clients every year.
Staging a home isn’t just about aesthetics. What practical, functional elements do you consider to ensure the space not only looks great but also feels functional to potential buyers?
The first rule of home staging is to revert every space back to its original purpose. So yes, staging is not just about aesthetics, it is about coming up with an ideal design that makes the property feel functional to potential buyers. When touring a vacant property, buyers typically ask, “Where will my T.V. go?” “Where would we put our sofa?” “What size bed will fit in this bedroom?” The purpose of home staging is to answer questions for buyers before they even know there is a question. I prefer to deliver realistic designs that showcase how a buyer would actually live in the space.
