Blog -Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Cinch Your Home Sale with Great Outdoor Living Space

A growing trend with home buyers in 2018 is the desire for outdoor living space. Over 51% of buyers say this is really important in their decision to buy. Creating a great outdoor living area will give a great return on your investment when preparing your home for sale. Younger buyers in particular are looking for patios and outdoor areas. Outdoor living space increases the functional square footage of a home so is even more important in small homes.  Sliding doors or French doors leading to Read more [...]

Interview with Mary Ann Benoit-Seward Public Radio’s Market Minute

Mary Ann Benoit of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design shares tips on how you can spend a little but make a lot with home staging when selling your home on Seward Public Radio's "Market Minute" with Nicole Lawrence. Nicole and Mary Ann discussed how home staging can be used as a marketing tool for your home sale. They discussed some of Mary Ann's home staging projects, the cost of home staging, why home staging works even in a seller's market, how a seller can make more on their sales price Read more [...]

Northern Lights Home Staging and Design wins Best of Houzz 2018 for Customer Service!

Northern Lights Home Staging and Design of Seward Alaska Awarded Best of Houzz 2018 Over 35 Million Monthly Unique Users Nominated Best Home Building, Remodeling and Design Professionals in North America and Around the World   Seward, Alaska, January 17, 2018 – Northern Lights Home Staging and Design of Seward, Alaska has won “Best Of Customer Service” on Houzz®, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design provides Home Staging, Interior Read more [...]

FAQ’s For Home Sellers- What is Home Staging?

What is Home Staging? Wondering if there is a magic wand that you could wave at your house to make it sell fast and for more? Well, there is! It is called home staging. Find out "What is home staging"  in this video, first in a series on FAQ's for Home Sellers on Home Staging. What is home staging? Home Staging is a marketing tool that uses decorating to show off a home’s best features while downplaying its flaws. Done right, staging creates an emotional connection between home and buyer, leading Read more [...]

Staging the Stager’s House

I recently spent time staging the stager's house. What???  Yes, even home stagers can benefit from home staging when selling their house! Why? Two reasons: One of the most valuable aspects of home staging is getting that objective view of your for-sale home that a home stager can give you. When you live in a house every day, it is easy to no longer see that pile of stuff in the corner, notice the smell of cat litter or notice that squeaky door. A home stager see’s your house for the first Read more [...]

Why Your House Won’t Sell

There are many reasons why your house won't sell. Common reasons include condition, buyer appeal, price, marketing, market conditions and you! To sell a home fast and for the price you want, it has to appeal to buyers!  Buyers want a move in ready property that is clean, modern, well maintained and that they make a connection with and can visualize themselves living in. It has to be at a price they can afford, and they have to know it is for sale! Condition-Does the house appeal to buyers? Is Read more [...]

Increase your Vacation Rental Income and Bookings with Home Staging

Did you know that you can increase your vacation rental income and bookings with home staging? Home staging highlights the positive and downplays the negative aspects of homes for sale. A professional stager creates a look and atmosphere that buyers make an emotional connection with and they want to buy through decorating and market research. It’s the emotional connection that cinches the deal. Sellers then market their properties to attract buyers online with great photos of their beautifully Read more [...]

Out with the Old- Ten Ways to Make Your House Beautiful in 2018

It's a new year. Why not make a resolution to make your house beautiful! But how! Here are ten ways to make your house beautiful in 2018. Make a Plan You are much more likely to get the end result you want if you start with a plan. Many people just start buying things they like, hoping that it will all work together in the end. This usually does not work. A designer can help you come up with a great and affordable plan. It starts with understanding your own style, what you want and how your Read more [...]

My Life as a Home Stager

Ever wondered what life as a home stager is like? How I Became a Home Stager Many years ago I got a degree in Interior Design, and although I used it on some jobs and always loved it, my life took a different path and I became a wildlife biologist. Three years ago, I decided I wanted to start some type of creative business. Working for the government as a scientist was not exactly feeding my creative spirit!  One day when taking one of those fun quizzes on Facebook, called “What is your true Read more [...]

Spend a Little and Make a Lot With Home Staging

Spend a little and make a lot with home staging? How does that work? Well, we all know that if we want to make money, we have to invest some money to get started. Whether it is stocks, mutual funds, a home, a business or any other investment, we need to spend a little to make a lot. The key is to pick an investment that we can get a good return on for the price we pay for it. Home Staging is a marketing tool for selling your home that uses decorating to show off a home’s best features while Read more [...]