home staging | Mary Ann Benoit-Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Ready to Sell: How to Get and Keep Your Home Clean

Selling your home is no easy feat. But before you can juggle offers, nail negotiations, and work on closing, you have to get your home ready for the market. Staging your house is one of the most important parts of the sales process. By making sure your property is at its best for a photoshoot,… Continue reading Ready to Sell: How to Get and Keep Your Home Clean

Helpful Tips for Buying an Investment Property That Attracts Renters

Purchasing a home with the goal of renting it for extra income requires taking a hard look at the property. Appealing to renters is essential for your success — an investment property provides no return if it sits empty. Chances are, you face stiff competition for renters. If the supply outpaces the demand, you must… Continue reading Helpful Tips for Buying an Investment Property That Attracts Renters

Virtual Staging- Is it Home Staging or Interior Design?

Great question. I’m glad you asked Usually, they are very different things. The key difference is who you are decorating or designing for. Home staging is decorating for the buyer. The goal is to make an emotional connection with them, so they can envision themselves living there and want to make an offer. You are… Continue reading Virtual Staging- Is it Home Staging or Interior Design?

How to Make Moving Your New Favorite Thing!

I hear you laughing through your computer. Yes, I know. You are thinking yeah, right! I can hardly wait to have my life interrupted with endless showings, lay awake at night wondering if I will be able to sell for a good price or will lose money, find a new house that I actually like… Continue reading How to Make Moving Your New Favorite Thing!

Home Staging- How it Works, What it Costs

Home staging is the art of decorating a home to sell fast and for top dollar. It works by highlighting the home’s best features and creating an atmosphere that buyers make an emotional connection with, so they can visualize themselves living there. Each year statistics come out that talk about things like staged homes sell… Continue reading Home Staging- How it Works, What it Costs

Prepping for Sale: Home Projects That Won’t Cost You a Pretty Penny

Now that your home is ready to sell, you’ll soon be receiving money as opposed to spending it, right? Well, to get your home in tip-top shape and really grab those buyers’ attention, you’ll need to spend a little to impress a lot. Before you start to panic, rest assured that there are many budget-friendly… Continue reading Prepping for Sale: Home Projects That Won’t Cost You a Pretty Penny

Bad Home Staging is like going on a first date to the drive in for dinner

In a recent article, Staging a Vacant Home- Why It’s Worth the Money by Anna Martens in Alaska Home Magazine, some of my work and tips were featured on the importance of staging a vacant home. Some of the key take-aways from the article were: In today’s market, where home sellers need to make their… Continue reading Bad Home Staging is like going on a first date to the drive in for dinner

Virtual Home Staging and Design- The Pros and Cons

When it is time to sell our home, we all want to sell fast and for the highest price. One of the best ways to make that happen is to stage your home. Home staging uses decorating to highlight the home’s best features and helps buyers visualize how they can use the space while making… Continue reading Virtual Home Staging and Design- The Pros and Cons

How to Flip a House and Make a Profit

Have you dreamed how to flip a house and make a profit? The first step is buying a great property with good potential to make a return on your investment. Then it is important to invest wisely in your repairs and upgrades. Finally, prepare the home for sale by having it professionally staged, create great… Continue reading How to Flip a House and Make a Profit

Dear Real Estate Agent, Don’t be Scared

When it comes to home staging, you may be scared it will cost too much, you will offend your client by recommending it and possibly lose the listing. You may be worried it will take too long and you want to get the home listed as soon as possible. You also may be scared to recommend it and that it may not work. OK, all kidding aside, you may not be "scared", but maybe apprehensive or you are just not convinced it is the way to go. Please consider the following.

When it comes to home staging, you may be scared it will cost too much, you will offend your client by recommending it and possibly lose the listing. You may be worried it will take too long and you want to get the home listed as soon as possible. You also may be scared to… Continue reading Dear Real Estate Agent, Don’t be Scared