Selling Your Fixer-Upper: Tips to Sell Fast and For More

In a recent article, Buying a Fixer-Upper: Tips for First-Time Home buyers by guest blogger Ray Flynn of the DIYGuys, we learned how to manage the buying process for a “fixer upper”, where to buy, setting a budget, what repair or design projects to tackle first, and creating curb appeal. We considered whether to stay or sell once your house is all fixed up.  Did you decide to sell? How can you sell your fixer upper fast and get the highest price for all your hard work and investment

Do Your Research

With any home you put on the market, there is a range of prices for similar homes and you want to be able to list at the high end of that range and sell fast so you don’t have any price reductions. Give yourself the best chance for success by using professional home staging and avoiding mistakes many home sellers make that cause a house not to sell quickly.


Do Your Research-Selling Your Fixer-Upper: Tips to Sell F

Make an Emotional Connection with Buyers

The key to selling fast and for the highest price is making an emotional connection with buyers so they can envision themselves living in your for-sale home.

Avoid selling the house “vacant”.  It is hard for any buyer to make an emotional connection with an empty house. They look a little sad and lonely! Buyers have a hard time visualizing how big the rooms are (they often look smaller with nothing in them to give a sense of scale), if their belongings will fit, how to arrange furniture and the purpose of different rooms. Without furniture and other things in the rooms, there is nothing to focus on except potential flaws. Were your “fixer-upper” skills perfect? Even the pros can make mistakes.


Tips to Selling Your Fixer Upper- Make an Emotional Connection with Buyers

Use Color to Increase Your Selling Price

If you still have painting to do before selling, this is a great time to consider paint colors, inside and out. Did you know that studies show the right paint colors in the right rooms attract buyers and can increase the sales price? The wrong colors can also reduce the price buyers are willing to pay. Why? Color affects emotion and buyers buy on emotion!  For the price of a cup of good coffee, this report gives you specific color recommendations to help sell your house for up to $10,000 more.

Get my guide to Top Paint Colors for a Speedy and Profitable Home Sale to learn more.


Top Paint Colors For a Speedy and Profitable Home Sale


Buy Now

Appeal to Your Target Market

Who is your target market? Is it a young family with children that are interested in your location near schools? A single professional? A retired couple? Look at who lives in your current neighborhood or is moving in, check on Zillow to see how close the house is to different schools and what rating they have. Your house should be decorated or “staged” to appeal to that target market. For example, to appeal to a young family with children, at least one bedroom should be decorated as a child’s room.


Tips to Selling Your Fixer Upper- Appeal to Your Target Market

Build a Great Home Selling Team

The best way to sell your house fast and for more is to compile a great team to help you.  This includes a realtor, home stager and photographer. Just like you are the expert in converting a home that needed help into a thing of beauty, a good realtor is a marketing and negotiating expert to make sure your house is seen by buyers nad you get the best price. A home stager is an expert at getting buyers to want to see and then fall in love with your house. A real estate photographer is the expert at getting amazing photos that will attract buyers online and get them in your door. See my guide on how to build this team and find the right experts to help you.

A great home stager can help you build your team. Get a consultation with a professional home stager and ideally have them stage it for you. They can give you paint color recommendations, stage it to appeal to your target market and give you tips for living in the home if needed while it is for sale. They can even use your existing furnishings and belongings to stage it and save you money on furniture and other rental fees if you plan to live in the home while it is listed. They can recommend a professional photographer to take photos of your beautifully staged home to attract buyers online and give you tips to prepare for your photoshoot. They can also recommend good realtors if you do not have one yet.


Can you sell your house fast, for more and with less stress?


Buy Now

Create Great Curb Appeal

As Ray mentioned in the previous article, make sure you have great curb appeal. You may outshine your competition online with great photos and get buyers to the property, but without great curb appeal they will just drive by and never make it inside to see your beautiful “fixer upper”.

Spending a little money on home staging and great photos before listing will help you sell fast and for more, cost less than your first price reduction if the house sits on the market and will be a lot less stressful!


Have Great Curb Appeal-Selling Your Fixer-Upper: Tips to Sell Fast and For More

Preparing for your Home Sale

The best tip I can give you is to get a professional home staging and color consultation to prepare for your sale. It can make all the difference in your final sales. price.


Online Home Staging Consultation


Having problems picking the right color because you are stumped by so called “undertones”? Are the paint colors you have selected shifting blue, green or another color once they are on the wall? Not sure how to pick the right white? Wondering what paint colors will go with the countertops you have selected for your kitchen or bath remodel? Wondering if that countertop will go with your existing flooring or other fixed finishes? Not sure how to find the right paint colors to go with that rug, piece of art or furniture that you want to use in your design? I can take the guesswork out of all of these things by using color measurements. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Certified Color Strategist.


Buy Now


Buy Now


What is your global design style?Take the quiz


Why work with Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

info@northernlightsstaging.com

Pin This

     
Selling Your Fixer-Upper: Tips to Sell Fast and For More




My Top Ten Home Staging Tips

Here are my top ten home staging tips to help you appeal to the greatest possible pool of prospective buyers so you can sell fast and for the price you want.

Get a Home Staging Consultation with a Professional Home Stager

First, get an “objective” idea of how buyers may view your house. We all have problem areas that we no longer “see” because we live with them every day. Also, consider who your likely “buyer” is and what they want. A consultation with a professional home stager and advice from your realtor can help you determine and appeal to your “target market.” A home staging consultation can give you that objective view and great advice to either do the home staging yourself or enlist the help of the home stager to do it for you.

Make it Spotless

Make it spotless. The most beautiful house, if dirty, will turn off potential buyers.  It is worth it to hire a professional cleaning service if you do not have time or desire to do it right yourself.

Paint Neutral Colors

Paint neutral colors to make everything look fresh and new. Neutral colors will go with most buyers’ belongings. Buyers that think they will have to repaint will offer less. Sherwin Williams “Accessible Beige” is one of my favorites for home staging.

Top ten Home Staging Tips. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. #alaskahomestaging #homestaging #homestagingtips #realestate #realestatemarketing ##realestatetips #homesellertips #sellinghomes #staging #color #colorconsulting #socialmediaadvertising #Interiordesign #edesign #bohemian #boho #interiordecorating #paint #colors
Paint neutral colors. This room uses Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige. Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Photo by DMD Real Estate Photography.

De-clutter

De-clutter so you only have about half the items that you normally live with. Cluttered rooms or too much furniture will make your space look smaller than it is. A consultation with a home stager can really help here before you get started. Home sellers often remove too much or the wrong things in their de-cluttering efforts. The things that remain and their arrangement are critical to making that emotional connection with buyers.

Remove Personal Photos

Remove personal photos for your own security and to help buyers visualize their family living there. As a buyer, it is hard to “move in in your mind” if they are looking at your family pictures.

Repair to Make it Move in Ready

Repair needed items. Most buyers want a property that is move-in ready.

Don’t Sell it Vacant

Don’t leave it vacant. Buyers will focus on the flaws since they have nothing else to look at! When buyers make an emotional connection and can see themselves living there, the house will sell. It is hard for buyers to visualize how their belongings will fit, or to make that emotional connection with a vacant property. It is worth the expense to stage a vacant property. It is cheaper than your first price reduction, which will likely happen as your home sits on the market for months. If actual staging is not possible, try virtual staging so buyers at least have an idea of how it could look and how their belongings could fit in the space.

Don't sell it vacant. Virtual Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Don’t Sell your listing vacant.

Don't sell it vacant. Virtual Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Virtual Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Replace Old Carpeting and Outdated Lighting

Upgrade outdated lighting or old carpeting. Your stager or realtor can advise you on which upgrades will provide a good return on your investment in the final sales price. Old lighting can shout “dated” faster than anything. Old carpeting is filled with years of dirt… and no one wants to buy that! The examples shown below were from a house that sold the first day on the market after home staging.

Replace outdated lighting. Before home staging. by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
Replace outdated lighting. Before home staging.

Replace outdated lighting. After home staging. by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
Replace outdated lighting. Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Photo by DMD Real Estate Photography.]

Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Replace old carpeting. Before Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.

Replace old carpeting. After Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Photo by DMD Real Estate Photography.]
Replace old carpeting. After Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Photo by DMD Real Estate Photography.]

Create Great Curb Appeal

Clean and maintain your yard and make the front door area look welcoming. Great curb appeal will assure buyers make it inside to see your beautiful house.

Top ten Home Staging Tips. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. #alaskahomestaging #homestaging #homestagingtips #realestate #realestatemarketing ##realestatetips #homesellertips #sellinghomes #staging #color #colorconsulting #socialmediaadvertising #Interiordesign #edesign #bohemian #boho #interiordecorating #paint #colors
Make sure you have good curb appeal. Photo by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.

Get Professional Photos

Get professional photos! Most buyers shop online and will decide about viewing your house in a few seconds. Great photos are critical. See my article on “Preparing for your Photoshoot”.

Top ten Home Staging Tips. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. #alaskahomestaging #homestaging #homestagingtips #realestate #realestatemarketing ##realestatetips #homesellertips #sellinghomes #staging #color #colorconsulting #socialmediaadvertising #Interiordesign #edesign #bohemian #boho #interiordecorating #paint #colors
Get professional photos! Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Photo by DMD Real Estate Photography.

Prepare for Showings

Finally, when showing your house, make sure all lights are on, curtains are open, toilet seats are closed, and personal items are out of view in the bathrooms.  Remove all evidence of pets.

 

Best of luck on a fast sale!

Get your Free Report

Top Paint Colors for a Speedy and Profitable Home Sale by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Need a home staging consultation? Call today to set one up or try my online consultation.

Online Home staging consultation with Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Wherever you are, learn everything you need to know to sell fast and high.

If home staging is not an option, consider one of my Virtual Home Staging packages.

Learn more about the Pros and Cons of Virtual Home Staging in my recent blog article.

Virtual Home staging packages online by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

 Northern Lights Home Staging and Design awards and credentials

Follow me on Pinterest.

My top ten home staging tips to help you appeal to the greatest possible pool of prospective buyers so you can sell fast and for the price you want.. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design  My top ten home staging tips to help you appeal to the greatest possible pool of prospective buyers so you can sell fast and for the price you want.. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design  My top ten home staging tips to help you appeal to the greatest possible pool of prospective buyers so you can sell fast and for the price you want.. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design  My top ten home staging tips to help you appeal to the greatest possible pool of prospective buyers so you can sell fast and for the price you want.. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design




How NOT to Sell Your House in Seven Easy Steps

Online, in another state, far, far away, I saw this listing for a house for sale. It is the perfect example of how not to sell your house!  If you don’t want to sell fast or for more, follow this advice!

  1. Make sure every room is so cluttered with objects and décor that buyers are totally distracted with your stuff and can’t see past it to the house!

How not to sell your house- Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

2. Make sure it does not appeal to the greatest number of buyers by making the colors and décor so personal that it only appeals to people with taste just like you.

How not to sell your house- Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

3. Overwhelm buyers with colors and patterns.

How not to sell your house- Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

4. Put too much furniture in every room so the house feels small, regardless of how big it is.

How not to sell your house- Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

5, Add as many personal photos as possible so buyers are distracted by who lives in the house now rather than envisioning it as their house.

How not to sell your house- Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

6.  Keep the decor dark and heavy, rather than light and airy, clean and modern.

How not to sell your house- Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

7.  Increase your price to 60 times more than the estimated value of similar homes.

While “Zestimates” are often wrong and can be off quite a bit, they are usually not off by 29 million dollars!

Zestimate:  $613,051

Price / Tax History

DATE EVENT PRICE $/SQFT SOURCE
05/17/18 Listing removed $30,000,000 $937
05/16/18 Listed for sale $30,000,000 $937
11/17/17 Listing removed $1,995/mo $0.00 Zillow Rental …
10/18/17 Price change $1,995/mo-20.0% $0.00 Zillow Rental …
09/13/17 Price change $2,495/mo-10.9% $0.00 Zillow Rental …
08/14/17 Listed for rent $2,800/mo $0.00 Zillow Rental …
11/01/01 Sold $51,000 $1 Public Record

 

For more information on why your house may not sell, see my recent article “Why Your House Won’t Sell”.

To have a quick and profitable sale, make sure your house is easy for buyers to fall in love with and visualize themselves living there. To make that happen, make sure it is clean, move in ready, well maintained, light, airy, modern, decluttered, inviting and warm yet not too personal, priced right, and marketed well. Don’t forget curb appeal. Grab buyer’s attention with great photos and a reasonable price, get them to the front door with great curb appeal, and get them to fall in love with it once they are inside.

A professional home stager can help you make it all happen and increase your sales price with professional staging.

Get Your House Staged by a Pro Today

All home staging starts with a consultation. From there, you can take the information and stage it yourself, work with the stager to get it done or have the stager do everything for you. Every home (especially the one in this article) can benefit from a home staging consultation!

Online Home Staging Consultation
Home Staging Consultation- In Person or Online- Learn More

 Get your Free Report

Top Paint Colors for a Speedy and Profitable Home Sale by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design


Gift Cards

Give a home staging gift card.

Staging Diva Home Staging Store

Staging Savvy Quiz: Do You Have the Eye of a Home Stager?

Free 10 Tips Course to Become a Home Stager

Why work with Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

Pin These

How NOT to Sell Your House in Seven Easy Steps How NOT to Sell Your House in Seven Easy Steps

 

 




Cinch Your Home Sale with Great Outdoor Living Space

A growing trend with home buyers 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 and providing a view of your outdoor space helps bring the outdoors in, and creates a sense of a larger space.

Cinch Your Home Sale with Great Outdoor Living Space
Outdoor living areas accessed by french or sliding doors increases functional living space and brings the outdoors in. Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Creating a space to entertain or just a great seating area surrounded by attractive landscaping or flowers can make an emotional connection with homebuyers. It doesn’t have to cost alot to set up an inviting outdoor area. Create an atmosphere that looks like a great place to hang out with family, entertain friends or just relax.

Cinch Your Home Sale with Great Outdoor Living Space
Highlight outdoor living areas to enjoy time with family and friends. Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
Cinch Your Home Sale with Great Outdoor Living Space
The most important thing is to create an outdoor space that buyers can visualize themselves enjoying and gives the space a sense of “home”.
Cinch Your Home Sale with Great Outdoor Living Space
Your outdoor space and curb appeal is just as important as your indoor space when it comes to selling your home.

Great photos of your outdoor space at different times of year on your listing helps to not date your listing if your home has been on the market for a while.

Cinch Your Home Sale with Great Outdoor Living Space
Small things make a difference. Create an atmosphere buyers will love.

Your outdoor space and curb appeal is just as important as your indoor space when it comes to selling your home. Great photos of your outdoor space at different times of year on your listing helps to not date your listing if your home has been on the market for a while.

To learn more about how home staging can help you sell your house fast and for more, see my article on FAQs for Home Sellers on Home Staging.

Ready to Cinch Your Home Sale?

Check out my home staging services to see what is right for you. For in person consultations or staging, call for a custom quote.

Online Home Staging Consultation
Home Staging Consultation- In Person or Online- Learn More
Running a home based business, like a Bed and Breakfast or vacation rental? Increase your income and bookings and attract your ideal guests. 
Virtual Remodeling Service.Is your vacant home turning buyers off with its lackluster paint, flooring, or lighting? No time or budget to remodel? Try virtual remodeling (combined with our virtual staging services) for a fraction of the cost. I create a 3D rendering from your photo and measurements to show cost effective remodeling options that buyers will love!
Great if your space needs a lot of remodeling or updates that you choose to leave o the buyer. Help them see the possibilities. Learn More.
Virtual Staging Service. Vacant homes leaving your buyers cold? Staging too expensive? Try virtual staging for a fraction of the cost. I drop-in furniture, art, and accessories into your well-lit vacant room photo so buyers can visualize this home as their own!
Help buyers visualize the possibilities in a vacant space so they can visualize it as their future home. Learn More.
 

 Get your Free Report

Top Paint Colors for a Speedy and Profitable Home Sale by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design


Gift Cards

Give a home staging gift card.


Interested in becoming a home stager? I recommend the Staging Diva Home Staging Training program!

Staging Diva Home Staging Store

Free 10 Tips Course to Become a Home Stager

Download my Brochure

Interior Design, Color and Home Staging Services. Brochure of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Why work with Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

Pin This

Cinch Your Home Sale with Great Outdoor Living Space




Staging the Stager’s House

One of my favorite home staging jobs was when I staged another home stagers house. What???  Yes, even home stagers can benefit from home staging when selling their house! Why? Two reasons:

  1. 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. Even home stagers become blind to these things in our own homes.

A home stager can see your house for the first time as the buyer will see it. They will notice all those things you no longer see and can give you great advice on changing those things, not just to look nicer, but to also appeal to your target market.

Target market? Whether you realize it or not, your house, based on its location, price, neighborhood, local schools, and other data will appeal to some buyers more than others.

A lower priced home near good schools may appeal more to first time home buyers with children. A professional home stager will know your market conditions, who your target market is, and will stage the house to appeal to those buyers.

Staging the stager's house- Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

  1. A home stager is also a member of your home selling team, along with your Realtor and photographer. As part of your team, your home stager is there to support you, offer you advice, serve as a coach and provide support. Selling your home can be very stressful and having a good support team can make all the difference in making the process as smooth and stress free as possible.

Staging the Home Stagers House

In this home staging project, I helped another home stager by providing that objective view, by staging her home and serving as part of her support team. I also developed the social media advertising for her home sale, and provided support when times were stressful! Check out the before and afters in this video.

 

So how did it go? Here is what the seller had to say about the process.

Mary Ann deserves a “stellar” rating for her home staging services, talent, experience and knowledge as a Professional Home Stager. A home stager myself, my husband & I enlisted Mary Ann to take on the oversight of staging our home when a new job and relocation required us to sell our $575,000+ home in a lagging real estate market, & a very busy time in our lives!

Her perspective helped us make decisions that were hard to make but that were in the best interest of our home sale. When the home staging was competed and a professional real estate photographer captured the essence of our property for an excellent Internet presence, Mary Ann also created a fantastic Face Book Page & a video to help boost our online marketing and show the property in a way that real estate listings could not. We had immediate requests for home showings, and fantastic feedback from home buyers and real estate folks during the entire listing period.

In addition to Mary Ann’s staging talent & knowledge, she provided us with constant professionalism and personal service by staying in regular communication with us during our home listing; by being on time and meeting deadlines; by reducing our stress because of ongoing support and her experience; by completing all work, then following up with our additional requests; by reducing our staging costs by using furniture & decor we already had; by updating, & increasing our Face Book Page presence & audience; by ensuring that we were satisfied with her staging, costs & marketing services; and by being part of the team that successfully got our home sold in a bleak real estate slump .

Because our home was staged to show all of it’s features and to attract home buyers, our home sale was solid, and profitable. Had we not staged, or had we poorly staged our property that was in competition with other homes, it is safe to say we would have been forced to drop our sales price, significantly, and received less profit for a future home purchase.

Mary Ann was not only a home staging contractor, she was, for us, a coach, a mentor and a great support in a very stressful and high anxiety time in life! Home staging is worth every dollar, but hiring Mary Ann Benoit, of Northern Light Home Staging & Design, was more than worth every dollar and lead us to success, and a new future. Stacy Goade- President of Alaska Premier Home Staging

Ready to Sell Fast and For More?

Getting ready to sell your home? Get your online home staging consultation or staging service today.  For in person consultations or staging, call for a custom quote.

Online Home Staging Consultation

 Get your Free Report

Top Paint Colors for a Speedy and Profitable Home Sale by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design


Gift Cards

Give a home staging gift card.


 

 

 

Why work with Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

Interested in becoming a home stager? I recommend the Staging Diva Home Staging Training program!

 

Staging Savvy Quiz: Do You Have the Eye of a Home Stager?

Free 10 Tips Course to Become a Home StagerPin These

Staging the Home Stagers House

 




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 profession”, the answer I received was “designer”.  I started playing the “what if” game in my head, wondering what my life would have been like if I had stuck with Interior Design as a career. And then I thought, why not now?  I decided it would be the focus of my new business, Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.

While researching how to start a design business, I came across information on home staging. I really knew nothing about it and the whole concept of decorating a house to sell sounded fascinating. I thought it would be a great aspect of a design business.

Home Staging Training

After researching various home staging courses, I decided to take Debra Gould’s Staging Diva course because it seemed to be the most focused on how to successfully run a home staging business, rather than just teaching how to decorate. And I am so glad I did!

The course was fantastic and I continue to stay connected with Debra and other stagers from the class through coaching and conference calls. Part of the journey I love is the wonderful generosity, community and friendships I developed with this group of amazing creative people. Some have taken me under their wing and served as mentors when I was just getting started, and others I continue to collaborate with, developing products, articles and brainstorming ideas to make our businesses better.

Life as a Home Stager

After starting Northern Lights Home Staging and Design, I found my life as a home stager is fun and rewarding, and it feeds my creative soul with the great benefit of helping others. I love walking through a house during a home staging consultation, and on the fly determining all the things that can transform the house, make it look beautiful, connect emotionally with buyers, and help my clients. It is like an improvisational home staging dance. I also love staging vacant homes, where I have a blank slate and can do whatever I want! I love working with occupied homes, where I can see the story of the home owner, and bring out the beauty that is there by bringing a fresh eye, highlighting the important things the house wants to show. When you listen, the house speaks to you and tells you what makes it special. I love it when I am done with the staging and the home seller says “Wow, I wish we had been living like this all along…maybe we shouldn’t sell”!

Unexpected Benefits of Becoming a Home Stager

And there were some totally unexpected benefits as well. I have another business, a bed and breakfast which I started in 2002.  Once I started learning how home staging is an amazing a marketing tool that connects with buyers, I wondered if I could apply the same concepts to my bed and breakfast. I did some experimenting and found that it at least doubled my bookings and income and helped me attract my ideal customers. It transformed my business. And, doing this added a specialty niche for my staging business to help others with vacation rental properties with home staging.

My life as a home stager- Mary Ann Benoit of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
My life as a home stager

From my home staging course, I learned or was inspired to learn all kinds of new things including designing my own word press websites, creating video for advertising, how to write a blog and create a newsletter, how to publish articles for magazines and do radio interviews. I also was inspired to continue my education and become a color expert and strategist, and add color consulting to my list of services. The home staging training opened so many doors to learning that helped me in numerous aspects of my life. And I think it is just the beginning!

It all gives me joy. And like any business, while there are times when business can be slow or clients can be difficult, it is all worth it and I am so happy this is what I am doing. If you are someone that has wondered about being a home stager, I say, GO FOR IT!

My life as a home stager
Mary Ann Benoit- President of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

 

Staging Diva Home Staging Graduate
Staging Diva Home Staging Graduate

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

Northern Lights Home Staging and Design awards and credentials




How much does home staging cost and who pays for it?

How much does it cost is usually the first question I get from home sellers! A better question might be can home staging help me sell faster and for more! Think of home staging as an investment, rather than a cost.

Home Staging is an Investment. Which House Would You Rather Buy?

Before Home Staging
Preparing for Your Photo Shoot- Tips by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design - Home Staging Portfolio
After Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

That investment will depend on the size of your home, if it is vacant or occupied, if the stager will do everything or just a consultation, followed by you, the seller, doing the bulk of the work. It also depends on whether suitable furniture and accessories are present in the home or if items need to be rented.

Stagers charge a fee for a consultation and give an estimate (based on an hourly fee, or a flat fee) if additional time is needed. A monthly rental fee may apply for furniture and/or accessories.

On average, stagers charge $400-$600 for that initial “working” consultation and about $125/hour for their time after that. Furniture and accessory rental costs vary based on what is needed to properly showcase your home.

Just like a home seller shouldn’t pick a real estate agent based on the highest quoted sale price for your home, a stager should not be picked based on the lowest bid. In both cases, the agent and the stager may be quoting that price just to get the job. You get what you pay for. Quality counts.

Staging will always cost less than your first price reduction. An increased sales price of your home, faster closing, and reduced holding costs, will more than cover the staging investment and all with a whole lot less stress!

Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Who Pays for Home Staging?

Some popular options include:

  • the home seller pays all
  • the real estate agent pays for a consultation
  • the real estate agent reimburses the home seller at closing for an agreed amount (such as for the home staging consultation).
  • the real estate agent pays all or part of the staging

More and more Realtors are covering the cost of a consultation as part of their marketing plan, leaving any further investment up to the home seller. If you like to DIY, a home staging consultation may be all you need to properly prepare your home for sale.  Learn more about the costs of home staging and how it works in my blog article, Home staging- How it Works and What it Costs.

https://northernlightsstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Home_Staging_How_it_Works.mp4

Let’s Get Your Home Staged Today

Let’s get your home staged today. Start with a home staging consultation, either in person or online. From there, you can take the information and stage it yourself, or we can work together or I can do it all for you. Whether you will be living in the home while it is for sale or it will be a vacant property that needs everything, I can help.


Online Home staging consultation with Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Wherever you are, learn everything you need to know to sell fast and high.

Some other services you may find helpful are a color consultation if your staging consultation highlights the need for re-painting the interior or exterior. Virtual staging is an option if in person staging will not work for your vacant property. And vacation rental staging can help you increase your income, bookings and attract your ideal customer.


Having problems picking the right color because you are stumped by so called “undertones”? Are the paint colors you have selected shifting blue, green or another color once they are on the wall? Not sure how to pick the right white? Wondering what paint colors will go with the countertops you have selected for your kitchen or bath remodel? Wondering if that countertop will go with your existing flooring or other fixed finishes? Not sure how to find the right paint colors to go with that rug, piece of art or furniture that you want to use in your design? I can take the guesswork out of all of these things by using color measurements. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Certified Color Strategist.


Virtual Staging Service. Vacant homes leaving your buyers cold? Staging too expensive? Try virtual staging for a fraction of the cost. I drop-in furniture, art, and accessories into your well-lit vacant room photo so buyers can visualize this home as their own!"


Get Your Free Report

The right paint colors can help you sell for more. The wrong colors can decrease your sales price.  Get this report, normally valued at $5 for free when you sign up to receive monthly color, design and staging tips.

Top Paint Colors for a Speedy and Profitable Home Sale by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

What's Your Global Design Style? Take this fun quiz to find out. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design #globalstyle #designstyle #interiordesign #onlinedesign #stylequiz #interiordesignquiz #interiorstylequiz

Download my Brochure

Pin This

How Much Does Home Staging Cost and Who Pays for It?
How Much Does Home Staging Cost and Who Pays for It?
How Much Does Home Staging Cost and Who Pays for It?
How Much Does Home Staging Cost and Who Pays for It?

Why work with Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Gift Cards

Give a home staging gift card.

Staging Diva Home Staging Store

Staging Savvy Quiz: Do You Have the Eye of a Home Stager?

Free 10 Tips Course to Become a Home Stager

Download my Brochure

Interior Design, Color and Home Staging Services. Brochure of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design




Will Younger Buyers Love Your For-Sale Home?

Will younger buyers love your for-sale home?

The majority of staging projects that I do are for older sellers and the target market is younger buyers. The sellers are retiring and moving to a new location. Many have lived in their home for many years, which were often built in the 1970’s-1980’s. Based on the price they are selling these older homes for and location near schools, the target buyer is often a young family buying their first or second house. The styles that appeal to these two groups are usually quite different!

To appeal to a younger buyers, home staging can really help give a fresh modern feel that younger buyers are looking for. For more examples of how home staging can help attract younger buyers, see my article “Home Staging Helps Seniors Move on to Their Next Adventure”.

Here is an example of a  home staging project that shows how home staging can appeal to younger buyers.

This house had been on the market for about a month with little interest. The home seller decided it should be staged, although the realtor had not suggested it. Once staged, they got new professional photos and the interest and showings increased by at least three times the amount they had before. Everyone loved the way the house looked! They had an offer within 2 months and were able to move on quickly to their new location. This house would have sold more quickly had they staged it initially before listing and would have saved them money on photos.

Ready to Sell Fast and For More?

Get your online home staging consultation or staging service today. Click on the pictures to learn more. For in person consultations or staging, call for a custom quote.

Online Home Staging Consultation
Virtual Staging Service. Vacant homes leaving your buyers cold? Staging too expensive? Try virtual staging for a fraction of the cost. I drop-in furniture, art, and accessories into your well-lit vacant room photo so buyers can visualize this home as their own!"
Why work with Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

Interested in becoming a home stager? I recommend the Staging Diva Home Staging Training program!

 

Staging Savvy Quiz: Do You Have the Eye of a Home Stager?

Free 10 Tips Course to Become a Home StagerPin These

Will Younger Buyers Love Your For Sale HomeWill Younger Buyers Love Your For Sale HomeWill Younger Buyers Love Your For Sale Home Will Younger Buyers Love Your For Sale Home




The Power of Color in Home Staging

Color is a very personal thing.

We all have our favorite colors and ones we really don’t like. The colors we surround ourselves with, whether in our homes or the clothes we wear affect our mood and be stimulating, relaxing, inspiring or agitating. Because color can have a strong emotional effect on people, it is important to consider how it will affect buyers when you put your home on the market.

The Power of Color in Home Staging

While you can indulge your love of certain colors when living in the home, those colors may turn off buyers or may not work with their furnishings and accessories. If so, they may not make an emotional connection with your house, which is what inspires an offer!

For those few buyers that can visualize what the home might look like with different colors, they will consider it an added expense and a hassle to have to paint a color to their liking. Buyers like properties that are move -ready!

The Power of Color in Home Staging

Stagers often recommend more neutral colors to appeal to more buyers. But, there is still a balancing act, to make sure the for sale property is not boring! You want buyers to remember your property and feel a connection!

Here is an example of a recent staging project where colors were very important. The property owner had rented it out for years, and renters had all indulged their own love of color along the way. Painting a more neutral palette while adding warmth and color with furniture and accessories brought in an offer the first week on the market.

The power of color in home staging can make the difference between a quick sale for more and a property that sits on the market without offers.

To learn more, get my free report on my “Top Paint Colors for a Speedy and Profitable Home Sale”. Sign up here to get a copy.

Top Paint Colors for a Speedy and Profitable Home Sale by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Get an Online Color or Home Staging Consultation Today

Try my online color or home staging consultation today. They are $500 each online but you can do both together for $750 and save $250.  Call today for a quote for in person consultations.

Learn more.

$500- Up to 2 hours

Purchase

Online Home Staging Consultation
Why work with Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

 


 

Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.

Pin These

 

 

The Power of Color in Home Staging

     

 

 




Northern Lights Home Staging and Design Awarded Best of Houzz 2017

Mary Ann Benoit of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design awarded Best of Houzz 2017 for Customer Service

Northern Lights Home Staging and Design of Seward Alaska Awarded Best of Houzz 2017

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, 2017Northern 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 Design and Social Media Marketing services in South-Central Alaska including Anchorage, Seward and the Kenai Peninsula. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design was chosen by the more than 35 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than one million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals.

The Best of Houzz is awarded annually in three categories: Design, Customer Service and Photography. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the more than 35 million monthly users on Houzz. Customer Service honors are based on several factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2016. Architecture and interior design photographers whose images were most popular are recognized with the Photography award. A “Best Of Houzz 2017” badge will appear on winners’ profiles, as a sign of their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.

We all deserve to live in a home that is beautiful, functional and reflects our unique style. Our goal is to help you “make magic happen” in your home” says Mary Ann Benoit, President of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design                                                    

“We’re so pleased to award Best of Houzz 2017 to this incredible group of talented and customer-focused professionals, including Northern Lights Home Staging and Design,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of Industry Marketing for Houzz. “Each of these businesses was singled out for recognition by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts for helping to turn their home improvement dreams into reality.”

Follow Northern Lights Home Staging and Design on Houzz at http://www.houzz.com/pro/northernlightsstagingalaska

About Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Mary Ann Benoit of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design awarded Best of HOuzz 2017 for Customer Service
Mary Ann Benoit of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design awarded Best of Houzz 2017 for Customer Service

Mary Ann Benoit, is the foremost home stager in south-central Alaska, and provides an award winning, versatile, and unique one-stop shop for home staging, Interior Design and social media advertising  services for homes and vacation rental properties.

Customers and colleagues describe her as “the best at what she does” and her work as “stellar”, “fantastic”,” amazing”, “innovative”, “prompt and professional”.  Known for giving “above and beyond service”, being a “delight to work with” and “a great coach and mentor”,  “hiring Mary Ann is more than worth every dollar and led us to success, and a new future.”

The only home stager in south central Alaska with training as a home stager and with a degree in Interior Design,  Mary Ann is a highly gifted leader in her field, providing premier home staging of vacant, occupied and vacation rental properties as well as social media marketing to make your property outshine the competition online. She is an expert at helping the average homeowner sell their home profitably so they can move on quickly and with less stress to their next adventure.

She provides diverse and unique Interior Design and Redesign services for clients looking for an affordable way to update and upgrade their space using primarily what they already have.  When you grow and change in your life, but your house hasn’t, Mary Ann can bring new life to your home so it works for you and tells your story!  She provides interior consultations, home face-lifts, space planning, color consulting, home styling, personal shopping, digital photos and video and virtual consultations nationwide.

About Houzz

Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a small room to building a custom home and everything in between, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community empowered by technology, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Moscow and Tokyo. Houzz and the Houzz logo are registered trademarks of Houzz Inc. worldwide. For more information, visit houzz.com.

# # #

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

Northern Lights Home Staging and Design awards and credentials