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

Call 907-362-0065 today

info@northernlightsstaging.com

Northern Lights Home Staging and Design awards and credentials

Interview with Mary Ann Benoit-Seward Public Radio

Mary Ann Benoit was honored to be asked to do an interview on Seward Public Radio last night with host Beck Dunn. She was the first guest on the “Knot so Fast” radio show. They talked about a wide range of topics including bats, wildlife, home staging and design, using home staging to increase your bed and breakfast income and bookings, dance, art and more!

Mary Ann has been a wildlife biologist for over 25 years, as well as an artist, dancer, musician, performance artist and teacher. She owns two businesses, including her Bed and Breakfast, Arctic Paradise Bed and Breakfast, Jewelry and Stained Glass which she started in 2002, and Northern Lights Home Staging and Design, started in 2014. Becky asked her about all different aspects of her life and businesses.

They discussed bats, bat research in Alaska, how to attract bats to your property with a bat box, what to do if you find a dead or sick bat and more. They discussed her Bed and Breakfast and home staging and design business and how she used home staging to increase her own bed and breakfast income and bookings. They also talked about her other interests such as teaching and performing different styles of dance, and creating beautiful stained glass and jewelry as an artist.

It was a fun interview! For those of you interested in getting to know Mary Ann, and if she might be the right person to work with you on your project, this is a good one to listen to.

It was also a fun and quirky broadcast that gives a good feel for life in our beautiful little town of Seward Alaska:)

Mary Ann Benoit – Persian Miniature Dance- Alaska Style. Background photo by Robert Kasuboski

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info@northernlightsstaging.com

Empire Radio Now with Mary Ann Benoit

Empire Radio Now Interview with Mary Ann Benoit

I got a call from Empire Radio Now in New York to do a live interview on their online radio station for the “Professionals Roundtable”. Exciting!! Here is a transcript of the broadcast, I hope you enjoy it. You can hear the broadcast here.

Please give a description of your company and the products/services you offer.

Company: Northern Lights Home Staging and Design provides Home Staging, Interior Design and Social Media Advertising for homes and vacation rental properties. We serve south-central Alaska but also do virtual consultations nation-wide.

We offer:

Home Staging for homes and vacation rentals-Decorating for sale homes to appeal to buyers and help sellers sell their house faster and for more. I also offer this for vacation rental properties to help owners attract their ideal clients and increase their bookings and income.
Interior Design and Redesign-Whether you are starting fresh in a new home or working with what you already have, I love helping the average home owner make their space something special that they love and works with their lifestyle.
Color Consulting for Interior Design as well as home staging projects. Whether it is paint, furniture or finishes, I can help you pull it all together.
Social Media Advertising- Once I have staged a for sale home or vacation rental, I help advertise the property by creating Facebook pages, video and ads to get the word out on what makes the property special.

Tell us about your background of your business and yourself.

My Background

Many years ago I received a BA in Interior Design in Washington DC. While I did some design work and enjoyed it, I was young and wanted to travel and explore the world and other options.
I worked a variety of jobs as a fire fighter and fire lookout for many years in Arizona. Then I took another path and followed my love of animals, and got a second degree in wildlife biology.
In 2001, I came to Alaska to work as a Wildlife Biologist.
In 2002, I also started a bed and breakfast, Arctic Paradise B&B.
I have always been an artist and create Jewelry, stained glass and do performing arts such as dance and music.

Business Background

I started Northern Lights Home Staging and Design 3 years ago.
I took the name Northern Lights because I want to inspire that feeling of awe and sense of magic that people experience when they see northern lights in my Interior Design.

What inspired you to pursue your profession?

Childhood love of design

I always loved the idea of transforming a space and making it beautiful. I dreamed of designing and building my own house even as a kid and used to endlessly sketch my dream house.
Over the years even though I was working in another field, I still loved Interior Design and indulged my passion for it in my own home and for friends and family.

A Facebook Quiz- “What is your true profession”, changed everything. The answer was “Designer”.

I considered the path not taken and wondered what life would have been like if I had taken my first path.
Then I decided I can just do it now! Why not? It did not have to be one or the other.
In researching how to start an Interior Design firm, I discovered home staging which seemed really fun. I took a home staging training program and then started my Home Staging/Design business.

What advice do you have for people considering starting their own business?

Just do it. Follow your passion. It is never too late to start. Starting a business is easy; it just takes time and hard work to make it successful. Dont give up. Your turning point could be tomorrow!

Where do you see yourself in the near future?

I plan to highlight some new exciting additions to my business including:

Vacation Rental Staging– I realized by experimenting on myself and my Bed and Breakfast, that home staging and design can have a dramatic impact on increasing bookings and income and attracting ideal clients. I have started offering consultations and social media advertising for vacation rental property owners.
Color Consulting– I have always loved color and the magic it brings to a space. Recently, I went through training and became a certified color expert. I look forward to helping home sellers and home owners pick paint colors as well as use color to pull their design projects together.
I will also be promoting my services for nation-wide virtual consultations for staging, design, and color. So wherever you are, I would love to help you. Just visit my website, give me a call or send me an email and let’s get going on your project!

Call 907-362-0065 today

info@northernlightsstaging.com

Why work with Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Alaska Home Magazine “Ask the Expert”- Staging for a Quick Sale

Staging for a Quick Sale

I was asked by Alaska Home Magazine to write an article for their “Ask the Expert” column on Staging for a Quick Sale. Here are some of the key questions and answers from my article which I hope helps you with your home sale!

Stag ing for a quick sale

Q: We are planning to put our home on the market and are hoping for a quick sell. What are your top staging tips for appealing to the greatest possible pool of prospective buyers?

Congratulations on being proactive and considering how to best invest your time and money to assure a fast sale and, of course, the highest sales price!

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 home stager and advice from your realtor can help you determine and appeal to your “target market.”

In addition, doing the following things will help attract the greatest number of buyers:

Make it spotless.

Paint neutral colors to make everything look fresh and new. Neutral colors will go with most buyers’ belongings.

What is Home Staging

Declutter 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.

Remove personal photos for your own security and to help buyers visualize their family living there.

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

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.

Upgrade outdated lighting or old carpeting.

Home staging Tip- update outdated lighting

Your stager or realtor can advise you on which upgrades will provide a good return on your investment in the final sales price.

Home staging Tip- update old carpeting

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.

Get professional photos! Most buyers shop online and will decide about viewing your house in a few seconds. Great photos are critical.

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 – and remove all evidence of pets. Best of luck on a fast sale!

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.

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Download my Brochure

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!

Biography of Mary Ann Benoit, President of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Mary Ann Benoit, provides an award winning, versatile, and unique one-stop shop for premiere Interior Design, Edesign, Color Consulting, Home Staging, Virtual Staging and Vacation Rental Staging for homes and vacation rental properties in south-central Alaska and online nationwide.

Customers and colleagues describe her in reviews as “the best at what she does” and her work as “stellar,” “fantastic,”” amazing,” “innovative,” “prompt and professional.” She is 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 professional home stager with a degree in Interior Design that is also a certified color strategist and color expert in Alaska, she is a highly gifted leader in her field, winning numerous awards for customer service, Interior design, home staging, her blog and YouTube channel.

She provides diverse and unique Interior Design services using her Aligned Design system which combines art, science and energy. She focuses on global design styles with a modern twist, with expert and unique use of beautiful color. Living in Alaska on the ocean surrounded by dramatic mountains and glaciers, surrounded by antiques she has collected has also given her a love of Coastal, Rustic, Vintage and Art Deco styles. She loves to use eco-friendly products and incorporates sustainable design techniques and biophilia to bring the outside in whenever possible in her designs.

As a certified color strategist, she loves using both the art and science of color to created stunning and interesting combinations and helping clients with their color conundrums!

She provides premier home staging of vacant, occupied and vacation rental properties as well as virtual staging, online consultations and social media marketing to make your for-sale home or vacation rental property outshine the competition online. She is an expert at helping homeowners sell profitably, quickly and with less stress and helping vacation rental owners increase their bookings and attract their ideal guests.

In addition to her lifelong interest in Interior Design, she recently retired from a 33-year career as a wildlife biologist that inspired her with the beautiful colors, patterns and designs in nature and how they could be applied to interiors. Her career gave her extensive experience in project management, budgeting, and attention to detail. She also started a Bed and Breakfast in 2001 and applied her staging and marketing skills to double her income and bookings. Now she uses that knowledge to help other vacation rental property owners do the same with home staging, design and color. As a lifelong artist in a variety of mediums, she also creates stunning fractal art and alcohol ink art which she creates unique home décor products that can be custom designed for your home.

She has a BA in Interior Design, a BS in Wildlife Biology and is a graduate of the Staging Diva Home Staging training program. Featured on several home staging shows, she has also published numerous articles. She won the Best of Houzz Customer Service Award in 2016-2020. She won an award for one of the top Interior Designs of 2018 for her Edesign of a Turkish style living room. Her blog was awarded on of the top home staging blogs on the web and her YouTube channel was awarded one of the top 30 design channels on the web.

Her exceptional design sense, education, experience, diverse background, versatility and emphasis on customer service make her a great choice to “make magic happen” in your home. Ask her customers!

Get to know Mary Ann. Check out some of her recent radio or video interviews.

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

Interview with Mary Ann Benoit-Seward Public Radio

Empire Radio Now with Mary Ann Benoit

Northern Lights Home Staging and Design- Tips to Finding the Best Home Stager

Anchorage Advice Givers- Interview with Mary Ann Benoit

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Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

info@northernlightsstaging.com

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Mary Ann Benoit Offers 5 Tips to Find the Best Home Stager in Alaska

When professional home stager Mary Ann Benoit sees a house, she envisions how it can be transformed inside and out into warm, inviting spaces that will attract buyers. The vision stays with her until it becomes a reality. She is inspired by the colors, patterns, light and texture found in nature, and believes Mother Nature is the best designer. Combining the inspirational Alaskan wilderness with a degree in interior design gives her staging clients an advantage over other homes on the market.

Mary Ann Benoit shares five things a homeowner should be aware of when searching for someone to stage their home for a fast sale and for more money in this interview:

Northern Lights Home Staging and Design is an award-winning company serving the communities of Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. To learn more, visit:

Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Business Innovators Magazine

OCTOBER 25, 2016 BY STEPHANIE MILLER

To learn more about Mary Ann Benoit, visit our About Us page. Mary Ann Benoit is the leading home stager in south-central Alaska and is the only home stager in south-central Alaska trained as a professional home stager and with a degree in Interior Design. She is also a Certified Color Expert and Certified Color Strategist.

Call 907-362-0065 today

info@northernlightsstaging.com

Northern Lights Home Staging and Design awards and credentials

Mary Ann Benoit with Northern Lights Home Staging & Design – Not The Usual Success Story

We hope you enjoy this article and podcast on Anchorage Advice Givers about Mary Ann Benoit and Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Learn about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and to start your own home staging and design business.

Mary Ann, the foremost home stager in south-central Alaska, provides an award winning, versatile, and unique one-stop shop for home staging, Interior Design, Edesign and color consulting for homes and vacation rental properties.

Learn more about Mary Ann on her About Me page or see her full biography here.

View the full video interview with Mary Ann here.

Meet Mary Ann Benoit, Owner of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design, and Arctic Paradise B&B. Mary Ann was/is an artist and a scientist before she became an entrepreneur. She has been an artist since childhood and today she designs and sells one of a kind jewelry and stained glass. Mary Ann is also a performing artist in both music and dance. As a scientist, she pursued a career as a wildlife biologist for the last 30+ years based on her love for animals.

Mary Ann became an entrepreneur in 2001 in addition to her work as a biologist and artist. Her first business was Arctic Paradise Bed & Breakfast, Jewelry and Stained Glass in Seward, Alaska, The business continues to run smoothly and is very successful. Her second and current business is the Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.

What does Northern Lights Home Staging and Design offer?

In simple terms, home staging is decorating and preparing a home to sell. Staging helps buyers to get connected with home emotionally so they see themselves living there, which helps the home sell faster and for more money.

Challenging factor:

Some homeowners and realtors worry about spending money on staging because they think of it as a cost, rather than an investment which will help them sell their home faster (saving them money) and for more money. Staging increases the value of the house generally 1-20% and usually only requires 0.5% to1% of the home’s value to complete the staging process. Cutting costs through partial staging or not having it done by a professional affects the end result and hurts the home seller.

Love for the business:

She loves to see “the magic happen” when she transforms the house so beautifully during staging. This gives her a lot of personal satisfaction and appeals to her creative spirit. Some home owners don’t want to move after seeing their beautifully staged home! Mary Ann loves it when homeowners and buyers love the way the house looks.

Interview with Mary Ann Benoit on Anchorage Advice Givers

Mary Ann Benoit of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design was honored to be interviewed by Kris Bohman of Anchorage Advice Givers on her experiences as an entrepreneur, and as a home stager, starting and running Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.

The interview gives insight on why she is passionate about home staging and design. It also provides some great advice if you are interested in starting your own business, whatever that may be. See the interview below.

If you would like to listen to the audio recording, check out the podcast.

Mary Ann Benoit is the leading home stager in south-central Alaska and is the only home stager in south-central Alaska trained as a professional home stager and with a degree in Interior Design. She is also a Certified Color Expert. Customers and colleagues describe her as “the best at what she does” and her work as “stellar,” “fantastic,” ”amazing,” “innovative,” “prompt and professional.” She is 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.” To find our more about Mary Ann Benoit, check out the About Me page.

Purchase an Online Home Staging Service

For in person consultations or staging, call for a custom quote.

Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

info@northernlightsstaging.com

Home Staging- What’s in it for you?

For most of us, our home is our biggest financial asset. When it’s time to sell and move on, we want to sell it for as much as possible and as quickly as possible. None of want to spend any more on the house we our selling…. None of us want to continue to pay a mortgage and taxes on a home sitting on the market or take a price reduction of thousands if it does not sell quickly.

So why home stage? What’s in it for you? A small investment can potentially reap an increased sale price up to 20% more and may help you sell 79% faster or more! Much of the staging costs may potentially be written off on your taxes as advertising fees on your home sale.

What is Home Staging?

Home staging is a real estate service and powerful marketing strategy that prepares your house for successful sale by highlighting your home’s best features and minimizing its flaws. It helps buyers see the home’s true potential so they can visualize themselves living there.

How does it affect Buyer Perception?

Buyer’s perception of the location, price and condition of your house affect their desire to buy it. Home staging can influence the price and condition. Staging helps gets your house in the best condition, focusing on things that give you a good return on your investment. Staging also helps set and maintain your price at the top end of the range for similar houses on the market by making your house outshine the competition.

Does Home Staging Really Work?

The National Association of Realtors 2015 Profile of Home Staging noted the following based on a study of 49,000 real estate agents nationwide:

Up to 71% of Realtors think staging increases the dollar value buyers are willing to offer between 1-20%.
81% of Realtors think it helps buyers to visualize the property as a future home.

In the examples below, this house sold the first day on the market for full asking price after home staging. The way it looked before staging, I seriously doubt this would have happened.

Do staged homes really sell Faster?

In 2011, the Real Estate Staging Association conducted 2 studies.

In study #1, 174 vacant and occupied homes (not staged) were put on the market. They were on the market an average of 156 days. These same homes were then staged and relisted and sold on an average of 42 days. The staged homes spent 114 days (4 months) less time on the market!
In study #2, 126 vacant and occupied homes (not staged) were put on the market. They were on the market an average of 273 days. These same homes were then staged and relisted and sold on an average of 60 days. The staged homes spent 213 days (7 months) less time on the market!
The study shows it does not benefit you to list the property first to see if it will sell ….then stage. In this study, the staged homes sold 79% faster.

Do Staged homes really sell for more?

In the 2011 Home Sale Maximizer Survey of 600 real estate agents nationwide found that 80% recommend homeowners invest in staging prior to selling. The return on investment is nearly 300%.
Up to 71% of Realtors think staging increases the dollar value buyers are willing to offer between 1-20%.

How Much Money are You Leaving on the Table?

Consider that you could be leaving up to 20% on the final sales price of your home on the table without staging, and the cost of staging is usually less than 1%. And if your house is on the market a while, your first price reduction will likely be $5000-$15000. Will you also be paying a mortgage and taxes too?

Home staging works in a buyers or seller’s market

Regardless of the market, you want to make the most money possible on your home sale. Your home is worth what a buyer is willing to pay. Home staging helps you get the most for your home in either a buyers’ or seller’s market.

Buyers’ Market- Lots of houses on the market

When there are lots of homes on the market, buyers are more choosy and they can take their time before deciding to buy. There is more competition. Staging helps make your house outshine the competition and helps you sell faster so you won’t lose money with a price reduction while potentially still paying mortgage costs and taxes for every month the house is on the market.

Seller’s Market- Few Houses on the market

When there are few houses on the market, sellers often think, why should I invest any money in staging, repairs etc. when I should be able to sell it quickly? Because you can make more money on your house if you do! Staging can offer a better starting price, multiple offers, and higher than list offers. There will always be a range of prices for similar houses on the market based on their condition and how well they show. The better your home shows, the more it will sell for. Staging can help put your house on the top end of the price range for similar houses. If your house is the most appealing and there are few houses on the market, you can generate a “bidding war” and get even more for your house.

Who pays for staging?

The National Association of Realtors 2015 Profile of Home Staging noted the following regarding staging costs nationwide:

62% of Seller’s agent offers the home staging service to sellers
39% of Sellers pay before listing the home

Personally, I think the seller should pay for the staging. They have the most to gain from their investment and it is a good idea for them to hire the best professional stager they can. If the cost of staging is left to the realtor, they may look for the cheapest, but not necessarily most effective stager.

Get a Professional Home Staging Consultation

Get a professional home staging consultation today and find out they key things you need to know to sell fast and for the very best price!

My Life as a Home Stager

How I Became a Home Stager

Home Staging Training

Life as a Home Stager

Unexpected Benefits of Becoming a Home Stager

Call 907-362-0065 today

Interview with Mary Ann Benoit-Seward Public Radio

Call 907-362-0065 today

Empire Radio Now with Mary Ann Benoit

Please give a description of your company and the products/services you offer.

Tell us about your background of your business and yourself.

What inspired you to pursue your profession?

What advice do you have for people considering starting their own business?

Where do you see yourself in the near future?

Call 907-362-0065 today

Alaska Home Magazine “Ask the Expert”- Staging for a Quick Sale

Staging for a Quick Sale

Q: We are planning to put our home on the market and are hoping for a quick sell. What are your top staging tips for appealing to the greatest possible pool of prospective buyers?

Ready to Sell Fast and For More?

Call 907-362-0065 today

Biography of Mary Ann Benoit, President of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Get to know Mary Ann. Check out some of her recent radio or video interviews.

Call 907-362-0065 today

Mary Ann Benoit Offers 5 Tips to Find the Best Home Stager in Alaska

Call 907-362-0065 today

Mary Ann Benoit with Northern Lights Home Staging & Design – Not The Usual Success Story

See My Online Design, Color and Home Staging Services.

Call 907-362-0065 today

Interview with Mary Ann Benoit on Anchorage Advice Givers

Purchase an Online Home Staging Service

For in person consultations or staging, call for a custom quote.

Call 907-362-0065 today

Home Staging- What’s in it for you?

What is Home Staging?

How does it affect Buyer Perception?

Does Home Staging Really Work?

Do staged homes really sell Faster?

Do Staged homes really sell for more?

How Much Money are You Leaving on the Table?

Home staging works in a buyers or seller’s market

Buyers’ Market- Lots of houses on the market

Seller’s Market- Few Houses on the market

Who pays for staging?

Get a Professional Home Staging Consultation

Color can help you sell for More- Or Less

Credits and Resources

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