Hello! I'm Mary and have lived in the Fox Valley area all my life. I grew up in Elgin and live in St. Charles helping local Realtors have occupied listings that never get scrolled past:) I have the best job ever because I get to transform a sellers greatest asset into their greatest return on investment! It's so rewarding to offer a service that not only impacts the sale price but makes  one of life's major stressors, selling a home, more manageable.

Before starting Inhabit Home Staging I worked with a photographers agent who represented life-style and commercial photographers. I got to see first-hand how setting the scene well was essential to capturing ideal marketing photos or filming a commercial.  Marketing homes is no different and  highlighting a homes best features and displaying its potential is all about marketing.

My focus is on occupied homes and my process is a bit different and is a hybrid of occupied and vacant staging. Nobody wants to buy new items for a house they are going to sell, but merchandizing is essential for buyers to see more value in an occupied home.  I utilize what the homeowner has but then supplement it with more current, updated decor inventory to modernize it for marketing profitability.

I am a professional home stager certified  by the Expert Psychological Stager™,  Psychological Color Expert™, and the Home Staging Resource (HSR) training programs. Both are accredited by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), the international governing body of the trade association for staging. I currently serve as the President of the RESA Greater Chicago Chapter because... staging is my passion and I want more people to know that it's affordable and a game-changer!

I was voted Top Ten Rising Star Home Stager of the Year in the Occupied Category for 2020 by RESA for skill and creativity in solving complex space and design problems. I would love to help you manage the highly solvable task of prepping your listing. I'm all about the best case scenario for occupied homes!