Most sellers in this day and age recognize the value of staging a home's interior, but what about the backyard?

Especially in the summer months, when outdoor spaces often look their best, a well-staged backyard can be a major selling point and might just help you seal the deal with a buyer.

It's no surprise that homeownership can create significant financial benefits over time. What's often overlooked is the value of the non-financial advantages – to the individual, their community and society as a whole. In fact, the value of homeownership spans the realms of health, education, and civic and socio-cultural spheres.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an obsession has developed among people who are extremely online with an interior design feature whose heyday occurred more than 50 years ago: the conversation pit.

Even if you wouldn't describe yourself as handy, it's important for homeowners to have the skills and equipment to tackle routine maintenance and repairs. Thankfully, most of those tasks require nothing more than a few basic tools and a little elbow grease.

Along with lowering monthly utility bills, green home features can also cut costs for homeowners by reducing their mortgage insurance premium.

Depending on the home's degree of energy efficiency, up to a quarter of a borrower's premium can be covered by a rebate through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) Green Home program.

Preparing your house for sale can be a daunting and overwhelming task, whether you have lived in your home a few years or many. The longer you've lived in your home, the more things you will have acquired.

It's necessary to take a step back and recognize that this is no longer your home, but rather an investment for your future. You want your home to have broad buyer appeal among members of your target market. Remember, most people want to move into their new home without having to make updates to it.

Here are 10 home-staging tips to save you time, money and energy:

Local designers offer advice on how to create personal spaces

One could describe Calgary-based interior designer Amanda Hamilton as trend averse.

"Focusing on trends is a sure way to date your home," she said, pointing to dwellings from the 1980s that show their vintage via their yellow-oak interiors and brass details. "We don't follow trends. Trends are interesting for people who are into fast design."

Hamilton added current economic conditions can also further influence trends' relevance.

University research looks at solar solutions to multi-storey challenges

New research at the University of Calgary could lead to condominium and apartment high-rises being retrofitted to become energy-efficient and green-energy-producing buildings.

Caroline Hachem-Vermette, an assistant professor of architecture in the Solar Energy and Community Design Lab at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Environmental Design, is looking at new ways to optimize solar capture on multi-storey buildings to help offset their energy use.

"Most of the buildings that exist now will be existing in 50 years, so we really need to move in this direction," said Hachem-Vermette, whose interest in the area came out of wider research she did on the design of mixed-use solar communities.

Contentious topic back in the news

Secondary suites are back in the news thanks to a marathon council meeting at City Hall recently that saw 26 suite applications up for approval.

Sure to provoke those on both sides of the debate, CREB®Now takes a look at some of the latest developments in what is quickly becoming Calgary's very own version of The Song That Never Ends.

$10,000
With 26 individual secondary suite applications up for approval at council, the process dominated the day at City Hall, taking roughly 10 hours to hear from all involved. While council members are not paid overtime, City staffers are, meaning the cost of the review could cost taxpayers in excess of $10,000.