Home Staging by Barb Schwarz, Mary Seehafer Sears (2006, Paperback)

I am serious: you need to read this book. I had a friend sell a condo in Northern California. The area was booming in real estate, and she had a lovely, large condo. Still, she staged her house and she estimates she got more, lots more, for her house than she would have ordinarily.

Staging isn't necessarily cheap; if you need to replace carpets, paint and rent furniture, it's going to cost a bit. But the price difference especially in a competitive area will be well worth it. The book has a table on refurbishment costs and their relative payback.

But more practically, the book has ideas that don't cost a whole lot except time; for example, clear your basement of junk and set up a tableau of "possibilities" for the space. Go find an inexpensive indoor-outdoor green rug at an outlet store. You could put that and a rented poker table in a bright section of even an unfinished basement to suggest how to use the space.

The author suggest boring but essential tasks like "paint your bright colored walls neutral beige even if you love the color" and replacing your worn carpet with neutral beige carpeting or berber. Beds should be made up to look like hotel beds; fold back the covers to show the pretty sheets. And do I need to mention the author tells each home seller to clear out closets, cupboards? It's a pain but it's also your gain. And somehow waving a copy of this in front of the stubborn member of any family who won't cooperate is more authoritative than just nagging about it.

Naturally, clutter has to go. The book recommends how to arrange the stuff you do have and what to do to make each room more inviting.

If you don't believe the author, take a tour of any new construction houses in your area. Go see the furnished model and then look at an empty model house if possible. One will appeal to you and one will not; yet both houses may be almost equal in value. This is why selling an empty house may not be the best idea.

If you are a real estate agent, get a couple copies of this book. It will really help.