Fluff your house for resale

You want to sell your home, and fast. So how big a deal is the flaking paint on the windowsills and the stained carpeting in the basement, really? It depends. If you want to make top dollar, those cosmetic deficiencies can amount to thousands below your asking price. Worse, a house that falls short of near-perfection will draw fewer buyers, protracting the painful selling process.

Without question, house staging, or restyling a home's decor to impress potential buyers, is critical to a successful sale. In fact, staging gives new meaning to home theatre: A little razzle-dazzle and some smoke and mirrors can amount to getting a quick, profitable sale. Clive Pearse, host of the popular show Designed To Sell on HGTV and contributor to Designed To Sell: Smart Ideas That Pay Off, sums it up this way: "In the some 100 episodes of the show, 98 of the houses we've staged have sold over the asking price."Sold?

How much is enough?

Okay, so you know you need to spruce up before you sell. But how much money do you pour into the house you're vacating? According to a 2005 study conducted by Maritz Research for Royal LePage, 54 per cent of Canadians believe that $2,000 or more is the magic number. And they're right. Toronto-based real estate agent Michele Chan says most well-maintained homes merit $2,000 to $2,500 in small fix-ups, though Tim Badgley, designer and co-owner of Acanthus Interiors in Port Hope, Ont., argues that even a meager $1,000 goes a long way in paint and throw pillows. Listen to home editor Virginie Martocq as she breaks down by price just how far $1000 can go.

Ask yourself: Am I really ready for this?

Selling and staging your home will require you to stop seeing your property as a family home and start seeing it as a commodity, one that you need to regard with detachment and impartiality, says Pearse. In other words, Grandpa's stamp collection isn't special to anyone but you, and if you can't bear to take it off the wall in your rec room and part with it for a couple of weeks, maybe you're not ready to part with your home, either.

Top five staging tricks

1. Create curb appeal. Before a prospective buyer books an appointment to view your home, they've likely driven by it a few times. If they don't like what they see out front, they probably won't step foot inside. So put flowers or greenery in planters, hide the garbage and recycling bins, stow the kids' bikes and sweep the porch.

Tip: Do a drive-by shooting. Drive past your own house, taking a few photos as you go. Would you buy this house?

2. Rent a storage locker. You'll need it. Whether you're a certifiable pack rat or not, the "less is more" principle is well-applied to house staging. "Buyers want to see the house, not your belongings," says Chan. "And when belongings are stripped to a minimum, the house looks bigger." So clean off countertops in the kitchen and bathroom, put away at least half of all your clothing so closets appear more spacious, and pack up personal knick-knacks. "Remember," says Chan, "people aren't buying four walls, they're buying a lifestyle. They need to be able to see themselves in the house and they can't do that if it's filled to the brim with your personal memorabilia."