Setting the stage to sell your home in today's real estate market

Selling a home in a slow real estate market is no easy feat. But with a little elbow grease and a modest budget, your house can be transformed from drab to fab to stand out from the crowd.

According to three experts, preparing or staging a home for sale will not only help sell it faster, but at a higher price. It's important to remember that first impressions are often made within 30 seconds of entering a home, so at the very least, it should be clean and clutter-free.

A home stager can walk you through the dos and don'ts to ready your home for resale. A two-hour consultation costs about $200 and up, and often includes a written report of recommendations.

We asked our experts for their top three tips to help close a quick sale.

For more staging tips, check out Tina M. Parker's Do Your Own Home Staging, Sell Your Home Faster, Sell it for More (Self-Counsel Press, $22.95). The 171-page softcover includes step-by-step instructions on what to do to sell your home faster, as well as a CD rom with before and after photos.

CONNIE NEDERGAARD

President of Staged N Sold, www.stagednsold.com

SPACE SELLS. If you have a four-bedroom home, but have been using a room for storage or as a sewing room, turn it back into a bedroom.

SPLURGE A LITTLE. "If a buyer sees 10 homes a day, then he or she has walked through about 40 bedrooms," says Nedergaard. "New bedding -- especially in the master bedroom -- is the best investment you can make. It's also something you can take with you whenever you go." Replace tarnished faucets, taps and kitchen hardware.

IT'S ALL ABOUT PACKAGING. To show off your home, eliminate 70 per cent of your personal and household stuff. If you can't afford to put them in storage, store the boxes in the basement. Tip: Leave enough space around the perimeter of the room so buyers can walk around.

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DERRY CULLWICK

Royal LePage Performance Realty, www.derryanddavid.com

CURB APPEAL. When a potential buyer drives up, make sure snow and ice have been cleared away. It's too cold to paint outside, but clean your front door, exterior lights and mailbox, and replace tarnished house numbers. Dress up outdoor urns with seasonal greens or hang a wreath on the door.

BANISH CLUTTER. Give away things you don't need or put them in storage.

Clean off countertops and dressers.

FRESHEN UP. Touch up chipped paint on baseboards and window frames. Fix leaky faucets, cracked tiles and clean or repair bathroom caulking. Replace tattered rugs and fill vases with fresh flowers. But don't use plug-in air fresheners. It might look like you're trying to mask a bad smell.

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KRISTY MORRISON

Professional stager, designer and owner of Capital Home Staging & Design, www.capitalhomestaginganddesign.ca

DE-PERSONALIZE. Homeowners need to cut emotional ties and start thinking of their home as a house. Take down family photos and religious icons so buyers can concentrate on the rooms and not the decor. People need to feel a connection with a home before they buy it.

Tone Down the Decor.

Soft, neutral colours sell.

You don't want people to feel overwhelmed by your paint choices.

Work with what you have.

If your sofa is torn, slipcover it or use a tablecloth on a worn kitchen table.

Replace tattered towels and shower curtains.

(Source: Vancouver Sun)