Is staging worth it?

The longer I work in real estate the more convinced I am that staging, not always the house itself, sells a property. In fact, there is really no detail that is too small to address. When you ask yourself whether you should touch up that paint, clean out that last cabinet or change that light bulb, the answer should always be YES! It can mean thousands of dollars in the final price. What are the three most important things that you can do? 1. Repaint to a neutral color. Unless your friends have told you that you have impeccable taste, assume that you may not. Strong paint colors throw buyers off more than anything else even though it's an easy fix. 2. Clean everything! It's hard to imagine a place being your new home when all you can remember is that dirty range or sink, maybe the dog hair on the couch. 3. Lighting - make sure all of your lights are operational and that you have enough light throughout the house. Dark spaces turn off most buyers and it's an easy fix. I know it can sound overwhelming but it really changes how a buyer takes in your home and whether they ultimately buy or not.