Congratulations to the professional stagers who submitted the winning entries in our recent "Every Picture Sells Your Story" contest. The photos below beautifully illustrate the principles contained in Book One of our Four Part Selling System, "Ready, Set, PREP!"

Some show dramatic changes, as in the case of our first winner, which illustrates how paint color and furnishings in a "blank canvas" vacant home can have a significant impact. Others will illustrate less dramatic changes. Simple, inexpensive changes such as decluttering a nook, removing a piece of furniture, or opening the window treatments can be done for very little money but have a tremendous impact on the appeal of your home.

Be sure to visit our staging page to locate a talented stager in your community!

Show How Each Space Functions

Empty homes are often difficult to sell because the potential buyer may not have the ability to imagine what the space may look like with furnishings. Adding furnishings and decor can take the guesswork out of this daunting task for buyers. A properly furnished room can make a space look larger and can help buyers envision themselves actually living in the home. —Jennifer Napolitano, JNdesign LLC, Southington, CT

Let the Light In!

A well-lit interior is a must when selling, but don't forget to apply the same principle to the "bonus rooms" your property has to offer over the competition. In this example, a three-season porch gets a mini makeover by pulling back and styling the window sheers to create drama and let all the light in. Adding $65.00 worth of neutral, but beautiful, soft furnishings that will appeal to every buyer, is key to making an amenity like this sun porch, memorable. —Jill Hosking-Cartland, Hosking Interiors, Windham, NH

Spruce Up the Master with New Linens

Master Bedrooms should reflect luxury. Somewhat neutral bedding with three layers of pillows and a throw draped across the end of the bed will say "Resort Living" to viewers. Check out Egyptian Peddler for 7-piece luxury bed in bags. Lamps on both sides of the bed should be large in scale. Also open up the space by removing excess furniture or exercise equipment. —Leslie Causey, LC Home Staging & Redesign, San Antonio, TX

Declutter!

It is important to de-clutter to show prospective buyers the architectural features of the house. My client was having the staging complete prior to listing their home. All the realtors said it was fine to leave the bar but I wanted to de-clutter these shelves to enable buyers to see that they could use this space for other purposes as well. In addition, buyers can now see that this small porch is surrounded by beautiful windows. —Beth Bernardi, Beyond Redesign, Chicago, IL

Drama Can Be Good—In Small Doses!

Sometimes all it takes is an investment of a few dollars to transform an otherwise lackluster bathroom into a memorable highlight of the home tour. In this case, worn towels were replaced with new ones that coordinate with an eye-catching shower curtain and a dramatic yet inexpensive piece of artwork. A guest bath is a great place to have fun with pattern or color and to make a slightly more dramatic design statement. Why not leave memory-overloaded buyers, at the end of a long house-hunting session, able to instantly recall "What about that great house with the Zebra striped shower curtain?" —Jennifer Duchene, Lift Your Spirits Home Transformations, Palo Alto, CA

Many thanks to all the stagers from who participated in our contest!