10 house-selling secrets

Solution: Nixing the string of lights and adding black trim and a fresh coat of white paint spruces things up. Gould also swapped out the exterior sconces for larger ones that match the new color scheme.

This house sat on the market for a few months before Gould staged it.

Listed: $479,000
Sold: $459,000 (96% of list)
Staging costs: $3,000

Note: Staging costs listed are for the entire house, not just the room shown. The figure includes Gould's consulting fee plus fees for off-site storage and rental or purchase of furniture and accessories.

NEXT: A disorganized corner nook...