When Nancy and Garth Hallberg of Waccubuc put their residence up for sale in 2004, they took their real estate agent's advice and cleaned the place as if they were expecting Mother for dinner. "For nine months, we kept it shining. During that time we had a couple of nibbles, but no deal," says Nancy Hallberg. "At the end of our contract with the first agent, we spoke with another agent [Diane Berman, Houlihan Lawrence], who suggested that we work with her to stage our house. Something resonated with us, and we took a month to do all the things she said. Four days after hosting an open house, we received four competitive bids, and the house was sold last spring."

Home stager Kitty Schwartz advised South Salem homeowners Scott and Lisa Pretecrum to create strong vignettes in key areas of their home. That included a ?wow? dining room.

While her property sold at the height of the seller's market, Hallberg is certain that the staging contributed to the interest and activity. "I had agents who'd shown my house [prior to staging] say, 'Boy, this place looks amazing.' All we did was remove all of our personal stuff and the 25 years of accumulation, paint, and create a more generic environment. That made the house look larger and brighter, feel more singular. It did the trick."

With the pendulum shifting in favor of the buyer—principally in the primary home market—properties are sitting on the market longer. As a result, buyers are getting pickier and more demanding. That's why home staging or styling is becoming a popular strategy. Homeowners can do the work themselves or hire a certified pro to do the work for them. And some real estate agents offer their own complimentary staging services, a consultation from a professional, or discounted professional services to sellers who list with them. A number of interior decorators are expanding into this work too.

"Every item in the home is used to attract or distract a buyer's eye. Your goal is to make someone fall in love with your home within the first 90 seconds of walking through the door." -- Kitty Schwartz

But there is a difference between decorating and staging your home, suggests Kitty Schwartz, owner of Classic Home Staging in Goldens Bridge (www.classichomestaging.com): "Every item in the home is used to attract or distract a buyer's eye. Your goal is to make someone fall in love with your home within the first 90 seconds of walking through the door."

That said, experts say you should avoid selling an empty house if at all possible.

Gloria Marwell of Ginnel Real Estate in Bedford Hills adds that proper staging can also help buyers understand a less traditional floor plan. She said that clients Lisa and Scott Pretecrum, owners of the former Pauline Trigiere estate in South Salem, couldn't have agreed more.

"The owners fully intended to live there after a complete renovation," notes Marwell. "Unfortunately, midway through the project their plans changed and they had to put the house up for sale. I was brought in after most of the work had been done. It's a sweet house that's beautifully landscaped, but it doesn't 'flow' like a traditional center hall colonial. That's when we brought in Kitty Schwartz."

An empty undefined room became a sumptuous master bedroom suite.

Through furnishings and accessories, Schwartz provided a logical road map for buyers as they entered the space. A stately entry foyer was enhanced with an oriental rug, neutral-toned side chairs, and a wood table bearing a welcoming floral arrangement. A built-in loveseat was upholstered in a rich fabric, complementing the spicy pumpkin-colored walls. Kitty used the two fabrics to make pillows and other accessories throughout the space to unify the look. The living room capitalized on the views from floor-to-ceiling windows on two walls, a cathedral ceiling, and fireplace. She also concentrated on the center of the room to make it appear even larger. To the front entry's left, Kitty brought warmth to the dining room with four armless chairs slip-covered in the primary neutral gold-toned fabric she'd favored and a simple, round, glass-topped table. To brighten the room, she added an artificial plant to stand by the room's only window. To encourage buyer traffic into the adjoining kitchen and rooms beyond, she left the beautiful slate floor bare.