This is a buyer's market.

No question. The real-estate market is (maybe?) in the infancy of a very fragile period of recovery following a tsunami of home foreclosures visited upon us by the financial shenanigans of some investors and lending institutions.

The good news is that some areas have begun to see a modest up-tick in sales units and prices, but we are not out of the woods yet.

Some real-estate experts believe, and I agree, that as the unemployment rate continues to rise, we should expect another tidal wave of foreclosures, but this time we will see higher-end homes caught up in its path.

But the show must go on. People still change jobs and have life-changing events, so homes still need to sell.

If your home is listed for sale and you aren't having much luck, then you are all too aware of how much competition there is out there.

You need every possible advantage.

It might sound trite, but it is true: One of the best selling tricks is home-staging. Home builders have been using this technique for years because it works. They employ professional interior designers who are skilled at using such things as light, scale and color to emphasize a home's architectural features, or, perhaps de-emphasize the fact that a room might be small or have an awkward layout.

Here are the facts:

1. Staged Homes sell faster and get higher offers.

2. Staged homes look better in listing photos and get more showings.

You do not need to be a design expert (or even hire one) to use some of these tricks. Just a bit of enthusiasm, a lot of willingness, and a little elbow grease. So, let's roll up our sleeves and get busy.

Simple. The same things you and I want: We all want the very best home we can get for our money. Right? That means a good location, and a well-maintained and attractive home, for the lowest possible price.

I can't stress enough the importance of curb appeal, and like the interior of the home, the outside must also receive some staging-attention.

Double-click on the picture of the home. It is a very traditional brick ranch style home. But notice how the homeowners have put a coat of paint on an otherwise old and non-descript front door? They have moved vehicles away from the home to make it appear larger, put in a few bedding plants and mowed the lawn. If not flashy, it appears at least neat and tidy, and cost almost nothing to do.

Let's face it. It does not feel good to walk into a room and be overwhelmed with chaos.

Clutter, even it it's 'clean clutter,' will distract the buyer from other nice features in the room. Now, answer the question honestly... look at the two pictures to the right. Which room do you think they will see themselves working in? For some buyers, the stuff on the desk in the first picture will cause their blood pleasure and pulse rate to increase slightly, creating an indefinable sense of dis-ease, and the sensation will be that they can't get out of the room fast enough.

Really. Keep things tidy, because you don't want them to miss the important features in the room. In the second picture, they are more likely to notice the dappled light through the window, the custom lighting and the soothing wall color.

This may sound tired and overused, but it is true, and bears repeating: Use a neutral palatte and use it consistently throughout the house.

Still, many home sellers will defy statistical reasoning and leave eye-bleeding paint. Their response is to stubbornly dig in their heels and say, "But I like this color!" That's fine, but you're not buying it.

A more neutral palatte will lend itself to a wider variety of furniture choices, and by extension, the buyer's things. We need your looker to be able to envision their chartreuse sofa with pink polka-dots in the room.

True, you could make a good case for the fact that if they bought such a sofa, they probably wouldn't know that it doesn't match the black and tomato red wall colors, but let's not get caught up in that. No kidding. Paint over the outrageous colors.

Take advantage of this easy trick: Turn the lights on!

Take a look at the two kitchen pictures to the right. They are of the same kitchen! True, it has undergone a low-cost renovation, but here's what I want to point out: The cabinet lighting was in place when the 'before' picture was taken. It just wasn't turned on.

Now, notwithstanding all of the clutter in the 'before' picture, notice the difference the lighting makes? The ceilings appear higher as do the upper cabinets, giving the cabinets a more custom feel. In the 'before' picture, the room looks dark, small and recessed, and just by hitting a switch, the overall effect is to expand the room and invite you in.

And, make no mistake, this trick will work in any room. If you have a dimly lit room, add table lamps. Use 'daylight' type flourescents so you can have a higher wattage and crisper, cleaner light. We want the impression of a sunny room, even when it's impossible. And, unless the view is horrendous, open the drapes or blinds before every showing. Use inexpensive uplights in a dark area behind a tall plant (and no fake plants, please!) for example, to further expand a room and add some interest.