With the proliferation of decorating tips, through television, magazines and online, you've probably heard something about staging. Las Vegas is the city of stages and it's no surprise that this practice is taking off here. Staging is essentially preparing your home for its big debut: you want to appeal to buyers, catch their eye and their hearts. By making some basic cosmetic changes, your Las Vegas home can steal the show.

Staging is all the rage at the moment, and there are a a few good reasons for this?the main one being sales. Studies suggest that staging your home can increase the sale price by seven to ten per cent. The other main reason is time: on average staged homes sell faster than unstaged homes. Market factors should be considered of course'if homes in your neighborhood are selling like hotcakes you probably have less work to do than in a slower market. But even in a place like Las Vegas where the market is good, it never hurts to give your home the competitive edge it deserves.

If you want to go the professional route there are many companies and designers that can help you with an overhaul?they are trained in choosing colors and textures and will rearrange your furniture to best suit the space. They may even suggest additional pieces or minor renovations. But if you don't have a budget for that, or if you like doing things yourself, there are some basic things that any homeowner can do.

The first thing challenge is to start thinking like a buyer, not a seller. You want to make it easy for a buyer to walk in and see themselves living in your home. You don't want them to be thinking about all the work they need to do to make it livable. The easiest and most obvious place to start is by making sure your home is spotless. Then declutter?get rid of all the extra junk that's been accumulating over the years. This has an added bonus of getting you organized before your move. Your home should appear spacious and should definitely feel like someone lives in it, but don't make it too personal?you want the buyer to imagine it as their home, not get caught up in your memories. That said, every room should have furniture in it?this gives the room a sense of scale and makes it feel homey.

Lighting is essential?the lighting can make a room appear warm, spacious or sophisticated. When showing your property, opening the curtains and turning on lights can make the space appear bright and airy. Sometimes adding a few additional lights is a good idea'no one wants to live in a cave.

Little things can make a big impression?basic touches like plants and candles can make your home seem more appealing. Pay attention to the temperature when showing your home. In colder climates a cold home will put off the buyer, but in warmer places like Las Vegas homeowners need to be careful the space doesn't feel stuffy.

Nourish all the senses?especially smell. That means no smoking in the house when it's for sale. Litter boxes should be changed, and other odor causing issues taken care of. To make your home feel especially welcoming boil some cinnamon sticks in a pot of water on your stove top before showing. This will give your home an irresistible smell. Leave some cut flowers or freshly baked cookies in the kitchen to welcome your potential buyers.

There are so many resources available for more staging ideas. With a little effort your home can sparkle like the Las Vegas strip.