When I noticed that all of the gurus I respected most offered a 7 tips precis of their position/ topic, I sat down and came up with my own 7 tips. It was HARD. To begin with I couldn't come up with 7. Then I had 9 and couldn't get it back down. Eventually, I settled in on the 7 key things that yield the most value and that have been the bedrock of my home staging practice over the last 6 years.

The 3rd tip is the least obvious until you know it, and then it becomes so logical that you will do the V-8 slap on the forehead! I'm talking about lighting!

The most noticeable difference between older homes and brand new construction is the updated lighting. Recessed cans, strategically placed pendants, iron chandeliers make such a difference in how a space feels. Three tips to keep in mind as you review your own lighting specs.

1. Chandeliers & Ceiling Fixtures

Brass light fixtures signal a reno in the 80s. They look dated now, and have often weathered poorly if there is any damp in the house. Wrought iron is the updated version, and stainless steel gives a clean contemporary look... for now. Crystal carries you across the divide without penalty. The same goes for flush-mounted ceiling fixtures. Anything other than brass, and the more interesting the shapes of the glass or shade the better.

2. Down light

Rooms with no overhead fixtures also look dated. You can add lots of standard lamps, but the problem with up light only is that the space tends to look like a vintage theater. We are accustomed to the mix - light from the ceiling (down light) and table or standard lamps to fill in the mid-space. Some folks like a floor can behind a plant for a designer look... I think it's a hard effect to pull off and I'm darn sure the realtor isn't getting on the floor to turn the thing on as they show the home!

3. Bulb Color

GE Reveal bulbs started the craze for me - of a more natural looking color of light. Reveals intend to replicate daylight. They do by by casting a blue hue. It's a much prettier, fresher caliber of light than the yellow cast by standard bulbs. It changes your color palette overall and makes the spaces immediately look more modern. Some people suggest that the spaces look a little more open. I'm not sure. I do know that the blue freshens up all of the whites in the room.

There are lots of ways to update the lighting... here are 3 big impact, powerful changes you can make to put your home into Olympic-competitive readiness to go to market.