Molly Smith spends much of her time making other people's houses look good. Smith owns Molly Smith Designs in Tacoma, which helps people stage their houses.

We asked her what some of the top mistakes she sees when people stage their homes to be put on the real estate market:

Not addressing bad smells

Not making sure the house is clean and clutter free

Not addressing bad paint color

Not removing draperies or window coverings that are dated and,

Just not having the home completely ready before it’s put on the market

Smith said she sees home owners who have too many personal items on display. She suggests putting family photos away when listing a home.

She said she’s noticed more homeowners realizing the benefits of properly staging their homes.

“I would say that more and more people are doing consultations and more and more people are understanding the importance of staging,” Smith said.

Depending on the needs of the home, Smith said a consultation with her would start off at $75 for an hour. If the home is not yet vacant and depending on its condition, the price could jump to as much as $1 per square foot for a “full blown staging.”

Smith said that because of limited funds, some homeowners benefit more from having a consultation then having someone do the staging for them. “People are still pretty tight with their dollars and want to spend as little as possible,” Smith said.

“Usually they get the most bang with a consultation and just being told what to do versus having somebody do it for you.”

By LaShonna McBride, for The News Tribune