In any good drama, a little staging helps. The same is true when you're trying to sell your home.

You're not trying to lie to anyone. Instead, you're trying to put the prettiest face you can on your house so a potential buyer will not only look twice but hopefully will say "sold".

It can be harder than it sounds.

Enter a growing number of professionals who are paid to enhance the marketability of your home. They recommend putting in new carpets, painting walls in neutrals and changing window treatments. They also can, in some cases, do everything from fluff pillows to haul in their own household objects such as plants, rugs and knickknacks, all in the quest for the sale.

Arthur McLaughlin of Interior Specialists is a leader in the industry. The 38-year-old designer, who grew up in Sherman Oaks, maintains his own 10,000-square-foot San Francisco warehouse of household items that he can use on the job. His touches can and have made a difference in not only if a property sells but for how much.

McLaughlin is ever mindful of the cost ratio when doing a "fluffing" or sprucing up a property for sale. He knows exactly what can and needs to be done when he views a house or condo. He also will honestly tell homeowners if they will recover the costs of his services.

"You have to ask such questions as what are we going for and where do we have to go? I turn down maybe two to three potential projects a year because I don't believe it is in the homeowners' best interests, " McLaughlin said.

But if McLaughlin can help provide what he called "the sense of wow" to a house, he'll proceed. He has a very successful track record of helping properties sell.

"First impressions mean everything. People make the decision whether or not to buy a home within the first few minutes they walk through the front door," he said. 'You want a potential buyer to fall in love with your house and sometimes that means putting in some work ahead of time."

Work can range from painting to rearranging furniture to putting sheers over windows to mask poor views to hauling in props. The strangest item he has ever brought into a home was a purplish 12-foot banana tree that created a canopy over the main seating area in a loft apartment. The tree and a variety of other props helped provide an eccentric touch that showcased the place. The loft sold quickly.

McLaughlin has years of experience he calls upon in helping to decorate properties for sale. Standard practices, though, still hold true. Remove all clutter from your home. All closets should be one-third empty. Put in the brightest light bulbs possible throughout the house.

"Just stand at your front door and look around. That's what a potential buyer will do," said McLaughlin, who said he's just as busy in a hot housing market as in a down one.

He is paid by the hour for his consultation and his expertise isn't inexpensive. For example, he routinely earns fees in the five-figure range per job.

McLaughlin said his work doesn't inflate the sales price. Most homeowners more than recover their investment. Also, sellers should always remember that something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.

Lou Vera Ross-Hood is a Rancho Cucamonga certified residential specialist. She is a realtor who has gone through specific training to help homeowners sell their houses. She is not a decorator but she called what McLaughlin does simply "staging," not new to the industry.

"You want to increase the marketability of your house. You don't try to sell your house the way you actually live in it. You want to do everything you can to make it look picture perfect," Ross-Hood said.

Simple is best. Now is not the time to haul out all your family's heirlooms. Just the opposite.

"For example, if I walked through your house and saw that you had a trundle bed, I'd advise you to put the bed underneath the other one. People are looking for light windows. I may suggest you change the window treatment," she said.

"They say location is everything but I think if a house feels good to a potential buyer, the seller will get top dollar," said Ross-Hood, who said her advice comes as part of the listing service.

Patrick Downtain of Ward and Ward Realtors in Upland said in his 14 years on the job he has learned that no one should be too committed to anything. Again, it is not his job to tell a seller how to decorate, but his advice can make a difference in a sale.

"I try to be tactful and respectful with my recommendations and be mindful of everyone's individual tastes," he said.

Still, some things do hold true. "Tone down" is good advice, he said. With the market improving locally, Downtain said he doesn't see the need for hiring people to make house improvements. "Maybe five years ago when the market was bad, but I just don't see the need," he said. "Also, a seller does run the risk of investing money in hopes of recouping it. What if that doesn't work?"

Several local interior decorators said they have performed the "fluffing" service. They admit, however, it is not routine.

Deanna Silva is an interior designer with Ethan Allen in Montclair. She said sellers aren't looking to make major expenditures in hopes of selling. But certain tasks are proven winners.

The idea is for the potential buyer to say to himself, "How easy is it to come into this house?"

Paint in neutrals. "They make a great canvas to work around," she said.

Make sure all carpets are fresh, clean and the same. If you have several different types throughout the house, she said, unify. The same applies to tile work: Bigger is better.

All closets should be organized and clean. "People are looking for storage and if a closet is neat that will give a good impression," said Silva, who makes her fee on commissions from items you buy from her company.

Don't forget the outside of your home. Paint if the house needs it. Keep the yard clean, inviting.

"Invest some in order to make the sale and plan to add that amount to the sales price," she said. "The one thing I want to stress is that people are very wise. You're not trying to fool them. What you want, though, is to be able to overcome the 'buts' that people may have about your house. 'I like it but..."'

Cynthia Harvey of Project Design in Pomona said she used to get more calls for "fluffing" jobs five years ago. Now she gets some once in a while.

"When people do call for help with trying to sell their house it all depends upon just how much they want to spend and what has to be done." Harvey said.

Many of the changes designers such as Silva and Harvey suggest may sound like common sense to an outsider. Sometimes, however, it's not that simple when it's your house.

"Seeing what needs to be changed comes easily to us designers because we have the experience, but I always listen to my clients," said Harvey, who is paid by the hour or the products she sells.