I have recently helped a client prepare his house for sale.   Before the renovations and staging, the realtors told him that he would be lucky to get $350,000 for it.  Not only did he implement all of my recommendations, he actually did more - he built a room in the basement and then we furnished it to make it a playroom/TV room.

I used mostly his furniture, added some inexpensive furnishings from Ikea for the playroom in the basement, changed and added light fixtures, had the house repainted, decluttered and cleaned, changed handles and towel holders, and accesorized with new towels and bed cover. 

It made a BIG difference, as the house sold in less than 3 weeks and for over $80,000 more than the initial estimate!  Here is what the client had to say:

"While recognizing the need to stage the house to appeal to the widest possible range of buyers, Sveta was able to understand my tastes and set up a plan that addressed both needs.  I am very happy with the result of our work - the house sold in under 3 weeks and for > $80,000 above what  brokers had estimated six months earlier." Testimonial from J. Hass - July 2007

That shows how much of a difference Home staging can make! 

PS.  Too bad we don't work on % from  a sale!