Young singles/ busy professionals. This demographic is busy … often too busy working their day job to imagine having to spend a lot of time renovating a home. So clean, declutter, paint in neutral tones, and make your property move-in ready.

Families/ young children. Growing families need space. And while you can't just slap on an extra room in time for your open house, what you can do is open the space you do have, by clearing out as much clutter as possible from bedrooms and common areas. Keep only essential furniture in those rooms, and paint and decorate in neutral tones to help buyers envision themselves fitting right in.

Downsizers. Downsizing is the smart thing to do for many empty nesters and aging homeowners, for whom a larger home is no longer needed and often requires hard work to maintain. Still, downsizers will appreciate storage areas to park some of their treasured belongings until they finally make the decision to let them go, so highlight any available storage opportunities in your home.

Pet owners. While many stagers recommend hiding any evidence of pets in your home, if you happen to live in a dog-friendly area, you may want to show that your home is welcoming to pets. Non-invasive staging tips include hanging a colourful leash by the door, and perhaps placing a small basket of fun dog toys alongside it.

"Declutter, clean, and paint in neutral colours" are the essential staging rules. The magic often happens when you tailor and tweak the staging approach with your target audience in mind.