Obviously, you'll want to "stage" your condo as best as possible. That means you'll be removing about half of your belongings, taking down pictures and other personal mementos, and getting rid of all pets (moving them to a friend's house). Basically, you'll want the condo to look as generic as possible-inviting to prospective buyers.

Besides the staging, you'll also want to remodel any The Atelier Showflat weak spots. We don't mean redo the kitchen, but if the counters are in bad shape or the carpet needs replacing now is the time to do it. A fresh coat of paint is not enough in a tough market.

"Part of the reason is that you have all these decorating programs on TV," says Tom Apligian, a realtor for Re/Max in Plano, Texas. "People want to walk in and say 'wow!' The "wow" factor is very important today."