While she lived there, Ms. Wheeler, 38, stained the wood floors, had closet organization systems put in, had mounted stereo speakers installed and bought window treatments, spending about $20,000 total.

Though the condo was part of a large development, each unit and each building was slightly different. That vintage appeal, along with updates from the rehab, helped sell the unit, she says. “A lot of times with vintage, you're giving up something major, whether it be closet space or central air,” she says. “In this case, it really had it all and was a spectacular location.”

The condo was on the market 11 days before it sold, and Ms. Wheeler received three offers in that time.

Other units in the same development have had similar luck, including one sold in May for $495,000 by Molly Killen and Mark Kelley, who bought the home in July 2007 for $461,000. The condo was on the market for 13 days.

Ms. Killen attributes part of the unit's appeal to its outdoor spaces—a sizeable back porch and a second outdoor area in the building's original light well.

The couple, working with Brooke Vanderbok of @Properties' Lakeview office, sold the condo this year so they could move to Dublin, Ohio, where Mr. Kelley accepted a job as the manager of a private golf club. With twins born in November of last year, the quick sale and profit made the move much easier, Ms. Killen says.

“The speed with which we were able to sell was a godsend,” she says. “Lugging two babies out of the house every time there was a showing would have been a nightmare after a while.”

A speedy sale and small profit also helped a La Grange couple move to London earlier this year. Dan and Jennifer Shoemaker sold their 80-year-old home on Stone Avenue for $565,000 in December, after buying it for $550,000 in October 2008. It was on the market for 16 days.

“We knew we weren't going to make a lot of money, but it certainly was nice to get something,” Ms. Shoemaker, 39, says.

The couple and their four children loved the home and neighborhood, which is in walking distance of the Metra station, but needed to move when Mr. Shoemaker, 38, was offered a job as a London-based vice-president of international business at HireRight Inc., a company that provides pre-employment screening, she says.

“The fact that we weren't lingering because of a house that wasn't selling was a huge relief,” says Ms. Shoemaker, who worked with Shannon Kutchek at La Grange-based Smothers Realty Group on the sale.

MINIMAL INVESTMENT

While they owned the home, the couple put less than $10,000 into it, painting the interior and replacing the kitchen appliances and countertops and putting in new carpeting in a few rooms.

Beyond the fact that the home showed well, it was well-maintained and in a highly desirable location, Ms. Kutchek says—both factors that bode well for a good sale. “There was nothing challenging about the house,” she says. “It's the all-American house that everyone wants, next to train and town.”

Ms. Shoemaker stresses the importance of staging the home properly, noting that she followed a checklist of things to do before each showing that included turning every light on, putting a fresh roll of toilet paper in the bathrooms and making sure the home was immaculately clean.

With buyers having the luxury of being extremely choosy in the current market, a clean, well-decorated home can make a strong impression.

“I made sure my place showed like a model home—without a speck of dust on the floor,” says Shannon Harrigan, an agent at Dream Town Realty, who sold her own Wicker Park condo on Hermitage Avenue last year for a $15,000 profit. “It has to look like it's out of a catalog.”

SOLD IN FIVE DAYS

Ms. Harrigan, 33, purchased the three-bedroom, new-construction unit in January 2010 for $455,000 before finding out she and her husband, Antony Mussell, 40, were expecting a second baby. She sold the unit in November for $470,000 after it was on the market for five days.

While they lived there, the couple spent about $4,000 on items such as window treatments and a custom flagstone fireplace. Mr. Mussell's father built a deck with a pergola and wrap-around bench for the couple.

Ms. Harrigan also had custom light fixtures put in the dining area, bathrooms and master bedroom to make the unit more memorable.

Indeed, lighting and paint color can have a tremendous impact, says Ms. Hayes, the seller of the Lincoln Street home in Hinsdale, who describes her decorating style as comfortable, kid-friendly and shabby-chic. Before selling, she and Mr. Sucharski spent $300 on new light bulbs and painted the home's interior warm, neutral colors.

They also replaced the electrical outlets and put in new light switches. “That's a big deal for people,” Ms. Hayes says. “When people see those funky old yellow toggle light switches, they wonder what's behind those walls.”

Ms. Callen attributes Ms. Hayes' successful home sales in part to her decorating savvy. “The way she decorates, you want to go in and sink into the furniture,” Ms. Callen says.

Against the odds, that combination of an inviting atmosphere, a charming home, an ideal location and the right price has worked for Ms. Hayes, even in a down market. “Her houses always sell,” Ms. Callen says. “She has the winning formula.”