1. Kerb appeal
First impressions count and, as they say, you only have one chance.  Spend some time on the front of your property – weed the driveway, fix that dodgy hinge on the gate that you’ve learnt to ignore, put up some hanging baskets... in short, turn it into somewhere that makes you go ‘Ahhh’, not ‘Errr’.

2. Declutter
Buyers want to see a calm and inviting home; they don’t want to have to work hard to imagine what it could look like.  So, look at every room from a fresh perspective.  What are your eyes drawn to?  Have a thorough declutter, removing anything that’s taking up room, covering surfaces, blocking light or generally detracting from the important features.  It’s not going to be a quick and easy job but you’ll feel great after doing it and having a good clear out now means you’ll have less to pack when it comes to the move!  Oh, and don’t just hide things in cupboards – some buyers will have a look in there too, to assess the available storage space!

3. Know your market
Who’s likely to be buying your home?  It will depend on size, price and location but think about what they want and make sure your property delivers.  If you’re selling to young professionals, put a desk in the spare room to show its potential as an office space.  If your home’s likely to be snapped up by a young family then rearrange the furniture to show off the family friendly open plan kitchen/dining area, or open the patio doors when viewings take place so they can see how safe and accessible the garden is.

4. Finish what you’ve started
Remember that DIY job you started months ago and never go round to finishing?  Well, now’s the time!  Put the shelf up, finish fitting the skirting board next to the new fireplace, replace that broken tile, put the light shade up, give the door frame its final coat of paint...they may only be little jobs but you don’t want buyers focusing on what needs doing.  They’ll immediately want some money knocked off if they think there’s work to be done.

5. Dress to impress
Think of this as a ‘first date’ for your house!  Pull out all the stops to prepare and make it look its best.  Mop floors, dust, tidy worktops, clean windows, add finishing touches like fresh flowers, add colour coordinated accessories, hang the best matching towels in the bathroom, iron bedding...you want potential buyers to walk into a bedroom and be wowed by the space, not distracted by an unmade bed and a pile of laundry.  And remember, no matter how many interested viewers you show around it’s the first time any of them have seen your home, so put the effort in each time.  The harder you try, the fewer times you’re likely to have to do it as it’ll soon be snapped up!

Yes, it’s going to involve hard work, some intensive cleaning and clearing, and some DIY skills but when you secure an offer at a good price it will be worth it.  The effort you put in now could make all the difference to your next move.   If you’ve no time, or you don’t feel that interior styling’s your forte, then get the experts in – there are many companies offering professional decluttering, house styling or even furniture rental to ensure your property has the ‘wow’ factor!