They say that people decide within the first few minutes whether to buy or not, so before you get the agents in, make sure you show your home in the best light you can.

First impressions

Many people do a ‘drive by’ of a property before they view, so ensure your property looks good externally as well as inside! If you can:

• Move any bins or rubbish away from the front of the house
• Cut the lawn or rake any gravel
• Mend fences and gates
• Paint your front door and polish door furniture

What room is this?

A great tip is to ensure every room ‘does what is says’. Make all bedrooms into bedrooms, even if it’s really small or you use it as a study. Ensure the dining room is set up as one and not doubling up as a spare office.

Make rooms appear bigger

• Clear all clutter inside and out and throw out unnecessary items.
• Put things intostorage if required. The cost could well be worth it by helping your property appeal to as many people as possible and selling more quickly.
• Move out large unnecessary pieces of furniture e.g. sofas in bedrooms or cupboards in hallways or landings.

Keep it clean

Finally, don’t forget to clean windows and either wash or give your paintwork a quick freshen up, making good any cracks, damp spots or bare wires. This will help you sell your property faster and may even secure a better offer

Find out more about selling:

Working with estate agents >

Key legal steps to selling >

HIPS explained >