What are your top tips for selling a home? - £300 voucher to be won

Just before putting our house up for sale we boxed up everything we could live without for a few months and stored it with family. The house was then lovely and spacious and clutter free for the estate agent photos and viewings. Also when the time came to move a fair amount of the effort had already been done!

Keep furnishings minimal - ship out your excess stuff. Keep your home as bland as possible in all ways.

Declutter, it never amazes me to see how in some house particulars there are pictures where there are clothes hanging about, unmade beds and stuff everywhere (French properties in particular but thats another matter). Puts me off so I expect it puts others off.

Before we put our house on the market 4 years ago (sold within 6 months despite wasting a couple of months with a time waster who put an offer in so took house off market and then estate agent told us he had put an offer in elsewhere (we were just a back up plan I think) we did the following:

we redecorated, inside and out (tart up really), decluttered, removed evidence of pets etc when people came to view (no one wants to see a litter tray or smelly dog bed - we had a garden storage chest outside that we plonked them in whilst people were viewing), put fresh flowers in the hallway, made sure beds were made before viewers turned up, tv/radio turned off etc.

Also what we did when we moved out was leave a little pack with details where the stop cock was, of bus/train times, taxis, takeaways, doctors etc

Most buyers start looking for properties online and expect to see loads of photos, so your property has to look its best from. Untidy properties and ones that look like they have limited space aren’t likely to get any interest

decorate neutral colours. keep it clean and minimal personal items on show

Be honest and know your area. People like to deal with people they feel that can trust. Know your local area, schools, buses nearby shops etc. You may not use the buses but it might be important to prospective buyers

De-Clutter is a bug must that way they can see the actual size of the rooms and can then visage what their belongings would look like in the rooms

De clutter, paint in neutral colours and do those DIY jobs that have been put off.

I think curb appeal is importaint, clean home a home that looks loved and cared for. keep pets out the way and show the house your self. I sold my house as soon as it went on the market but my neighbour up the road couldnt sell in 5 years but her home didnt have a lot of appeal

When we sold our old house 2 years ago I asked a lot of friends that I trusted completely to come and walk through the house and look at it as though they were thinking of buying. I then asked them to be totally honest about anything that they liked or that might put them off.
I then looked at anything they considered 'off putting' and focussed on fixing these. They were all simple things, but in some cases, things that I wouldn't have even considered because I saw them so often that they didn't register.

For example, one friend said that seeing a load of coats hanging on coat hooks in the entrance hall made them think that there wasn't enough storage space to put them away anywhere else, while another said that the amount of books on my bookshelves (while impressive) made that display area look overcrowded and too busy.

First impressions count, so weed the garden and cut the grass. Declutter all your precious collectables,clean your windows inside and out and add a bunch of fresh flowers.
In your kitchen clean all your work surfaces and cooker and hob (add a tray of freshly baked buns on a cooling rack).

I know a lot of people seem to redecorate their house before they put it on the market... Yes, I'd love to move into somewhere that doesn't need major renovations, but sometimes when estate agents are boasting about the new kitchen that's been fitted in a house I cringe because it's so not my taste I'd have to rip it out and fit a new one anyway. Which seems a horrible waste!

I can see beyond decor that's not to my taste, or a little dated, but if the place is filthy I recoil. Moved into too many dumps and had to clear up other people's mess to want to have to do it again!

Ideally the place will be clean and well presented. I don't ask for much XD

A very good estate agent and make it tidy and look relevant to modern life

Have great photographs taken - substitute your own if you don't like the Estate Agents (look at how various agents present details... they all have a "theme". Check details and make amendments.

Ensure house has kerb appeal (Windows clean, garden tidy etc)

On viewing days tidy up but let it look lived in! I leave a coffee cup and book by a chair overlooking the garden so the viewer thinks hmmm that's a nice spot for relaxing.

Also, in the garden ensure it us tidy.

And as a lot of others have said; De-clutter so when that cupboard is opened it shows lots of storage space (also saves you moving stuff to your next home that you don't use)

Some buyers want to do a house up and make it their own and some want a show home, aim for the market that your area and price range attracts.

Uncluttered/empty kitchen work surfaces. A tidy house, no clutter

Look at your rooms in a mirror. It gives a fresh outlook and helps you see the house from an outsiders viewpoint.

Be easily available or get the estate agent to show people round and make sure you have an estate agent who’ll work and not just put your details on line and then sit back and do nothing.

And the obvious things like keeping the rooms freshly aired, clean and tidy and the front garden well-kept.

When buying we found Google Earth invaluable to see what wasn’t visible from the road when we drove round to look for suitable neighbourhoods.

Try to be as honest as possible with viewers. There is no point wasting time later on down the process

Declutter, people assume the property is smaller if there is clutter.

Have the house clean and smelling fresh with the heating on if its cold to give a cozy feel.

If you can afford it, hire a professional cleaner before the viewings. Hide anything too personal like family photos which might make the viewers imagine your family living there instead of theirs.

Try to de-clutter as much as possible, to allow people to see the space and possibilities for their own furniture. Make sure the front of the house is tidy, and that any little repair jobs are done, as you have often got used to living with minor irritations which might put prospective buyers off.

I really think a fresh clean and uncluttered home helps with the selling, as does mirrors strategically placed. BUT this is in a perfect world and with young children not really possible or practical. My biggest tip would be for the children to be playing outside or with family when viewing takes place!

I bought my first property over 2 and a half years ago. I must admit I fell in love with the house, it wasn't too far away from where I was living so I was able to walk over and see it at different times of the day. I think my best tip for buying is to be prepared to walk away if your offer is rejected and you know you can't afford to put in anything higher. This happened for us and I felt so disappointed but luckily the sellers re-thought our offer and later accepted it. I appreciate this might not always happen but you have to tell yourself you found this house and there will be other houses out there that you will fall in love with just as much!

Don;t start looking for a new place until you've got interest in your current place - there's no point losing a place you love because you can't shift your current place