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

We once put an offer in on a new house let agents arrange viewings on ours and went to America for 3 weeks. When we got back process was well underway and moving date confirmed. We knew as soon as we pulled up outside the house we wanted to buy it so kerb appeal sold it to us

Whatever property you're selling, it should be clean and fresh. Every room (and garden) should be clutter free and minimalistic so that prospective buyers can imagine what it would look like when they move in.

I'd agree with other posters, declutter, clean, fresh flowers, fresh bedding. Tidy up toys and hide away animal stuff like beds and trays. Give a good first impression and make sure outside is weedfree and sparkling (particularly the windows). If you have any bright colours repaint in neutral tones and should you have a log burner or fireplace, light a fire. The house should be warm and welcoming, never mind all this 'buyers will see through' the mess/clutter etc., many won't and you'll have to convince them this is the place they could move straight into. A house is your biggest financial outlay so become a super salesperson!

Keep it fresh and clean and tidy.

Declutter! I can see beyond most clutter in people's homes but some people can't. However I viewed one house where one whole room was filled with stored magazines. There was just a small corridor around the 4 sides with the magazines stacked to almost ceiling height! I really couldn't see beyond that but that was the worst room I saw. The rest of the house was quite normal but the layout wasn't to our taste. Obviously cleaning is important but lots of people want to put their own stamp on a property so redecorating etc could be a waste of money. My next door neighbours completely refurbished everything despite the house being immaculate. I will be selling to a renovator when the time comes as mine is far from immaculate. I know I'll have to price accordingly though.

I think you have to hide all personal items (photos, quirky ornaments that only you like etc) so the house appears 'neutral' and this way, potential buyers can imagine what it would look like once they put they're own stamp on it!

We found that few people have much imagination about how a room could look with some basic changes. I tried to be there for some of the time while the estate agent was doing the viewing with the buyers, because an odd comment about the sun in the afternoon, or the merits of the cooker (Aga, or induction hob — if buyer not familiar with them) could help.

Make sure your front path or front door are clean and free from spiders' webs or piles of leaves. First impressions do count! And no curry, frying bacon or garlic bread, because these are smells which linger on the carpets and curtains and not everyone thinks they are delicious. It's a small sacrifice to eat something else, if it sells your house. And while talking about smells, move the cat's litter tray outside, and your smelly old dog's bed, too. You don't smell them, but visitors do. And trying to mask them with chemicals just causes people like me to sneeze!!

Make sure the house smells fresh and whatever you do avoid the smell of coffee which makes some people feel sick.

Decluttering is a must. I've been looking at properties online and if I can't see beyond the mess I'm not interested in looking further. I want to see the bones of the house, not all the stuff in it that will be gone when they move out.

if you find that you are getting a lot of 'tourists' or people looking for ideas as to what to do with their own home, or possibly getting information for a burglary (clues, no feedback, claim to be a cash buyer, take a ridiculous interest in the exact measurements of fittings and the interiors of furniture which will not be staying, never make an offer) then change agent, tell them exactly why, and leave reviews of that agent saying why you are no longer using them. Although to be fair, sellers seem to find this problem most frequently with Purple Bricks where there is no agent questioning potential buyers and accompanying them on visits.

After contributing to this thread further up I decided to look at houses for sale in my village on Rightmove.

I suddenly noticed that more expensive homes, £700,000 (in Oxfordshire), which means almost any detached 4 bedroomed house seem to have been styled and decluttered by a professional before photography - and the result is dreadful.

Lots of houses that end up looking like cheap hotels, because the stylists, obviously cheap local ones who usually only work on new estates, work by denuding each room of everything except furniture. No pictures, ornaments, rugs, cushions, no colour. Premier Inn rather than boutique hotel, utterly inappropriate to the quality and price of the house being sold. They are probably back to normal by the time the viewings take place

As Vange says above Nothing worse than walking into a house which feels colder than the temperature outside That applies to the photos in the estate agent's details as well

Keep it looking & feeling 'homely'! The first couple who viewed (and subsequently bought) our house were very taken by our cat curled up on one of the beds, and by the warmth of the breakfast room & the kitchen. Nothing worse than walking into a house which feels colder than the temperature outside.

Declutter everywhere. Clear tops of cupboards and under beds as you don't want to give viewers the impression there's no storage and house is small.
Tidy up outside (kerb appeal), clean down paintwork and add flower tubs.

Get several estate agents round to value your house and view on line similar houses in your area. Be realistic with your price, don’t necessarily go for the highest valuation. You may be better selling quicker for a lower price than waiting many months for a slightly higher one. If you have a buyer for your property you can often negotiate a lower price for your new house.

Any house sells if it has been offered at a realistic price.

Keep your home clean and smelling fresh with windows open . Uncluter all units and window sills to maximise space

For me I look online first so lots of photos might draw me in. An established garden and a livable kitchen would be something I look for, but decoration and untidiness wouldn’t bother me as that can be changed. It’s how the house feels and the room layout that’s important. I wouldn’t mind if it needed some updating as long as that was in my budget.

Make sure that everywhere is clean and tidy and uncluttered. If needs be, put a lot of your possesions into storage, so that the house doesn't look cluttered.

Cook some cakes so the house smells delicious !

Keep it very tidy inside and out at all times

Many years ago we took part in a university research project on the process of house buying and it was interesting (shocking?) to see exactly how different our original ‘essentials’ list changed when we found our new home, and how easy it was to accommodate these changes.

First essential is a good estate agent who understands you and can match your expectations to reality. Location, kerb appeal and price are first priority for most people.

Next establish your potential purchasers; ours is a family sized home near local private and state run schools in a small village so that’s our target market.

I think we can all see through the art of strategically placed flowers and the smell of freshly brewed coffee/newly baked cakes! Just keep it clean, tidy and well cared for - remember your are ‘selling (or buying) the dream’. How would I feel looking round: is it a loved, well cared for home with a ‘happy feel’? A chaotic, untidy, messy home tells me it’s not been cherished. For me, ‘Gut feeling’ rules.......

Something I forgot to say is please, please read the small print. Some companies ( on TV with high profile) sign you up to a loan Company if you choose to 'pay later' and you are not the able to change agent, if unhappy - you still must pay them even if they are not involved in sale. Lots of advice from Martyn Lewis etc online.

I worked for an estate agent for a few years and found the whole process fascinating. Certainly videos online of the properties seem to have more impact with buyers than the written word, and attract people to go and view a property, which otherwise they would have rejected. Also beware of many online agents ( with very flashy TV ads) who promise the earth, but take fees upfront - No sale no fee is a big incentive to agents to keep on trying.

Remember that your house will not appeal to everyone but it will appeal to someone. People can - and do -see beyond the decor.
But tidy it and clean it!

Most of the above. Having sold my big old family home recently, smile sweetly and be honest, unlike a number of would be purchasers who loved the house but then admitted they couldn't afford it and put in stupid offers of more than 100,000 under the asking price . Did I really look that stupid? Stick to your guns. Oh and make sure there are no cooking or animal smells. Fish was a no no for the duration! (It sold for over the asking price btw..)