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

Promote the best features in your home eg energy efficiency and have recent bills available. Transport links, bus routes are good selling points. Good neighbours are a real positive.
Spring cleaning and decluttering will make your house seem larger, make sure your windows sparkle as well as mirrors to reflect to light in your home.
Fresh flowers will lift a room.

I remember them. They were very funny, but did they go out of business?

Do you remember that estate agent some years ago that used to be brutally honest in his descriptions? ie dark pokey little flat, scrubby patch of garden, decor not to most tastes......and so on

Good point Ambermillie.
Some estate agents prefer you not to do that at the first visit, but we always pointed out negative as well as positive things.

My top tip is to be as honest as possible with potential buyers. Trust between vendor and buyer is essential and if people feel that you are honestly telling them about your home (the good and not so good!) they are more likely to put an offer in.

My partner and I, had lots of arguments over clutter that I feel can put buyers off. All our clutter was moved to my aunts large garage and spare bedroom. The house was transformed and looked more like a show home. Too much clutter can give a buyer the impression that a home lacks storage space or cloud their mind which can prevent positive feelings towards your home. If you don't have a relative with spare rooms or a garage then perhaps consider hiring a storage unit for a month or two.

Make it look as uncluttered as possible - first impressions do count, and even a decent-sized house might wrongly give viewers the impression that it is too small for their needs if it is cluttered.

Making sure the house is clear of clutter and clean and tidy for photos and viewings. The old trick of baking something before viewers arrive and having that lovely smell around the house works well too!

One major lesson I have learnt is to never buy a house without off street parking. My house was one of a row of 1860's build terraces. When they were built there were no cars and they were built for employees at the local quarry so had no gardens at the front but were straight out into the street (which was okay when the huge house at the end of the street used to be owned by the Quarry owner!. We were on a no through road so no flow of traffic past but parking was a nightmare and it was the major 'why we didn't buy the property' reason reported by viewers. Quite what I was supposed to do about it I don't know as it was not possible to create a parking bay and I made sure that the advert for the house said it was on street parking only so, if you wanted a dedicated parking spot why bother to view! Prospective buyers loved the house and the very large rear garden though.

Paid storage if your house is anything like mine. Then with two thirds of possessions out of the house get it thoroughly cleaned. Even if new buyers will probably strip much of it out, an uncluttered sparkling house is more likely to tie in with their vision of their future in it.

A good declutter and clean, inside and out will work wonders when selling. For every potential buyer that can see through the clutter and tired decoration, there will be another with a lack of imagination. You want to maximise the space by having only the essentials. If you have a small bedroom as an office for example, put a bed in to show it will fit and still be a usable space. Ensure the property looks good from the street too. Usually cheap fixes like tidying up bins, lawn, plants and touching up paint work.

It's all about selling the dream. Having the extra touches which makes the difference from a house to a home.

Decorating the house in plain colour's no loud colour's. Keep your house de-cluttered (no ornaments), And a warm home smelling of coffee is very inviting.

"Look with the eye of a stranger" ....… is a (much mocked) phrase I used to say to the staff when I owned an 'Aladdin's cave' type shop that needed constant tidying.
The same thing applies when selling your house - you can be too familiar with things and not see flaws.
Oh, and for goodness sake, take the washing line down and move the bins out of sight!

We are tentatively looking at moving.
I can see past the decor and other peoples "stuff" what interests me is location, room sizes, garden size and local amamenites. Shop, GP etc. main factor is price for us.

First impressions count! Good location, an attractive house with well kept gardens front & back will make people want to view .

Top tips
Declutter declutter declutter!
Clean, warm and bright house
Tidy garden for kerb appeal
If needed put in some bright bedding plants
Sell in Spring if possible
Keep house pet free for viewings, no feeding bowls or beds on view

De-clutter to create space indoors is essential (put items in storage if necessary), place a vase of fresh flowers on a table and an interesting book on a coffee table. Move pet items out of sight for a viewing, no-one wants to see a cat litter tray and feeding bowls. Put kids toys in a toy box if they are all over the place. Vacuum through & make beds before viewing. Ensure your home has kerb appeal, a tidy front garden and mowed lawn. A fresh coat of paint to front door if necessary, and clean windows, frames & window sills.

I'd put surplus "junk" in storage. I think also a house that looks tired is harder to sell. Maybe a lick of paint to freshen up.

Be flexible about price.
Keep the house tidy.
And the rest is luck, imo. After about 3 years a couple came to view our house in rural France and it fitted exactly what they were looking for.

My advice would be to price accurately from the outset if you really want to sell. So many friends and family have not done this and almost without exception are surprised when they have had to drop their price in order not to lose the property they wanted. Secondly clear away clutter and dirty washing - it does matter! Visiting one house for sale with the estate agent where the family smalls were soaking in the bathroom sink was a big NO NO

I do know that many folk like coffee but that one person that hates its stink could be the only person in a position to buy who would otherwise snap it up.

On no account allow the horrible stink of coffee to pervade your house. It makes some people feel nauseous so they would not set foot over the doorstep.

De-clutter but don't leave it bare. 1st impressions count the most so a tidy and clean front garden and front of the house is a must. Just before a viewing bake some bread or biscuits or perculate some coffee to fill the house with a homely and comforting smell.

I have recently sold a house and bought a house.

Whilst some people are looking for properties for re-development most people are not therefore remember that first impressions count. My top tips would be

Weed and tidy the garden, adding a few seasonal plants
Ensure your house is always very clean and tidy...no unpleasant smells or clutter! The use of an air freshener or candles helps.
Add little touches such as vases of flowers and a house plant or two.