Inside

• Banish clutter. Think of this as an opportunity to throw out stuff you’ve been meaning to. Even the supermarket vouchers on the fridge.
• People will open cupboards, so don’t keep your clutter in here either.
• Clean your home (or better still get someone in to do it - you won’t regret it). Make sure bathrooms and toilets in particular are gleaming (and windows and mirrors). Don’t forget about grouting and tiles too.
• Fresh towels make a place look loved.
• Pay attention to carpets too and steam clean if you can.
• Replace light bulbs and fix light fittings. People won’t buy your house if they can’t see it.
• If anything else needs fixing, like dripping taps or creaking doors, now is the time to do it.
• As much as you love your pets, not everyone does. So remove bowls and litter trays from living and kitchen areas.
• A bunch of fresh flowers of a bowl of fruit will brighten up your kitchen table too.
• And have the heating on if necessary. You want people to find your home as welcoming as possible

Outside

This is the first thing any buyers will see, so pay attention to the front of your house.

• Clean the front door and freshen any paintwork.
• Invest in a new doormat.
• Clean gutters and down-pipes.
• Give the window cleaner a shout, for those high up windows.
• Make sure the garage is tidy and the garage door is functioning.
• Keep kids’ bikes and garden accessories stored and cleared of pathways.
• Give your garden the once-over - rake leaves, and give the decking and furniture a scrub or a coat of oil if necessary.
• Make sure any exterior lights are working and not covered in cobwebs.

The garden

 Think of this as ‘your outside room’.  So make it look as low-maintenance as possible.

• Cut the grass and any overgrown hedges and plants.
• Get rid of any rubbish lying about.
• Repair or repaint fencing if needed.
• If you’re green-fingered, think about planting flowers in window-boxes or planters.