It has taken all this time to get the original home you bought up to the standard you have it now: hours of decorating, weeks looking for that right sofa, years of tending to that country style garden, the upheaval of refitting the kitchen in 1993 all these things are memories that will resurface when the time comes to move on.

REMEMBER your taste is not the same as everyone else, so if someone criticises your décor, it's not personal. When it comes to selling,

DON'T FORGET, IT'S A BUSINESS TRANSACTION.

And remember you will also be looking for somewhere else to live so try putting yourself in the buyers shoes. It's difficult to find the ideal home without some sort of compromise.

Try to keep clutter to a minimum, store any unneeded things in the garage or at a friends. Make sure your home is clean and tidy before a viewing. Remember if you were selling your car, which is only worth a fraction of the cost of your home, you would WASH IT before someone came around to look at it!

If a perspective buyer comes to view your home they would like to see that it's well maintained, so any little jobs that need doing - try to get them done before the viewings start. It will reflect in the offer that's made on your home.

If you don't have time to get the house prepared, then call in a house doctor. These are usually interior de-clutter and design specialists who know what buyers find pleasing in a home. They do charge, but they can also add thousands to the final price you get. If you feel this is what you need, speak to one of our staff who can provide several different house doctors for you to contact.

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