NEUTRALISE: Tone down your wall colours and floor colourings to provide a clean, blank canvas. Use stronger colours sparingly as accents to create a pleasing, well-thought-out scheme that runs throughout the house. The goal is to create a look that will appeal to the broadest buying audience.

DEPERSONALISE: Get rid of family photos and children's drawings. Your buyer won't want to be distracted by your life. Let them concentrate on the rooms themselves.

DECLUTTER: Tidy up EVERY room. Pack up and store or get rid of everything that you do not use on a regular basis. If a buyer can't even see a room, he is not going to be able to visualise himself living in it.

CLEAN, clean, and clean again. No one wants to live with another person's dirt, so clean like you've

never cleaned before. And don't do it just once and then forget about it. Have a regular cleaning schedule involving all family members. 

CHECK YOUR KERB APPEAL: The presentation of the outside of your house is as important as the inside. It should immediately say to buyers, 'I'm a lovely house. Come inside', not, 'I'm not worth bothering with; keep driving.'

KEEP YOUR PETS UNDER CONTROL Confine them to a specific area while you are selling your home. Many people find animal presence offensive and the smell off-putting. Why alienate them?

DEFINE EACH ROOM OR AREA. Remember, you're selling a lifestyle so make sure your buyer is clear where he can comfortably entertain, dine, study or play.

DIY NOW. Finish off all those little jobs which can often signal that you may have left other, more important things unattended to as well.

BE SURE THAT YOUR LIGHTING IS SUFFICIENT. If necessary, change bulbs to brighter ones or invest in some new light fittings.

ACCESSORISE. Use mirrors wherever possible to maximise light and space. Dress your rooms with carefully chosen and coordinated accessories. Use colour to tie the room together. And don't forget plants, fresh flowers and pleasing fragrances which appeal to the buyer's senses.