CARPET YOUR BATHROOM. Bathroom carpets do tend to hold moisture, often look drab and can smell. Use a water-resistant floor-covering instead.

PAINT THE WALLS IN GARISH COLOURS. However much you like them, your buyer may find them overwhelming and they often make a room seem smaller and darker. To sell your house, paint walls in warm neutral shades.

LEAVE OUT THE REMAINS OF YESTERDAY'S DINNER PARTY. Nobody's interested in how good a cook you are or how many people you can entertain at once. Do the washing up the night before and make sure all scraps of evidence are put away before the estate agent calls.

LEAVE THE TV OR BLARING MUSIC ON. I sometimes hide the television altogether by putting it in a cupboard or behind a screen. Controllable noise provides an unnecessary distraction when you want people to concentrate on the room itself.

LEAVE BEDS UNMADE OR CLOTHING STREWN ABOUT. No one wants to see your 'dirty laundry'.

BELIEVE OTHER PEOPLE WILL WANT TO EMBRACE YOUR WAY OF LIFE. When people look round your house they should be able to imagine themselves living there surrounded by their own things. Don't prevent that happening by leaving your own things, such as photos, travel souvenirs, mementoes, etc. on display.

RAISE RED FLAGS IN THE BUYER'S MIND. Don't leave anything that will make the buyer suspect there may be more trouble and expense than they can see. Does an unattended damp patch signal wet rot? Or a stained ceiling mean that the roof needs to be replaced?

BLOCK THE VIEWS. If your house has splendid views, make the most of them by clearing the clutter from the window ledges, polishing the windows and framing them with curtains.

HAVE THE HOUSE TOO WARM OR TOO COLD. A buyer needs to feel comfortable and relaxed while viewing your home, and not like he can't wait to escape.

ENGAGE IN LENGTHY CONVERSATIONS WITH VIEWERS. Leave that to your estate agent. After all, isn't that why you hired him/her in the first place?