'Presentation' is the key word.

This is not just about painting the front of your house, tidying your patio and brewing fresh coffee before buyers come round. People will buy the best home at the best price that meets their needs.

Buyers will look to find faults, to find a reason why they should not buy, or to be able to offer a low price. Some may know that they are doing this, but for many it is subconscious. As a vendor, you need to give the buyers as little reason as possible to find fault.

We all get attached to our home, but sometimes changes need to be made to enable us to move. A few hours may be all you need, although a thorough home staging project could take anything up to a week.

It is also often hard to think of spending money on the house you are leaving, but you should make a return on any investment. So fix that leaking tap, re-hang that door, and finish grouting those tiles because the biggest put-off to potential buyers is the odd jobs you have been putting off that they know they will have to do. By taking away all the negatives, the only thing left must be positives!

Some tips for staging your home:

1. Tidy the front of the house.

First impressions Count! Ensure that the front of the house is attractive and inviting. Touch up peeling paintwork and clean windows. Do you have any colourful hanging baskets or pots? You need to entice people in, and, many people may see the front of the house before even booking an appointment to view.

2. Is your entrance inviting?

Create as much light as possible in your entrance. Put a mirror in to reflect light. Paint the walls a warm neutral colour. Lay an attractive runner to break up the floor.

3. De-Clutter.

If you do not love it, need it or want it - throw it!

We are all hoarders. Take one room at a time, and sort through it. You’ll be amazed how much you throw away or can sell!

4. Clean through.

Your house needs to be spotless! Is your furniture clean? Remove cobwebs from the ceiling corners and dust from under the bed, you’ll be amazed where people look! No one wants to see washing up in the sink, and ensure there are no lingering odours or traces of last night's dinner anywhere. If you are a smoker or have pets, you might need to work harder to shift smells.

5. Use accessories and artwork.

Don't clutter every shelf up with accessories and hang artwork randomly around the walls, but use architectural features to guide you into how to hang your artwork and choose a careful selection of your accessories and position them to create maximum impact. They should coordinate or complement with your decor.

6. Create a feature in every room.

Many rooms have natural features, for example a fireplace, or a window with a fabulous view. However, sometimes you need to be more creative if the house lacks features. E.g.: always dress the dining room as a dining room and not a 'spare' room. A table with a large bunch of flowers in the middle could be the feature.

A sumptuously dressed double bed in the master bedroom can be the feature there. Allow one feature in each room to dominate though. Don't have several features competing for attention. Try to create that all important 'WOW' factor!

When selling your home, you cannot afford to have any room without a purpose.

When your viewers finally arrive, try to appear relaxed, happy and confident that your home will sell itself. And although you will be proud of all of your excellent preparation work, try to resist pointing out all that you have recently done to potential buyers….it can undo a lot of hard work if they leave with the feeling that you may have been 'papering over the cracks' before their arrival!