Oil the door hinges, stop squeaky floorboards with talcum powder, replace washers on dripping taps and missing hooks on the curtains. Empty all the bins and keep them clean. Don’t forget to take that pile of rubbish to the tip.

House buyers drive by before they pick the houses to view. Make yours stand out by painting the door a bright colour, planting window boxes or tubs of colourful flowers and tidying up the garden. And ensure that the house number is visible from the road.

Clutter can be distracting to people trying to visualise living in your home. Take it to your local charity shops or pack your knick-knacks in boxes and stack them in the garage ready for the day you move. Dress back up with a few choice pieces.

Clean the windowpanes and woodwork with a good household detergent. This improves the look of the room and lets in the natural daylight. Much easier than redecorating but almost as effective.

Dry or steam-cleaning the curtains really does lift the room and it removes all those built-up odours. Replace nets with muslin drapes or blinds. They are less fussy and old-fashioned and if you replace curtains with blinds it opens up the room.

Hallways need to be welcoming. Keep it clean, light and clutter free. Adding a mirror can make a dark hall seem much lighter and bigger. Don’t paint it or too bold or dark a colour.

Think ‘show home’. Turn on the lights, have lovely made-up beds with good quality linen and no dirty washing. And fresh fluffy towels in the nice clean bathroom.

What makes a bedroom a bedroom and a dining room a dining room? A bed and a table, of course. There’s making the bed (or throwing back the covers) and then there’s making a feature out of the bed.

Carpets and flooring are a large outlay for the new homeowner and that could cost you the sale. They can also hold unpleasant odours so get them cleaned. If they are wearing thin, pull them up. Bare floorboards and a rug can be a cost effective alternative and is very popular for downstairs rooms. Replace all carpet in kitchens, bathrooms and cloakrooms with easy to clean cushion flooring.

Buyers use internet photos to narrow down their choices. So make sure you get only the best photos of your property published.