You've made the decision to sell... Now what?

You've made the decision to sell.
You've signed the mandate.
You have some work to do:

If you're selling your property, it's likely that you have decided to buy or rent elsewhere. It's a safe bet that if you are buying a new property, you will inspect it carefully and critically. The best advice we can give you is to look at your own property with the same discerning, critical eye. It's not always easy but try to view your property objectively from the perspective of a potential buyer. Do as much you can to showcase your home to make the best possible impression.

A beautiful home must be presented beautifully. In our experience, there are simple steps you can take to maximise the appeal of your home:

• Before you display your home to the market, repair everything that requires repair. If you have damp, call in a reputable damp-proofing company to repair it and ask for a guarantee. Similarly, use reliable people to repair and paint any cracks.

• A freshly painted house always looks good. However, if you are reluctant to paint the entire house, you should repaint walls, window frames and burglar bars if they look like they could use freshening up. And don't forget to replace cracked or broken windows.

• It's a good idea to do a power spring clean before inviting buyers in. There is no advantage to displaying anything old and broken.

Before any prospective buyer enters your home, you should follow these simple tips:

• At the risk of stating the obvious, the house must be clean

• Open curtains and blinds. Open the windows

• Make the beds immaculately or at least neatly. Pillows, scatter cushions, bedspreads and other items normally displayed should be neatly laid out, emitting a warm, inviting energy that the buyer will tap into.

• The bathrooms must be clean and tidy with towels folded and hanging uniformly on towel rails. Put your toiletries away if you have drawers or cupboards. Dirty laundry should never be aired in public; rather put it away in a laundry basket. And don't forget to flush the toilet and close toilet lids.

• We think it's a good idea to remove obvious personal touches. Private correspondence shouldn't be left lying around. If practical, you should put away family pictures that are usually displayed because we don't want to subconsciously distract potential buyers from picturing themselves in the house.

The kitchen is often the heart of the home. It doesn't have to be new or renovated. But it must be clean and tidy. Simple tips to ensure you make the best impression possible:

• Appliances should be clean and shiny

• Counter tops should be free of clutter. Put everything away that doesn't have to be on the counter. The less clutter you show, the greater the space you expose. And everyone loves space.

• Display a bowl of fresh fruit.

Buyers tend to pay special attention to the main bedroom. It's important to make sure that the space is clear, open and tranquil. The main bedroom is expected to be the most spacious bedroom so declutter it because clutter is untidy and often shrinks the space.

If you have pets, your carpets may have stains and odours. There could be scratch or bite marks on wooden doors and skirting boards that puppies chewed years ago. You wouldn't want these to put off serious buyers. We recommend that you arrange for a good professional cleaning to eliminate this possible buyer deterrent. And don't forget to repair the bitten or chewed wooden fixtures.

Talking about pets, dogs and cats should always be locked in a safe, secure confined space while buyers are looking at your house. In our experience buyers are almost always put-off by unrestrained pets.

If you follow these recommendations, it will contribute to a successful sale.
And that really is Just what you want.