In order to obtain the best price for your home, especially when there is a lot of market competition, it is imperative that you show your home in the best possible way.

The first thing to do is tackle any of those small niggling jobs that are easy to do but just take a little bit of time and organisation.  The main reason for doing these is that if potential purchasers notice that the small things have not been done, they may well wonder what else there is that hasn't been done!! 

A good idea to help you see what, if anything, is wrong, is take a walk around your house as if you yourselves are prospective purchasers and see if you notice anything that might put you off!!!

To give you an idea of the type of jobs we are talking about, take a look at the following list:

Lubricate sticking shutters;

Fix leaky or dripping taps;

Replace any non-working light bulbs;

Oil any squeaky doors;

Fix any kitchen drawers or doors that are lop-sided due to missing hinges or screws;

If any of your drainpipe is broken, remove the rest or repair the broken parts;

Get rid of any rubbish that has accumulated, especially garden rubbish;

If you have any damp patches, repair and repaint them.  If you cannot afford to get somebody in to do this job then ask a qualified person what the best product is to use and "do it yourself"!!

When you have done all the jobs above, the next thing to do is ensure that you make the most of what of what you have!!  Always remember what made you buy your house and try to enhance that feature, make sure you draw potential purchasers to that same thing so they can also appreciate it.

Once again take a look at the following list to see what you can do to make the best of your home :

Move any furniture that is behind doors to stop them opening properly.  As soon as a door knocks against furniture it immediately makes purchasers think that a particular area is small.  Create the illusion of space by making sure all doors open fully;

If you have a good view make the most of it and let it be seen.  If you have net curtains or even normal curtains make sure they are fully pulled back or taken down so you can see and appreciate the view;

De-clutter the rooms as much as possible, of course it is still your home while you are selling but you need to make sure that potential purchasers aren't put off from looking at the quality of the property you are selling by looking at all your "personal belongings";

Do not hide things such as log burners by furniture during summer months.  Purchasers must be able see the property you are selling properly so don't "hide" any of the key features;

During summer months, try leaving a few logs or cones in your open fire or log burner, the sight of a "black hole" doesn't look at all appealing so try to "dress" it a little, in winter months if it is colder weather ensure the fire is "glowing" during viewings to draw purchasers into your home;

Make sure the kitchen and bathroom are clean when prospective purchasers are coming to view your property.  There is nothing worse than a greasy kitchen with piles of washing up around so you cannot see the worktop space in the kitchen.  Equally make sure the bathroom is clean and there aren't damp towels lying around on the floor, the toilet is clean with the lid down and the bath and sink haven't got empty shampoo/shower gel bottles stacked on them;

Tidy the garden as much as you possibly can, especially the area around the house and terrace area.  You may not be able to clear all your land but at least let prospective purchasers have a good look around without being scratched by weeds at their ankles and knees when they come to view your property;

Finally pets.  Many of us have pets, love our pets and feel that they are part of our family, but this isn't the case with everyone.  Whilst your beloved dog may be a pedigree and your pride and joy, to a potential purchaser it may be an animal they have feared since childhood.  Always keep animals out of the way when viewers intially arrive and see how they feel about animals prior to letting them free to wander around.  The last thing you want is for a potential purchaser not to take time to look at the home you are selling because they are concentrating on keeping away from your pets.