What are your top tips for selling a home? - £300 voucher to be won

I don't care what the decor is like, or whether the house has been cleaned or not. I look for location, size, shape and layout of rooms etc. I also have a good nosey at neighbours' houses - I am interested in whether they look aftre their properties. Everything else is superficial and will be changed after purchase anyway.

When selling, I try to de-clutter, as it makes rooms look bigger, but other than that I don't do much. I know people who spend a fortune on redecorating etc, just for someone to undo all their work a few weeks later - what's the point?

When I was selling, i cleared out all junk, ornaments and anything that was personal. Got rid of all stuff on top of kitchen cupboards and generally did a massive clean and tidy up. I sold my house overnight.

Buyers are looking to buy a home, so keep everything clean but with lots of family pictures and children's drawings around. make sure the garden look easy maintenance, a keen gardener can put their own stamp on it and non-gardener wont panic about the upkeep.

Invest in a storage unit!! Declutter and get rid of those things you have hoarded but know you won't want in your new home. And for all the other bits and pieces that take up space but are important to you, put them in a good storage unit until you sell. For me this included sending my keyboard, guitar, lots of craft material, and garden items that I knew I could live without for a while for a little holiday. It made all the difference!

Generally decluttering and making fairly neutral so potential buyers can imagine how they can turn it into their own home.
Chat to any viewers and try and give them relevant information, not just a list of anything and everything as they will not take it all in.
Do not over sell your property, maybe just share one particular aspect of your house that you love and has been special to you.
Listen to the advice of the estate agents - they really do have most experience.

Clear away clutter to make calm spaces within your house. Too much stuff can make your home look chaotic and claustrophobic- not somewhere people would be keen to live - unless you re a hoarder that is!lol!

I'm not a fan of the all beige look, stay neutral nothing too bright/dark but I find a bit of colour helps

de clutter and bake bread

I think it's important to personally meet potential buyers when they view your home. I've always found it so helpful and reassuring to speak with the owners of the homes we've bought. It makes it feel more personal and honest.

Make it look homely and welcoming when people come to view.

The smell of fresh coffee and bread when the potential walks in.

De-personalise your home - just because i love blood red walls, and zigzags, doesn't mean that everyone does. Paint the walls neutral colours, and blinds seem to help - people love venetion blinds. And, invest in some seasonal room freshener - citrus for summer - spicy for winter. Always offer coffee, tea - or, a glass of wine - let them sit and get a feel for the house - unless, there is a problem, in which case, make an excuse and get them out the door before they notice that the house is on a tilt xx

Our house was in a terrible state when we moved in. It was time consuming but all fixable, sometimes it's worth seeking out the cheaper bargains with flaws. However if I was selling myself I would have a massive ruthless declutter as it makes it much easier to pack up and move in the long run and I would make the place look bright, airy and inviting. Mend anything that obviously needed fixing and do a coat of neutral paint. Some people haven't got the time or will to re-do everything after a big move. Making the front garden and front of the house look neat and presentable is essential too as first impressions count. No laundry drying, kids toys left out or pets items on display during visits either!

Visit at different times of the day (or night), may find that it is a cut through for rush hour traffic, or so many cars parked in the road at weekends it's hard to find a space. Talk to neighbours, we looked at one house but found out from neighbours that part of the garden had been built on builders rubble!

Get a fixed fee from estate agents so you know how much they will cost

Don't worry too much about everything being perfect and showhome quality, show them lived and loved, they'll really get the impression that the house is a home.

Having just sold with Purple Bricks it is crucial you trust the agent and are happy with how your house is advertised. Fortunately we were very happy with the 2nd agent we had but not the first. Make yourself available for viewing as much as possible. Ensure the house is spotlessly clean and free from clutter.

Decluttering probably has the biggest impact if you're hoarders and will have to be done if you're successful anyway,
I know there are lots of tips about keeping evidence of pets and children out of sight (And smell!) That said, we've bought our houses as do-er-uppers, so the first impressions weren't that great. We had vision and it paid off.

Make sure it is as clutter free as possible. It's so offputting when you see pictures on right move with lots of photo frames and ornaments, It makes the rooms look busy and old fashioned. Just package them up and store in loft or similar until the house is sold. We hid the kids toys in the car when viewers came!

Make sure house is clean and fresh without clutter. Clean windows, mow the lawn and plant some shrubs in pots.

Don;t start looking for a new place until you've got interest in your current place - there's no point losing a place you love because you can't shift your current place

I bought my first property over 2 and a half years ago. I must admit I fell in love with the house, it wasn't too far away from where I was living so I was able to walk over and see it at different times of the day. I think my best tip for buying is to be prepared to walk away if your offer is rejected and you know you can't afford to put in anything higher. This happened for us and I felt so disappointed but luckily the sellers re-thought our offer and later accepted it. I appreciate this might not always happen but you have to tell yourself you found this house and there will be other houses out there that you will fall in love with just as much!

I really think a fresh clean and uncluttered home helps with the selling, as does mirrors strategically placed. BUT this is in a perfect world and with young children not really possible or practical. My biggest tip would be for the children to be playing outside or with family when viewing takes place!

Try to de-clutter as much as possible, to allow people to see the space and possibilities for their own furniture. Make sure the front of the house is tidy, and that any little repair jobs are done, as you have often got used to living with minor irritations which might put prospective buyers off.

If you can afford it, hire a professional cleaner before the viewings. Hide anything too personal like family photos which might make the viewers imagine your family living there instead of theirs.