YOU need to be realistic about prices.

The market is competitive and the wrong price can cost you – quite literally.

Price your home too high and you run the risk of putting potential buyers off, but price too low and people will begin to wonder if there is something wrong with the property.

Take a look at the local market and be prepared for the asking price to be less than you had hoped.

It is important to be critical of your home and look at it through the eyes of a potential seller.

Try and imagine different tastes, needs and wants from different type of people.

If your home is a family home, then you may want to consider a family-friendly layout.

Neutral colours work well as they can often be seen as a starting point for potential homebuyers.

It is important that potential buyers can envision themselves living in the house so de-personalise!

Remove anything that largely relates to your own family, religious or political stance.

Even though some buyers look for a house with renovations, most people want to move into a house that is practically perfect.

A fresh coat of neutral paint will be beneficial to the sales process and if the flooring or carpet, need drastic improvement, you should do this before you put the property up for sale.

Most buyers will also look for natural lighting so make sure individual rooms are well lit.

Space is the untold saviour in any property so make sure that you make the most of it.

Remove any unnecessary clutter, opening up the space, leaving room for imagination.

It is important to make sure that your house is orderly so tidy shampoo bottles in the bathroom and children’s toys in the living room.

It is important to make the property feel like home so accessorise it appropriately.

Adding flowers or the odd houseplant will inject colour and warmth into a room and glossy magazines on your coffee table will create a high-end homely effect.

In addition to this, investing in some sweet smelling candles and a diffuser will also have a positive effect.

Finally, have a look over your whole home and for every viewing, ensure it looks like a show home.

There shouldn’t be any shoes by the door, dirty dishes in the kitchen or fresh washing in sight!

Staging your house to perfection every time will allow people to feel that it is a home they would be proud to own.