Want to sell your home quickly?
Home makeovers are all the rage, but you don't have to go through a Changing Rooms-style transformation to make your property more enticing to prospective purchasers. Here's a few tips on how to accentuate the positive side of your abode:

Outside
First impressions count. Make sure potential buyers are attracted to the outside of your home. This will encourage them to look in more depth, rather than drive away at speed. Take a good, long look at the front of your property. The best view is from across the road.

Does it compare well with other properties in the street, or does it let the side down?
Are there any repairs that need to be done, such as replacing slipped tiles or slates?
Make sure your home looks inviting and that it has 'kerb appeal'.

Living Room
Living rooms are where we spend many of our waking hours when at home, so it's important that we feel able to relax and be comfortable there. However, when selling your property, you may have to sacrifice some of your creature comforts for image. Now is a good time to pack away as much clutter as possible - videos you don't watch regularly, piles of magazines and books, and all those odds and ends you have been meaning to sort out. You will have to pack these away to move, so do it sooner rather than later.

Bathroom
Bathrooms are places where we can spoil ourselves. After a hard day's work, what better way to relax than to climb into a hot, foamy bath surrounded by luxury, warmth and fluffy towels? This is the image we need to create in the minds of potential purchasers. As ever, keep your bathroom free from clutter. Clear out the cabinet and put away day-to-day toiletries. Clear surfaces will make the room look bigger. Hide rubber ducks and other toys.

Kitchen
Good kitchens help sell property, but they have to be attractive as well as functional. A kitchen is also the most expensive and inconvenient room to refurbish, so its condition will influence the value of your property.

Use your eyes: does your kitchen look dated? Check out what's new in kitchen design to pick up some ideas. Handles on unit doors, for instance, are easy to change and an inexpensive way to give kitchen units a lift. Choose handles that are similar in size and shape to your existing ones so that fitting them does not leave holes or marks. Replace damaged or missing cupboard doors.

Kids Room
In all the stress of selling and moving home it is sometimes difficult to remember that your children are also facing change. They might be leaving friends, schools and family behind, and this will be traumatic. However, if they are old enough, you will need their help when showing your home to best effect. The same basic rule applies to children's rooms as to other areas of your property; clear out the clutter. Many children are expert hoarders and love to have all their possessions around them. If you have small children, pack all toys away in boxes, keeping one or two out and storing the rest. Bring different boxes out of store in rotation, every week or so. Older children should be asked to make choices and keep no more than half a dozen of their favourites on display. Whatever you do, get them involved so they do not feel that you are invading their space without permission.

Bedroom
Are you embarrassed about letting complete strangers into your inner sanctum? Here's a tip for a welcoming boudoir. It goes without saying that bedrooms should be tidy, clean and fresh. Keep surfaces and floors clear of clutter, especially shoes and bags. Give the room a deep clean - including under the bed. A build up of dust (mostly human skin cells) makes a room smell musty. Open the windows before the viewers arrive.

Garden
Gardens have become increasingly important when selling property. Not everyone wants a large garden, but an area that provides a relaxing and attractive feature will make your home more saleable and, in some cases, add value. Whatever the time of year your garden or patio area must be tidy. This means sweeping up leaves and debris on a regular basis, keeping flower beds weeded, lawns mown and hedges clipped.

Front gardens are a real pain, as rubbish will often get blown in from the street and undermine any 'kerb appeal' your property may have. Be extra vigilant before potential purchasers arrive.