Locate TV - find tv shows you want to watch

This will take you to locate.tv which is an amazing site that shows you when your favourite TV shows are on next.
It's brilliant.

Identify each room

If you are marketing your home as a three bedroomed property make sure it has three bedrooms - you need to show each room can holld a bed, and ideally if it's a double bedroom you need to put a double bed in it.

If your spare room is full of junk it won't hit the mark as a bedroom unless it has a bed in it. Sort out the junk!

If you use your spare room as a study then you should put a guest bed in too - some of the guest beds look nice with a few cushions as an attractive place to sit.

Pets or pests

Lots of people don't like pets. Some people just don't like them, and some have a positive fear of them.
Remove as many traces of your pets as possible.

Get the dog out on a walk whilst people come and view.

Hide pet food dishes. Keep them in a sensible place if you have to have them out.

I've heard recently about someone viewing a house who was horrified to find pet dishes upstairs. It's not that horrific unless there are rotting bowls of cat food, but I spose if you don't like pets you'd fine them a bit repulsive!

So keep the pets out of the way!

The bathroom

when you sort out your bathroom throw out all the empty shampoo bottles you've been hoarding. If there's dribbles left in them empty them all into one and ditch the rest.
Wash soap dishes, and all shelves and surfaces. Tidy everything away apart from any glamourous bottles of expensive stuff. Put a plant in if you've got room.

Coordinate blinds, shower curtain and towers. Have a set of brand new fluffy towels you bring out just for viewings. This makes the bathroom look very luxurious.

Get any nasty pipework boxed in and hidden. This makes the bathroom look loads better and makes it easier to clean! Less pipes to dust!
Hide away the cleaning materials once you've finished cleaning.

Keep the seat and lid down. Keep the door pulled too.

Ditch nasty carpet or lino!

Cleaning the bathroom. As well as a thourough deep clean of the bath, toilet, basin and shower clean the grout between the tiles. Make it white and sparkly however you have to! You can get grout pens or get them regrouted.

Make sure there's a mirror and that it's sparkling clean.

If you've got an aging or coloured bathroom suite you might have to think that it might have to be replaced. Be prepared to negotiate on price if you don't want to replace it yourself.

Sweet smell of success

Make sure your house smells sweet.

Pet smells, food smells, stinks and stenches will put people off.

Keep your house smelling nice. Keeping it clean is essential - wash out any bins, clean the bathroom, make sure dinner isn't cooking when people view.

Introduce nice smells. Freshly squeezed oranges smell amazing, bread baking is an old one - but risky if you let it burn, flowers are a nice though lilies can be operpowering.

Pot pourri is useful but not in excess,

Picking the right estate agent

Interview them for the job.
Do they offer you a copy of their contract of their terms and conditions?


Do any of them have an eye on the market, mentioning a quick sale price?


Ring them all up and ask them as if you were planning on buying in the area. How do they deal with you? (ok, get someone else to do it, or use a relatives address and name) - but this way you know how they deal with people. Doing this first might save you time interviewing them!

Ask them how many people they have on their books wanting houses like yours.

Chances are they all get the same customers - so you want someone who's efficient and easy to deal with.

What tie in did they all ask for? What fee? Will they negoiate?

Everything must have its place

Everything must go somewhere!

Hide the vacuum cleaner and the ironing board, but find room somewhere sensible for them! People want to know you've lots of useful storage available.

And viewers do open cupboards!