Spring has definitely sprung and with Easter over, those of you thinking about selling your home this year will be beating a path to your local estate agents door.

But in your rush to get moving don't forget that selling your home presents the perfect opportunity to get some serious decluttering done for several important reasons.

After all, why would you pay your removal firm to move stuff you don't really need or use? Similarly, why would you clutter up your lovely new home?

But most importantly, always bear in mind that your home is usually your biggest financial asset.

So, before those brochure pictures are taken you should ensure your home is looking its best so you can achieve the best possible price and maximise its value.

A good analogy for this is selling your car. You wouldn't dream of placing your car in the local newspaper without ensuring that your smelly trainers and gym kit were removed from the boot, the kid's sweet wrappers and sticky finger marks were banished from the back seats and all those papers, receipts and maps were picked up off the floor.

Then, on top of that you would give it a serious valet.

So why wouldn't you give your home the same treatment?

Let your potential buyer visualise themselves in your home – let them see it as theirs, not yours!

It's a cliché I know, but unfortunately first impressions really do count.

Potential buyers can be put off before they even step through the front door so make sure your home has:

Great kerb appeal

A sense of space and flow

Rooms with a clear identity

Cleanliness throughout

Before your house hits the market, have a good objective and critical look at your home.

Try and see what potential buyers will see and think about what they want to see.

In this way you will have done the best you can to maximise your homes value which will increase your buying power for your next home – seems sensible really doesn't it?

Brigitte Girling, of Style2Live, can be contacted on
01379 897248 or via www.style2live.co.uk