It's amazing the things we are prepared to put up with in our "normal" daily lives but come the day you decide to sell that is a different matter. To get the best out of your sale it is often a good idea to put yourself in the buyer's shoes and, to paraphrase Burns "see ourselves as others see us". If you are hoping to maximise your profit and get a good sale it makes sense to swallow your pride and put in a concentrated effort, which can help achieve a quick sale allowing you to relax. It also pays to remember that the camera never lies and no matter how good the selling agents are you will always get the best results if you put in some effort to tidy and present the house to "Showhouse" standards for the photographer. Arriving at a house and having to tidy up or wash the dishes before even pointing the lens is not the best way to start the selling process. Remember that at the end of the day the seller has the most to gain from achieving the best price.

So it would seem that some straight talking would be appropriate. The following is a miscellany of "betes noir" and other pointers to make the sale process a bit easier and may even assist to preserve some sanity all round.

• Tidy up. Some people manage to live naturally tidy lives but most of us mere mortals require an incentive to clear up. It goes without saying that an untidy room will not appeal to the discerning buyer and while they are not buying your stuff it is difficult to be enthusiastic about buying somewhere that the sellers themselves don't respect.
  
  
• Clean and polish, ventilate and scrub and if necessary replace. It is well known that scented candles don't clear a smokey room and often only alert a buyer to the problem. Open windows and if possible banish the smoker to the end of the garden for the duration of the marketing.
  
  
• Consider sending your pets out for a walk during viewings (goldfish excluded) or better still arrange for them to have a holiday with some loving relative or trusted friend. It will not help your sale prospects if the dog starts to bark from the moment your viewers arrive until they leave not planning a return visit. It also pays to think about the parts of the house that the dog gets to lie around. Pet owners, like any proud "parent", may see no wrong in their little darling and fail to understand why anyone should think otherwise, no matter how clean and well looked after they are. Don't let fondness for a pet blind you to the problem. A "doggy smell" can make an unfortunate first impression. Before we leave the subject let's totally alienate pet owners and say that it is not a good idea to let your dog use the back garden as an open toilet, particularly as sellers may walk in the garden and back into the house!
  
  
• Kerb appeal is important as buyers often drive by before arranging a formal viewing and however much effort you have put in to present the interior it will be to no avail if the buyers don't get over the doorstep. So no matter what time of year it is show your best front; mow the lawn, cut the hedges and sweep up, clearing away the fallen branches and other debris from past storms. Don't leave last year's withered remains hanging in the baskets at the front door; either take them down or add some colour with window boxes as suitable plantings are available year round. Select early flowering plantings or bright foliage that looks good at the time you need it to. Planting them up to await the summer won't do as you may be the only ones to admire them while your would be buyers sun themselves in foreign parts.
  
  
• De-personalise your rooms. Lose the cuddly toys, fridge magnets, kids "drawings", family photographs and dust gathering ornaments no matter how nice and sentimental they may be. The more you personalise the more difficult it is for buyers to see themselves in your house. De-cluttering will also give a better impression of space for the all important presentation you hope will attract the viewers.
  
  
• Think neutral décor. A bold or heavily themed room is going to have the same effect and may deter buyers. So if you really want to sell you need to get serious and appeal to someone else's better taste. You can always do your own thing once you move! It is quite amazing how dark rooms can look due to inappropriate décor and particularly with modern houses you may need all the help you can get to persuade buyers the "generously proportioned accommodation" is up to the agent's enthusiastic description.
  
  
• Do all the little jobs you have been meaning to do for the past 10 years but never got round to. Whether it is replacing or cleaning the stained sealant in the shower, touching up the paint work, fixing the dripping tap, loose door handle or replacing the dud light bulbs they are essential jobs you don't want your buyer to notice and wonder what else has been neglected.
  
  
• Present rooms with appropriate furniture. If you use the fourth bedroom as a study-cum-spare room try staging it with a bed, particularly if the dimensions are such that the buyer may be sceptical. Give the solutions not the problems. Likewise a breakfasting kitchen should be shown with table and chairs in place.
  
  
• Finally try to get everyone in the family on side and make it a family project. There is nothing worse than having a daily fight leaving you too stressed to deal with your viewers possibly losing you a potential sale as they pick up the wrong vibes.

If the preparation is all too much remember that there are professional firms prepared to do the hard work from gardening to cleaning (there is even an oven valet service!). You may find the cost involved pays dividends. And finally if you simply can't face the trauma of showing strangers round your home speak nicely to your selling agents and they may agree to show viewers round while you go for a pleasant walk in the park where you can all smoke, bark, argue and complain about being evicted as much as you like content in the knowledge that everything is under control.