Ever noticed how other people's mess always looks worse than your own?

From the moment prospective buyers arrive, everything they see makes an impact on their assessment of your home.

Gardens and lawns should be well presented, rubbish should be disposed of, paths kept clean and garden tools stored away.

Maximising space

Remove all clutter and watch your house expand in size.

Neat, well ordered cupboards, wardrobes and pantry show that space is ample.

If you spend a lot of money painting, carpeting or adding a patio, you will want to add this to the price.

Buyers, on the other hand, may not share your taste, even though what they are getting is like new.

Be guided by your agent as to what is necessary and what is not.

On the other hand, complete all minor repairs.

Sticking doors and windows, loose door knobs, dripping taps or peeling paint may affect the speed and value of your sale.

Nothing improves the atmosphere of a home more than brightness.

Open all the curtains and switch on strategic lights to brighten up gloomy spots prior to the arrival of prospective purchasers.

When buyers are there, keep children and pets right out of the way.

Taking them for a walk is often a great idea.

Smokers and dog owners beware: nothing makes a buyer want to get out of a property quicker than stale air.

Room deodorisers, a bowl of pot porri and open windows will all help.

Any home will be enhanced by the smell of a cake baking, or freshly brewed coffee.

Often the effect is subliminal, days later purchasers don't always realise exactly why they got such good vibes from your home.

A warm, comfortably heated home has a real feeling of cosiness on a cold day.

Alternatively, make sure your home is well ventilated on hot days.

Take a back seat

Don't have too many people present during inspections and avoid trying to "help the agent out".

Your sales consultant knows the buyer's requirements and knows which features of your home to emphasise to different purchasers.

Never discuss the details of the transaction such as price or terms.

Leave this to your agent.

Remember, their experience and training enables them to better qualify purchasers and negotiate the best price.

It is often a mistake to list your home with the agent who suggests the highest price, as they may be simply trying to "buy" your business.

While it is true that you can always "come down", there are many factors to consider.

Firstly, the market is always looking for new listings. This means that the first few weeks your home is on the market can often bring more inspections than any other time. Many of the buyers in the price range will rush to see your home.

Those who have been looking for some time are often the ones who have done their homework and are ready to buy. But they will also be the most aware of the market value of your property.

If your home is correctly priced it will make buyers feel they need to snap it up before someone else does. If the price is too high, they feel no such sense of urgency.

Just as vendors take the attitude "we can always come down", buyers think they will wait until the price drops. It is often the case that a property which could have achieved $550,000 when first placed on the market may achieve only $530-540,000 after being on the market for a number of months and becoming "stale".

The longer your property is on the market, the more buyers feel they have the negotiating power.