Introducing the first in a series of how-to property articles by property advice expert John Thekanady, who, with the support of a dedicated team of professionals, owns and runs the Watford and Bushey office of HomeXperts, part of a national chain of property sales and lettings agencies.
John has lived in Watford for more than 30 years and has considerable local knowledge.
"We are fully NFOPP qualified and accredited, regulated by the Property Ombudsmen and are members of both the Association of Residential and Letting Agents (ARLA) and the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA)," says John. "At HomeXperts we challenge the existing traditional agency model to deliver better customer service. The lack of a high street presence means we can not only be more flexible on fees but also on working practices, including assisting clients in the evenings and during the weekend.  
"I personally have 15 years of client services and online marketing experience and work very hard to impress my customers. Our results speak for themselves - out of every ten market appraisals we are invited to we win eight, and on average we achieve 96 per cent of asking prices for both sales and lettings."
First impressions are lasting: Potential buyers will make a decision on your house within the first few seconds, so the way you present your home is crucial. Well maintained lawns and weeded borders, together with clean exterior paintwork and tidy entrances, will give potential buyers a positive start. Front doors should be clear from prams and wellies whilst front gardens should be clear from garden tools, litter and unsightly bins.
Clear away clutter: Tackle the hall first, putting away all coats, hats and dog leads. Tidy up boots and shoes, putting them away neatly in a downstairs cupboard or shoe storage unit. A bunch of lilies or brightly coloured Gerberas will look good in the hall and will create a lovely aroma when potential buyers first come into the house. Remove any unnecessary furniture. A laundry basket behind the bathroom door for example, is not a good idea - the route around your property should be free from any obstruction.
Light and space: Clean all windows and keep the curtains well drawn back to allow as much light in as possible. If you have blinds in the kitchen pull them up as much as possible, and install spotlights to light dark corners. Uplighters in the sitting room are a good idea, and will bounce light off the ceiling, as are high wattage light bulbs in the hall and bathroom.
Kitchen: Firstly de-clutter and then give your kitchen a good clean. If fridges and cookers are part of the sale then make sure that they are well cleaned and are working! Anything displayed on the fridge must go, along with any works of art the children have brought home and you have displayed. If kitchen cupboards are old, consider repainting them. Simply by replacing old door knobs and handles you can give your kitchen a relatively inexpensive facelift.
Sell that house: It goes without saying that your house should be spotlessly clean whilst it’s on the market. However, if the thought of housework distresses you, then there are cleaning agencies who will work miracles in a couple of hours.