If you intend to put your home up for sale in a few weeks or months' time, here are a couple of things you should do before you advertise your property:

Make sure that you make a good first impression

The first few parts of your property that potential buyers see will play a huge role in the opinion they form about your home. If your front garden is wildly overgrown and the front door is covered in cracked, peeling paint, the people viewing your property are likely to conclude that the property isn't very well-maintained and would require a lot of time and money to improve.

Similarly, if, upon walking through the front door, potential buyers are presented with the sight of several pairs of malodorous, dirty shoes, a stained hallway floor and a chaotic collection of umbrellas, coats and other clutter, they might be so disgusted that they immediately dismiss the idea of purchasing the property.

In short, first impressions are incredibly important. By spending a bit of time cleaning and sprucing up your front garden and entryway, you can ensure that each of the viewings you arrange gets off to an excellent start.

This needn't be an expensive process; in most cases, all that's needed is some patience, time and plenty of elbow grease. If you have hedges and a lawn at the front of your home, spend some time trimming and mowing these, respectively. Then, sand, prime and re-paint the front door.

When it comes to the hallway, it's best to remove all of the clutter (including any shoes, coats, and umbrellas) from this area whilst viewings are being held. Make sure that the floors and walls are spotlessly clean, and consider placing a scented candle or a reed diffuser, along a small lamp, on a side table in this area; these steps will ensure that when potential buyers enter your home, they will be greeted by a pleasant scent, and a perfectly pristine, nicely-lit space that feels warm and inviting.

Perform some minor decor upgrades

A lot of real estate agents tell their clients to update the decor before putting their homes up for sale. Whilst this is excellent advice, it is not a viable option for many people.

If you don't have the time or the money to repaint and replace the carpets in every room of your house, don't worry; you can still improve your home's appearance and make it more appealing to potential buyers, simply by updating smaller features around your home.

Make some simple changes can help to modernise the look of your property. For example, replacing those tarnished brass doorknobs, drawer pulls and kitchen cupboard handles with contemporary chrome fixtures can make a significant difference to the overall appearance of your home, giving it a modern, fresh look for very little money.

Adding a few plain mirrors to the walls of your home is another quick and inexpensive way to make the rooms appear larger and brighter. Mirrors not only create the illusion of greater depth in a room but also help to reflect the light; this, in turn, can make the space look far airier and brighter than it actually is.

Contact a real estate agent for more information and assistance.