When you put your house on the market, it's a good idea to work out what you need to make on your sale, so that you know whether any subsequent offers are worth accepting. This will depend partly on your circumstances: if you are buying another property you probably have a specific figure in mind you need to reach in order to make your new purchase, allowing for your legal costs of the sale and purchase.

After the kitchen , the bathroom is the second most important room in the house and it must be spotlessly clean. The following tips can help you to smarten up your bathroom, to create a place where your potential viewing can feel they can relax and be pampered.

It is thought that buyers make a decision whether or not to buy within the first minute or two of entering a house. The buyer may not even be aware of this decision as it has been made subconsciously. Although most buyers have a list of specific requirements for their new house, the decision whether or not to buy a particular house is often based on intangibles.

When preparing the house for the viewing, do bear in mind that not everybody will love your pets as much as you do - in fact, they will put off a certain proportion of potential buyers - so keep any animals out of the way when showing your house, and eliminate any evidence of pet hair or odours that they might leave behind.

It's a good idea to ask a number of different agencies to value your home, and then decide which one will fulfil your requirements the best. Make sure that you consider the following points.

A kitchen should match the style of the house - wood cabinets and an Aga for a traditional country home, modern units with chrome and stainless steel for a loft-style apartment. Having said that, there are also many neutral kitchen designs that would work equally well in either.

Try to make sure that your hallway is light and bright for immediate impact when your viewers arrive. Clean the windows thoroughly, and draw the curtains well back. Install uplighters or spotlights to illuminate dark corners and switch on lights in dark areas.

As a seller, you need to present your home so that it meets the needs of the greatest buying audience in order to realise your best sale price. Following the tips listed below can ensure that your house is looking its best and will appeal to its viewers.

Spending money on improving the interior will be wasted if the exterior is putting people off before they even get inside the door. A well-kept garden, fresh paintwork, and the overall first impression of a cared-for home are important factors in getting buyers inside.

Properties are usually sold by auction in order to obtain the highest market price, and as the market finds the best price it is a good method if it would be otherwise difficult to put a value on a property, for example if the property is unusual.

Selling your property privately, without involving an estate agent, may entail more work on your behalf, and you might find it hard to reach as many prospective buyers as an estate agent would. However, if you're successful, then you'll save the commission you would have to pay an estate agent, often around 2% of the price of the property.

The best way of ensuring a sale is to ask a realistic price - a property doesn't have a fixed market value and is worth exactly what a buyer is willing to pay for it.

Although the fees relating to selling your house will not be as large as the ones you'll have to pay when buying a new one, they are still something that you will need to budget for.

The government has introduced a new law designed to speed up the home buying process to approximately six weeks, with the hopes of reducing gazumping. The vendor will be required to produce a 'home information pack' (also known as a 'sellers' pack' or HIP) before putting a property on the market.

Before an agent can offer your property for sale, they must have a signed authorisation from you. There are a number of different kinds of agreement.

If you're thinking of selling your house, make sure that you plan well in advance. Contact estate agents around 3 months before you want to put your house on the market, as they will need to measure rooms, take photographs, design brochures and advertising - this will always take longer than you think.