Learn the art of decluttering

When preparing any home for sale, removing as much clutter as possible is essential. Rooms should be set up with minimal furniture and even fewer personal items. The concept here is not complicated; the less stuff, the bigger your rooms will look and feel.

Buyers are willing to pay more for a home that feels bright, open and tidy. If buyers need to see through your possessions rather than focus on your home's appealing elements, you will lose them during the open home - like the saying goes, first impressions last. Great presentation of a home will usually mean the difference between making or losing thousands on your sale price.

It sounds harsh, but showcasing the ornaments from your 2001 family trip to Fiji will not necessarily impress the visiting buyer. Likewise, the amazing CD collection of your favourite 80's bands (whilst enjoyable listening) will not compel buyers to pay top dollar for your home.

If your home is like most, your goal when selling should be to remove at least 50% of the items in your home before hitting the market. That might seem like a lot, but chances are most of those things are gathering dust and rarely used.

Throw out as many things as you can. If you think they are worth something, donate them or sell them on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace. If you have been hanging onto things for too long, now is the time to get rid of them! This is the time to be ruthless. If, and when you sell your property, you will be saving yourself time later when you are preparing to move - the more you get rid of before the sale, the less you have to pack when moving.

Sometimes it is hard to be critical of your own home. Don't ask your family and friends for advice as they will most likely prefer to avoid offending you. Instead, get a real estate agent to complete a walk-through with you. They are likely to offer many suggestions that will add value to your home.

Things to keep an eye out for:

• Shoe collections inside wardrobes or under the bed
• Excessive clothes – in winter, store all your summer clothes away and vice versa
• Kids toys and board games
• Unused garden accessories
• Posters on walls
• Toiletries
• Personal photos – especially large ones that have been blown up on a canvas
• Unused electrical devices (such as stereos and old computers) along with unsightly cables
• Tallboys and other large pieces of furniture in bedrooms
• Items on top of kitchen cupboards (air fryers, electric frying pans and old cookbooks).